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International LGBTQI Pride Day is celebrated around the world on June 28. For yet another year, COSMO will be supporting this cause with an awareness campaign dedicated to women, the least visible part of the LGBTQI+ collective, with the aim of defending their rights, giving them visibility and fighting for their equality.

Lesbian, bisexual and transgender women suffer multiple discrimination both because they are women and because they belong to the LGBTQI+ collective, which makes them even more vulnerable. Their sexuality and their gender identity are constantly questioned for breaking out of the norms imposed by society, which translates into more violence and heightened invisibility inside and outside the collective.

Sports journalist Paloma del Río, singer and actress Rocío Saiz, singer Jimena Amarillo, musical duo MARLENA, illustrator Carla Berrocal and artist and TV collaborator Amor Romeira are the protagonists of these pieces that COSMO has produced especially for Pride 2024. These women, who are not afraid to raise their voices and who are part of the LGBTQI+ community, share with us their experiences, explaining why it is important to speak out.

All of them stress the need to reclaim public space in order to combat discrimination and attain real equality. They emphasize the importance of highlighting the diverse facets of LGBTQI women, including sexual orientation, gender identity, race, disability and age. They also underline the importance of continuing to celebrate Pride not only as a party, but also as an occasion to make a stand, recognizing the struggle of the women who came before them and remembering that there is still a long way to go.

Starting Monday, June 24, this initiative comprising a series of interviews will be broadcasted on COSMO. All videos will be available on the channel's social networks and website.

COSMO and its commitment to LGBTQI rights

As part of its ongoing commitment to social issues, COSMO has produced two original LGBTQI short films: 17 Minutes with Nora, shortlisted for the Goya Awards, and Elefante. Both features are available to all COSMO viewers on our on-demand service COSMO ON.

Shot masterfully in a continuous take, 17 Minutes with Nora (2021) tells how the relationship between a trans girl and her father changes forever. Isak Ferriz (Burning Body, Giants) and Álex Silleras (Transformación) star in this short film directed by Imanol Ruiz de Lara and co-written with Gonzalo Tejedor Andrés. This COSMO production in association with La Costa has garnered an extraordinary track record with nearly 40 awards, being selected as one of the 15 candidates for Best Short Film at Goya Awards, and more than 100 entries in festivals in a dozen countries.

Goya award winner Javier Pereira (Stockholm, May God Save Us) and Jason Fernández (Libertad, Strange Way of Life) star in Elefante (2023), a film about the workplace discrimination faced by LGBTQI people in certain jobs, even today. COSMO produced Elefante, a short film directed and written by Lasdelcine (Cristina and María José Martín) in collaboration with the NGO Apoyo Positivo.

COSMO ON offers subscribers, at no additional cost, the best international series, entertainment shows and movies, as well as exclusive premieres, previews and special events. Available on all of Spain's main paid TV operators, COSMO ON's catalog includes an average of more than 500 on-demand titles per year, including award-winning series such as I am, The Name of the Rose, The Newsreader, Nolly, Death in Paradise, Beyond Paradise, Sister Boniface Mysteries, Bright Minds or McDonald & Dodds. In addition, the service also offers a section dedicated to COSMO’s original productions where our award-winning original short films 17 minutes with Nora, A quien dices amar, Lo de aquella noche, De menos, Flechas and Elefante stand out along with the original COSMO shows It Moms and We love Tamara.

COSMO is a leading pay TV channel available on all major Spanish platforms. The channel is part of the A+E Networks EMEA portfolio, a leading media group that delivers programming to more than 76 million households in 100 countries.