The LGTBIQ+group Rejas Rosas in prison Soto del Real (Madrid V) published a Pride manifesto on 20 August 2026. The text appeared as a contribution on 20minutos and focuses on the situation of LGTBIQ+ people in prison and on the historical and current frameworks governing their rights in Spain.
Rejas Rosas is a support and guidance project for imprisoned LGTBIQ+ people initiated by the Fundación 26 de Diciembre It was established in response to needs identified, according to the project’s account, by social workers at the Centro Penitenciario Soto del Real. Its aim is to create safe groups in prison settings, provide psychosocial support and facilitate access to specialist advice. According to the project, such groups are currently coordinated in Soto del Real and in Teixeiro (A Coruña)
The manifesto states that 26 December 1978 named as a turning point: on this date, the Ley de Peligrosidad y Rehabilitación Social was amended so that homosexual acts were no longer prosecuted as criminal offences in Spain. At the same time, the text criticises the stigma that persists and highlights the burdens LGTBIQ+ people may face in custody. The attributions and assessments come from the group’s manifesto; no independent impact evaluation is available.
The publication brings to light an institutional interface where the prison system, social work and minority rights intersect. The fact that a prison such as Madrid V has established an internal diversity group supported by professionals points to a growing awareness of the protection needs of vulnerable groups. At the same time, the manifesto stresses that preventing discrimination, providing accessible psychological support and ensuring reliable points of contact are central to safety and rehabilitation in everyday prison life.
No official announcements have yet been made of immediate changes to prison practices resulting from the publication. It also remains unclear what follow-up measures will result from the debate in Soto del Real or other facilities. The manifesto does, however, document the coordinated self-organisation of people in custody and heighten public attention to their situation. The immediate context is the publication of the text by 20minutos; background accounts of the development of Rejas Rosas and the historical legal framework are cited in the manifesto itself and provide context.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).