A fighter for equality – Page 12 (Registration)

The socialist politician and lawyer Pedro González Zerolo, advocate for gay rights in Spain, born 54 years ago in Venezuela, died of cancer. Zerolo was the main driver of equal marriage, adopted in 2005 during the government of Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. The former president stressed that the thrust of Zerolo led him to push through that law which “turned Spain into a more decent country”. At the time of his death, Zerolo was surrounded by her family, her brothers and her husband, Jesus Santos, sources with their environment.

“Zerolo was at the forefront of the defense of diversity and we taught all that diversity is part of the socialist project because defend demonstrates a passion for equality and freedom, “said the secretary general of the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), Pedro Sanchez. Zerolo will be remembered for his activities against discrimination and in favor of freedom and civil rights and the Madrid public health, besides being a fighter against AIDS.

Although fighting against his infirmity one and a half when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, disease against which he fought as he continued his activity, Zerolo was active in Spanish politics until the end. He served from 2007 as municipal councilor in Madrid and was elected president of the Madrid Socialist Party (PSM) in February this year. Besides, I was number three in the Socialist list in the regional elections of May 24.

Born July 20, 1960 in Caracas, where his family lived in exile, he returned very young to Spain to study law at University of La Laguna, in the Canary Islands. By the late 1980s he began to develop his political life in Madrid, where he began working in social projects, including the priest Enrique de Castro to help vulnerable people in the district of Entrevías. In 1989 he jumped into politics to stand for election to the Senate in the October elections, by party list Antiprohibitionist Drug supported group, among others, the Italian Radical Party and Spanish personalities such as José Luis López Aranguren, Manuela Carmena or Antonio I Escohotado. But it failed to win a seat. In 1992 he joined the Collective Gay of Madrid (Cogam), where it was first counsel and from 1993 to 1997, president. Since that year he combined his work as a lawyer with the president of the State Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Transsexuals and Bisexuals (FELGTB). In 2003 he presented with Santos, his companion of life, a marriage application that was denied them to the legalization of marriages between same sex two years later, initiative which was the driving force.

From the hand of Rodriguez Zapatero, in 2004 became part of the Federal Executive of the PSOE and was elected secretary of Social Movements and Relations with NGOs. In 2012, at the XII Regional Congress of the PSM, he was elected secretary of Social Movements. In November 2014, Zerolo was elected Honorary President of the Spanish Federation of Sexology (FESS), during the XII Spanish Congress of Sexology and the VI Ibero-American professionals in sexology, held in the Spanish city of Cordoba.

“It will always be a benchmark in the conquest of the rights of LGBT (lebianas, gay, bisexual and transgender) in Spain,” said the PSOE in a statement. The Argentina Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transsexuals (FALGBT), the Homosexual Community Argentina (CHA) and the group 100% Diversity and Rights expressed their condolences for the death of Spanish activist.