Since then, they have evolved as an GNO focused on three main areas: health, education and civil rights. Their commitment and willingness to help is amazing. Not only they helped our schools to elaborate our Must and Never Code for good practices, they also showed us their work in Torremolinos and guided us through Pasaje Begoña and La Nogalera, the most popular lgtbiq areas.
LA NOGALERA.
La Nogalera is a serie of 6 buildings, gardens, relaxing areas and they are interconnected by corridors. It was an important architectonic project during the sixties. Back then, the area underneath these buildings were comercial locals, but now is the main party area in Torremolinos and its where most of the lgtbq clubs are placed.
In 2014 Torremolinos did celebrate its first Pride parade. A few hundred people and a couple coach participated in this first Torremolinos Pride and it’s has been growing exponentially in the following years. For example, in 2019, more than 50,000 people attended this event. A dozen floats pareded through the streets and associations such as Apoyo Positivo, toured the streets claiming Diversity, Equality and Respect in a party full of rainbows and glitter.
Pasaje Begoña
Another important point for lgtbiq community was Pasaje Begoña.
In the 60s, during the Franco dictatorship, repression was happening on a daily basis, and LGTBIQ+ people were persecuted by law as in almost all countries.
But Torremolinos, a small fishing village at that time, began to arise in international tourism, not only for the hotels in Costa del Sol and its fantastic weather, but for a place that began to gain international recognition as a point of tolerance, respect and sexual freedom in southern Spain.
The Begoña Passage was the epicenter of this phenomenon; In its annexed areas, more than 50 music and dance venues were installed where everyone was welcome regardless of their sexual condition, although their majority public belonged to the LGTBIQ + community.
From 1962 to 1971 The Passage Begoña lived its golden decade.
Bars such as The Blue Note, Gogó bar, La sirena, La Boquilla, Tony`s Bar, (First gay bar in the country.) Catapulted Torremolinos as an international gay destination par excellence.
Foreigners, celebrities, intellectuals, bohemians and artists were attracted by the good weather, the sea and respect for the diversity that was Torremolinos. In this streets public figures, like Grace Jones, John Lennon and the Beatles Manager, were usually seen having fun and socializing.
In the late 60s and early 70s, the Franco regime hardened its policy against homosexuality and periodic raids were carried out against the LTBIQ + collective throughout the country.
On June 24, 1971, a large police raid ended with more than 300 people identified and 114 people arrested for the only crime of “violating public morals and good habits” under the Danger and Social Rehabilitation Law. Some of the people arrested that night were jailed and foreigners were deported.
Many of the clubs were closed forever. Even the name of the alley was changed so there was no trace of what was the Begoña Passage. After 40 years closed, five new stores have opened in the Begoña Passage in tribute to those clubs with the intention of energizing the site with exhibitions, concerts and cultural activities.
The Begoña Passage has been declared as a place of historical memory and cradle of LGTBIQ+ rights by the Congress of Deputies in Spain; In addition, in 2019, on the occasion of the World Pride week in New York and the 50th anniversary of the StoneWall riots, an event was held at the Cervantes Institute in New York where the Stonewall Inn bar bonded The Begoña passage, both epicenters of respect and tolerance and cradle of LGTBIQ+ rights in their respective countries, with the aim that these historical moments do not fall into oblivion.
Since that time it has rained a lot and Torremolinos has been steadily recovering its title of diverse and respectful place where everyone is welcome regardless of their origin or sexual identity. Torremolinos is once again a place of tourist interest for the LGTBIQ + community and has become one of the international vacation reference destinations within the community.
We are aware of the need to demand and fight for the LGTBIQ+ community rights, not only on the streets but in the school too, so our students can feel safe and confortable being whoever thay want to. Besides, if they grow been respected and learning to respect each other we will surely have respectful adults in the future, which is the basis for a democratic society
