Translation of article in El País, 26 March 2026
The demonstration by this group, organised by the State Enby Network, took place outside the offices of the Registry Office
“Out of the closet; non-binary pride. Non-binary person, neither man nor woman”. Around thirty people, mostly young, gathered on Thursday outside the Civil Registry office in Madrid, on Calle Montera. A similar number gathered outside the offices of the same body in Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Zaragoza, Valladolid, Murcia, Santander, Tortosa, Huelva and Vic. In total, there were around ten protests under the same slogan (We exist, we resist) to demand rights for non-binary people – those whose sexual or gender identities and/or expressions do not fit into the traditional categories of man or woman, male or female.
“The situation in Spain is unacceptable. The failure to recognise 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 Arka, 25, from the State Enby (non-binary) Network, speaking at the rally in Madrid. “They don’t take us seriously. But we are not a fad; we are a political and human reality,” she added.
This Thursday’s protest, of great significance for the community as it was held at a national level and specifically for non-binary individuals, comes three years after they witnessed how the Trans Law (Law 4/2023 on real and effective equality for trans people and the guarantee of LGBTI rights) excluded them from its scope. “State Trans Law, colonial binarism,” chanted the demonstrators in Madrid. For the groups within the State Enby Network, “the 2023 law, hailed as a step towards gender self-determination, excluded non-binary identities, limiting self-determination to two options: man or woman. That is not real self-determination.”
“The recognition of non-binary identities is a fundamental right upheld by the UN,” they emphasised in the protest manifesto. In July last year, the UN Human Rights Committee expressed its “concern” that the Trans Law did not recognise non-binary people, as this exposes them to “discrimination in the workplace, in education, in healthcare, or in public spaces”.
“Our rights, guaranteed both in the Spanish Constitution and in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, are being violated,” insisted the Enby Network, which was founded in 2024. They are therefore calling on governments to offer alternative gender options – such as X or the so-called third gender – as is already the case in Argentina, Canada, Germany, Denmark and some US states. In short, they are calling for full recognition of their reality in all legal and administrative spheres; the non-imposition of gender markers on birth certificates; and the establishment of an administrative process allowing for the addition of an option other than male or female.
“Three years ago, politicians turned their backs on us, but in a way, so did the LGBT groups,” lamented Alana Speck, 61. “They said they wouldn’t leave anyone behind, and in the end, it happened to us. We feel abandoned,” they added in a telephone conversation from Seville, where they had been demonstrating. Speck, who is of German origin and coordinated the protest in the Andalusian capital, has their third gender recognised on their official documents. Not only in their country of origin, but also in Spain. “However, it isn’t recognised by Social Security or the health service,” they clarified.
“We face a great deal of discrimination in our daily lives, as well as violence. Furthermore, we have specific needs, and as there are no data or statistics on us, these needs are overlooked,” Speck pointed out, “if we do not exist legally, we are invisible in every respect.” In response to the gaps left by the Trans Law, in April last year, Sumar tabled a bill in Congress to recognise the rights of intersex and non-binary people. The left-wing coalition, a junior partner in the government, proposed amendments to 15 articles of that legislation. The initiative came to nothing.
“It is alarming that over 80% of non-binary people avoid certain spaces for fear of being discriminated against, harassed or subjected to violence. This forces us to hide in order to protect ourselves,” Arka explained from Madrid. Almost nine out of ten non-binary people conceal their identity – they engage in cis-passing, that is, they present as male or female – within the healthcare system. Furthermore, 32% have experienced workplace discrimination, according to data from the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights.
“Ultimately, we are challenging the gender binary system, something that is central to this society,” explained Speck. “When you look at a person, the first thing you do is categorise them as male or female, with all the weight, discrimination and hierarchy that entails. We are breaking down that binary system and proposing a profound social change. That makes it harder for us to be recognised,” they emphasised. “Since other groups have not represented us adequately, we have had to organise ourselves. The fact that there have been events in ten cities already strikes me as a great success.”