The Pluma Association roundly condemns the LGTBIphobic and fatphobic attacks that a Gomero content creator has received on social networks when making visible the situation of lack of resources for food product establishments on the island with the arrival of a fast food chain to La Gomera.
Comments such as "tired of seeing so much effeminate", "I can't do this faggot" or mockery of one's body are expressions of discrimination that we cannot and should not normalize.
«Being effeminate, being gay is not an insult. Having a body that does not meet established standards should not become a reason for humiliation either. "No one has the right to question the dignity of another person based on their appearance, gender expression or sexual orientation," said a statement.
For PLUMA «masculinity does not have a single way of expressing itself nor does it determine anyone's sexual orientation. Bodies don't need approval. No person has to justify their identity, orientation or appearance to deserve respect.
It is outrageous that these attacks find support through comments and dozens of likes. Behind every screen there are people, and behind every insult there may be consequences that do not disappear when you close an application.
Freedom of expression is not a carte blanche to humiliate. Disagreeing is legitimate; Using someone's body or gender expression to ridicule them is discrimination.
From Pluma “we convey our support and solidarity to the influencer. Their well-being, their privacy and their right to decide how to deal with what happened must come before any public exposure. We reject that you have to justify yourself, respond to those who attack you or continually relive the attacks to demonstrate the damage received. "The responsibility for these behaviors corresponds exclusively to those who exercise them."
These attacks also send “a message of rejection to other people, especially young people, who are still afraid to show themselves as they are. "La Gomera deserves a coexistence where no one has to hide to avoid humiliation."
To those who insult: the problem is not being fat, effeminate or different from what you expect. The problem is believing that they have the right to humiliate someone for it.
It is necessary to reinforce awareness-raising actions to reduce any signs of discrimination. It is urgent that the island's administrations continue to coordinate to avoid this type of attitude. And it is a priority that citizens become aware that what happened cannot be ignored.
OUR BODIES ARE NOT DISCUSSED. OUR IDENTITIES ARE NOT QUESTIONED. OUR DIGNITY IS NOT NEGOTIABLE.
