Working to secure the rights of minorities and indigenous peoples

Minority Rights Group International campaigns worldwide with around 130 partners in over 60 countries to ensure that disadvantaged minorities and indigenous peoples, often the poorest of the poor, can make their voices heard.

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'It's here! Romani sexual dissidence.'

Spain, 2019 –
“I think our movement will grow.
We are trying to transcend the norms, so that the norms are not our prison."

An exploration of gender and sexual dissidence and diversity in Spain's Gypsy community, based on interviews carried out during Madrid Pride week in June 2018.

Introduction

An introduction – history, identity, reclaiming the word Gypsy and Romani sexual dissidence Taken from an interview with Iñaki Vázquez Arencón, from Plataforma Khetane and Ververipen A history of persecution “The first Gypsies to arrive in Spain in the early 15th Century were the Calé, which means los negros (blacks) in the Romani language. At […]

7 min read

Fakali: Feminist Gitano Voices

Ensuring that Roma women are heard – an interview with Fakali My name is Sandra Heredia. I’m 33 years old and from Córdoba. I’m responsible for international, national and EU relations at the Federación de Asociaciones de Mujeres Gitanas Fakali. I also collaborate with the Consejo Estatal del Pueblo Gitano and my background is in […]

11 min read

Photo story: La Negri

Photographer Bex Wade writes about seeing one of the community’s key role models perform at Madrid Pride. After spending time being immersed in the warmth and community of the Gypsy sexual dissidents, it seemed only fitting that my last night should be spent with them watching their heroine, Noelia Heredia, perform at the closing party […]

2 min read

‘In general if you're a Gypsy....your difference is visible all the time, like being inside a crystal ball."

Aurora

Being a Sexual Dissident

An interview with Iñaki – on being a Romani sexual dissident My name is Iñaki Vazquez, I’m 50 years old. I identify as a Gypsy, and as a marica (queer). I say queer intentionally because for me reclaiming that word is political. Marica is used an insult, but by redefining it we are questioning it […]

6 min read

Dani Speaks

An interview with Dani – on diversity, dismantling stereotypes and the Gypsy matriarchy My name is Daniel Janoher de Vargas. I’m 21 years old, and was born in Hortaleza, Madrid. My family is of mixed ethnicity. My father isn’t Gypsy, my Mum yes. In the first place, I’d say I’m a human, a person, but […]

4 min read

Critical Pride

Madrid’s Critical Pride protest – ‘Pride is transgression’ Madrid’s Critical Pride (Orgullo Crítico), is a series of events centred around a large demonstration held on 28 June, under the motto ‘Pride is transgression.’ According to its organizers, the movement was born out of a necessity to protest the commodification of the LGBT+ movement and return […]

5 min read