Seville, 23 March 2026 — On 26 March 2026, non-binary people and their allies will demonstrate outside registry offices in 10 cities to protest against the lack of recognition of non-binary identities in Spain. This is the first non-binary protest in Spain, organised by the Spain Enby (Non-binary) Network.
Through these actions, local groups and the Spain Enby Network[1] are expressing their deep concern over the Spanish State’s failure to comply with international human rights standards by not recognising non-binary identities.
The 2023 LGTBI Law, hailed as a step towards gender self-determination, excluded non-binary identities, thereby limiting self-determination to two options, ‘male’ or ‘female’, which in practice means there is no real self-determination. This means that non-binary people continue to be unrecognised on identity documents, birth certificates, the municipal register, or documentation from state authorities (Tax Agency, Social Security, Civil Registry, etc.), rendering them invisible and excluding them.
The recognition of non-binary identities is a fundamental human right endorsed by UN experts and international organisations [2], who urge states to legalise self-determined gender identity. Countries such as Argentina, Canada, Germany, Denmark and several US states offer alternative gender options such as ‘X’ or ‘third gender’ on identity documents.
The organisation also condemns the systematic discrimination and violence suffered by non-binary people: “It is alarming that 81% of non-binary people avoid certain spaces for fear of being discriminated against, harassed or subjected to violence.” “This lack of protection and recognition forces us to hide in order to protect ourselves from physical or verbal violence, or simply because we are not taken seriously: 87% of non-binary people engage in masking or cis-passing (passing as cis men or women) in healthcare settings, and 32% of us have experienced discrimination in accessing the labour market.”[3]
‘The situation in Spain is unacceptable. The lack of recognition of our identities affects our physical and mental well-being, our privacy and our access to healthcare and employment, and consequently our full access to fundamental rights and a life of dignity,’ said a spokesperson for Spain Enby Network. “That is why, on Thursday 26 March, in the run-up to 31 March, Trans Visibility Day, we want to protest outside the Civil Registry offices to demand that the Spanish state fulfil its human rights obligations in accordance with international standards by recognising non-binary identities.”
The Spain Enby Network calls for:
- Full recognition of non-binary people in all areas, including the national LGBTI Act, the Law on Equality between Women and Men, the Anti-Discrimination and Equal Treatment Act, in healthcare, in the workplace, in education, in sport and in all leisure facilities.
- The non-imposition of gender markers on birth certificates at the time of birth, and the establishment of a simple administrative process allowing for the optional addition, once the person is able to self-define, of registered sex markers corresponding to all gender identities, including for migrants and minors.
- The strengthening of mechanisms for prevention and protection against the discrimination and violence suffered by our community.
The State Enby Network reiterates that human rights are inalienable and not government concessions; it will therefore continue to monitor the situation until compliance is ensured.
List of protests:
- Barcelona: Pl. del Duc de Medinaceli, 3 (Ciutat Vella), 17:00h
- Madrid: Calle de Montera, 18, 18:00h
- Murcia: Avda. de la Justicia, s/n, 18:00h
- Santander: Frente a Delegación de Gobierno, Calle Calvo Sotelo nº 25, 18:00h
- Sevilla: Calle Enramadilla con Vermondo Resta, 18:00h
- Tortosa: Carrer de Montcada y Plaza Gerard Vergés, 18:00h
- Valencia: Av. del Professor López Piñero, 14 (Ciutat de la Justicia), 18:00h
- Valladolid: C/ Angustias, 40-44, 18:00h
- Zaragoza: Plaza Expo (ciudad de la Justicia), 18:00h
And a protest picnic in:
- Vic: C/ Doctor Junyent. Parc de l'hospital de la Sta Creu, 19:00h
More information on the protests: https://sexualiarte.es/es/existimos-resistimos/concentraciones
Notes for journalists:
[1] We use the term ‘enby’ as an umbrella term or broad category that encompasses various gender identities that do not fit the socially accepted definitions of ‘man’ or ‘woman’ (such as agender, gender-fluid, gender-neutral, non-binary, etc.), as well as those who are questioning their gender or have non-binary identities.
[2] In July 2025, the United Nations Human Rights Committee expressed, regarding the national LGBTI law, “its concern that this lack of recognition exposes non-binary people to discrimination in various areas, including public and leisure spaces, the education system, health services and employment, amongst others”. In other words, our human rights, guaranteed both by the Spanish Constitution and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, are being violated.
[3] European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, EU LGBTIQ Survey III, 14 June 2024, https://fra.europa.eu/en/publications-and-resources/data-and-maps/2024/eu-lgbtiq-survey-iii
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