By Alexis Oliva, from Córdoba

As outrage grows, and those responsible for the acts of violence and discrimination during the LGBT Pride Day events in Córdoba are identified and denounced, municipal authorities and some LGBT organizations raised the rainbow flag again yesterday in the area where a cultural center dedicated to promoting the rights of sexual diversity will operate.

Over the weekend, a nationalist group led by members of the military attempted to forcibly remove the rainbow flag, which Mayor Martín Llaryora and LGBTQ+ organizations had raised in Sarmiento Park in Córdoba. The intolerance escalated into violence, resulting in an attack with a chain, the brandishing of a firearm, and the destruction of an official plaque.

Following the conflict sparked by anti-rights groups, the rainbow flag was lowered Sunday night, with a commitment to provide it with its own flagpole, in an agreement intended to prevent further serious incidents. However, other LGBTQ+ groups considered it a "setback in collective progress," and also criticized the police's inaction in the face of the violence.

The unusual offensive of the anti-rights movement

At the same time, the Cordoba leaders of Renacer, the nationalist organization that claimed responsibility for the attacks on the rainbow flag in several cities across the country, resumed the unusual offensive with a criminal complaint against Mayor Martín Llaryora and two other municipal officials for "insulting the national flag, abuse of authority and violation of the duties of a public official."

“On behalf of the Renacer Civil Association,” David Rodini and Máximo Calderón—president of Renacer's Córdoba Coordinating Committee—filed a criminal complaint against Mayor Martín Llaryora, Deputy Mayor Daniel Passerini, and the Secretary of Government of the Municipality of Córdoba, Miguel Siciliano. Ignoring national legislation and the framework of international law, they allege that the raising of the “gay pride flag” constituted a violation of Articles 222, 248, and 249 of the Penal Code. These articles respectively penalize anyone who “insults the national flag,” any public official who “issues resolutions or orders contrary to the national constitution or laws,” and anyone who “omits, refuses to perform, or delays any act of their office.”

In the text, the anti-rights group says that the LGBT Pride Day event “led to various scuffles, which ended with the lowering of the diversity or gay pride or LGBTIQ+ flag, and the destruction of that plaque,” ​​but they blame the events on “a 'gay activist, with long hair, around 40 years old,' which is very striking to the complainants, since if 'tolerance' is demanded and the actual action is the destruction of public property and the insult to war veterans present at the site, it can be said that this was a clear act of provocation that should be investigated.” 

From accused to accuser

One of those making this claim is Máximo Calderón, identified in a video claiming responsibility for destroying the official plaque installed when the LGBTQ+ flag was raised. “This is how the plaque had to end up. We, the people of Córdoba, broke this,” he boasts. In the video, he shows one of the pieces, points to the letter Q, and explains: “Queer means degenerates, animal lovers, dead people, pedophiles…”

On his Facebook page, Calderón presents himself as president of the Advisory Council of the Masonic Confederation of United Grand Lodges of America. He is also listed as a coordinator for the Ministry of Education. Sources within the provincial education ministry confirmed to Presentes that he served as coordinator of a Youth Activities Center (CAJ) until November 2019.

Based on this video footage, the Devenir Diverse association filed a complaint against Calderón for “severe discriminatory acts” with the Córdoba branch of the National Institute Against Discrimination (INADI). The complaint states that the anti-rights group “repeatedly attempted to take down the LGBTIQ+ pride flag flying in Sarmiento Park, a decision made by the Municipality, and destroyed the commemorative plaque placed there. Furthermore, they physically and verbally assaulted those who came to the park to peacefully protest these actions. At least one person suffered blows to the head with a chain. It should be noted that several of the attackers were armed.” 

They also point out that “in a video filmed during the events described, the accused, Mr. Máximo Calderón, was identified expressing discriminatory acts towards the LGBTIQ+ community and in a threatening manner.”

They are investigating the carrying of firearms.

Furthermore, Calderón will be included in the expanded criminal complaint filed with District Attorney's Office 2, Shift 6, regarding the acts of violence that occurred over the weekend. This was confirmed to Presentes by Councilor Soledad Ferraro. The councilor from Hacemos por Córdoba had filed a complaint on Monday against Air Force Sub-Officer Daniel Villena and former soldier Alejandro López, the alleged Malvinas War veterans who attempted to remove the rainbow flag on Saturday. She also filed a complaint against Gustavo Luis Garay, accused of attacking Romina Orellano, a member of the Putos Peronistas (Peronist Queers) movement, with a chain during the incidents on Sunday in Sarmiento Park. Based on several testimonies, she requested an investigation into the possible possession of firearms by those who attempted to take down the LGBTQ+ flag.

“There was a coordinated national action by this organization, Renacer, which presents itself as a civil association but seeks to intervene in politics and has partisan affiliations. They not only act against diversity, but also against the bill for the voluntary termination of pregnancy, and they were the ones who provoked the disturbances at the 2015 National Women's Meeting in Mar del Plata,” stated Ferraro, who chairs the Gender and Equity Commission of the City Council. There are also two other complaints filed by those who were victims and witnesses of the acts of hatred against diversity that took place over the weekend. 

"It represents a step backwards."

At the ceremony yesterday, Thursday, where the rainbow flag was raised again in front of the future Center for Studies and Dissemination of Diversity Rights, some of the organizations and leaders that make up the Emergency Committee of the Union of LGBTIQ+ Organizations in response to Covid-19 were present. However, other organizations rejected what they considered "an agreement by a few," which "does not represent the decision of our entire community."

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From the coordinating committee of the dissident pride march, a pluralistic space that brings together diversity organizations from the city and province of Córdoba, we express our position on the recent raising of an LGBTQ+ flag in Sarmiento Park. Swipe through the images to read the full statement!

A post shared by Marcha del Orgullo Disidente (@marchadisidenecba) on Jul 2, 2020 at 8:34am PDT

“It’s a setback that democratic institutions have backtracked under pressure from violent anti-rights groups. This sends a very bad message for democratic coexistence, and even more so for our community. In this regard, the actions of the Judiciary and INADI (National Institute Against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism) will be crucial in prosecuting the perpetrators of the hate crimes that occurred this past weekend in Sarmiento Park and determining what reparations can be made. For now, we will continue to monitor these proceedings and analyze the next steps with other organizations,” announced Martín Apaz, an activist with Devenir Diverse.

Around twenty organizations that make up the Coordinating Committee of the Dissident Pride March of Córdoba declared: “We will not allow our community to be used and placed in a nonexistent symbolic struggle and dispute between our identities and the nation. What happened was far from vindicating our pride; on the contrary, it represents a setback in the collective work we have been doing for years and strengthens the most conservative sectors and those opposed to the rights we resist daily in our society.” 

“In a complete lack of security, physical integrity was threatened: citizens, many of them from the dissident community, who were present to protest the attempted lowering of the flag, were not protected. They faced violent individuals armed with weapons (firearms, chains, stones, and horrific insults) who did not hesitate to abuse their impunity. Fortunately, no more serious incidents occurred. In the face of this, we uphold our best weapons of resistance: words and pride,” the statement adds.

Social condemnation

Numerous diversity and human rights organizations, institutions, officials, and political and social leaders from across the country condemned the acts of violence perpetrated by anti-rights groups in Córdoba, Mendoza, Rosario, and other cities. On Wednesday, July 1st, the Córdoba Provincial Legislature declared its repudiation of “the acts of vandalism that resulted in the destruction of the commemorative plaque for LGBT Pride Day placed by the Municipality of Córdoba in Sarmiento Park; and the acts of social intolerance carried out by a group of citizens.”