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Calahorra is a city with a population of around 24,5000 people and is the second largest municipality in La Rioja. It has played an important administrative role in the region dating back to the 4th century CE. Human settlement in the area dates back to the Mousterian period, 125,000 years ago.
History
The Tribunal de la Inquisición de Logroño was originally covered by the bishoprics of Osma and Calahorra, with their headquarters in Calahorra from 1498 until 1512, when the court was added to the one in Navarra. It returned the town in 1521 and remained their until 1570 when it moved to Logroño. The jurisdiction of the court covered the entire kingdom of Navarre, the bishopric of Calahorra, the province of Guipúzcoa and the lordship of Vizcaya. It continued until its suppression in 1834.[1]
After same-sex marriage became law, Calahorra mayor Javier Pagola indicated hesitation around it saying that the term marriage “rechina” meaning squeaks.[2] No same-sex couples had gotten married or were in the process of applying to get married by September 2005. [3]
The first same-sex marriage that took place in La Rioja took place in Rincón de Soto on 11 September 2005, and was between Montse Almendari and Marta Amo. The ceremony was officiated by Partido Popular mayor José Luis Arpón at the Ayuntamiento.[4] The couple had wanted an intimate and familiar wedding, but half the town turned out for the event with over 200 guests total at the ceremony held in the local Rincón de Soto town hall. The couple then went to Calahorra where the banquet was held.[5]
GYLDA did a massive mailing effort November 2006 in Calahorra to provide people with information about AIDS and HIV. It was unclear if any information was lesbian specific.[6]
In 2007, there were same-sex couples living together in parts of the region outside Logroño, including in Calahorra, Arnedo and Pradejón.[7]
When gays and lesbians in Arnedo wanted to get away and get more social opportunities in 2009, they often headed to Calahorra or Logroño. For young gays and lesbians without a car, this made life very difficult as there were no gay bars or other places where they could be out without fear.
Orgullo 2009 Logroño celebrations were organized on 27 June by GYLDA. There was also an LGTB film series, which took place at Cines Moderno in Logroño and Cines Arcca in Calahorra. One of the two movies was the 2008 lesbian themed movie, I Can’t Think Straight. The films were run on 1 and 2 July 2009.[8]
In September 2015, there were five lesbians from La Rioja with listings on the dating site Pink Cupid. One was from Calahorra, aged 21.
In March 2018, PSOE de Calahorra aksed Fiscalía y al Delegado del Gobierno en La Rioja Alberto Bretón for his office to investigate homophobic leafletting at Colegio La Milagrosa by an ultra group. The leaflets were signed by AES LA RIOJA, Alternativa Española Social Cristiana. They equated homosexuality with pedophilia. PSOE demanded that specific measures be taken to prevent a repeat of this occurring in the future.[9]
Orgullo 2018 celebrations in La Rioja took place in Logroño, Fuenmayor and Calahorra. [10]
The Asociación Los Niños son Intocables denounced the town hall of Calahorra for hanging the rainbow flag on 23 June 2021 in celebration of Orgullo. The Asociación Los Niños son Intocables denounced the town hall of Calahorra, Logroño and the Gobierno de La Rioja for hanging the rainbow flag on 25 June 2021 in celebration of Orgullo, citing ley 39/1981 which prohibited the flying from government building of any unofficial flags.
Casa Consistorial in Calahorra was open for a week of Orgullo activities in late June 2021. The townhall was covered in rainbow and transgender flags in honor of the celebrations; there were no bisexual or lesbian flags. There was transgender specific topic programming but no lesbian specific programming. The Orgullo Manifesto was written by FEMP and read out on 27 June 2021.
VOX councilor Maite Arnedo and right-wing activist Salvador Martí filed a complaint on 23 June 2021 against the Casa Consistorial for hanging the rainbow flag during Pride in 2021 as part of their efforts with the group Los niños no se tocan. The court rejected the complaint, and Martí launched an administrative appeal of the decision. The Juzgado de lo Contencioso Administrativo número 2 de Logroño issued a ruling on 28 January 2022 numbered 25/2022 against the appeal. The ruling said, “the placement of said flag in support of the LGTBI community on the balcony of the town hall does not imply an attack, injury or damage, nor to the Christian religion which, by the way, proclaims respect and tolerance towards all, neither to its followers nor to the associations that, in accordance with their religious convictions, defend a model of the natural family.” PSOE Calahorra issued a statement in support of the ruling. In addition to losing their appeal, they were required to pay €600.[11]
There was one room for rent on Idealista in April 2022 that was listed as being LGTB friendly. The lodgings had male and female roommates all under the age of 30.
xaffair.net is a relationship site for people looking to cheat founded in 2019 that includes a section for gays and lesbians. The site has a history of putting up fake profiles which message people, with the goal of encouraging people to buy their premium service. It is unclear how often this happens in Spain or with lesbian members. There was only one lesbian listed as seeking partners from Calahorra in May 2022, and that was a 25-year-old.
See
Casa Consistorial, located at Plaza de Ayuntamiento right off Glorieta de Quintiliano, was built in 1949 along with the Guardia Civil barracks in order to help keep the peace in the town. The building that houses the Ayuntamiento de Calahorra. It has a red brick facade, similar to other buildings in the town. In 2005, Calahorra mayor Javier Pagola would say that the new same-sex marriage law in Spain “squeaks”. VOX councilor Maite Arnedo and right-wing activist Salvador Martí filed a complaint on 23 June 2021 against the Casa Consistorial for hanging the rainbow flag during Pride in 2021 as part of their efforts with the group Los niños no se tocan.
Colegio La Milagrosa, located at Avenida de Numancia, 35, is a private school owned by Hijas de la Caridad de San Vicente de Paúl, Provincia de Santa Luisa-Madrid in the city that is run as a public service with an arrangement with the regional government. It was founded in 1878. In early March 2018, homophobic leafletting look place at the doors of the school by an ultra group. The leaflets were signed by AES LA RIOJA, Alternativa Española Social Cristiana.
Gobierno de La Rioja, Oficina de Atención a la Víctima, located at Avenida Numancia, 26, is the location where victims of homophobic violence can receive attention and assistance.
Cines Arcca, located at Plaza del Mercadal, 46, is a private cinema. It hosted an LGTB film series connected to Orgullo in Calahorra from at least 2005 to at least 2008.
References
A.B.H. (2006, November 29). «Hay miedo a hacerse la prueba». El Correo Digital. Retrieved from https://www.elcorreo.com/alava/prensa/20061129/rioja/miedo-hacerse-prueba_20061129.html
Alvarez, E. (2022, February 2). La justicia refrenda al Ayuntamiento de Calahorra, frente a VOX, en la colocación de la bandera LGTB. La Rioja. Retrieved from https://www.larioja.com/comarcas/calahorra/justicia-refrenda-ayuntamiento-20220202142601-nt.html
Europa Press. (2018, July 1). Trece años de matrimonio homosexual en España. rioja2. Retrieved from https://www.rioja2.com/n-121691-2-trece-anos-de-matrimonio-homosexual-en-espana/
La Rioja. (2005, September 12). ¡VIVAN LAS NOVIAS! “LOS ALCALDES DEL PP CUMPLIREMOS LA LEY”. InfoGays. Retrieved from https://inforgay.blogspot.com/2005/09/vivan-las-novias-los-alcaldes-del-pp.html
nuevecuatrouno. (2018, March 6). El PSOE de Calahorra denuncia el reparto de octavillas homófobas en la puerta de un colegio. nuevecuatrouno. Retrieved from https://nuevecuatrouno.com/2018/03/06/el-psoe-de-calahorra-denuncia-el-reparto-de-octavillas-homofobas-en-la-puerta-de-un-colegio/
Portal de Archivos Españoles (PARES). (2019). Corporate Body – Tribunal de la Inquisición de Logroño (La Rioja, España). Retrieved from Portal de Archivos Españoles (PARES): http://pares.mcu.es/ParesBusquedas20/catalogo/autoridad/48992
rioja2. (2009, June 24). En un país multicolor. rioja2. Retrieved from https://www.rioja2.com/n-44692-2-pais_multicolor/
Sainz Jimenez, S. (2007, July 13). Veinte parejas gays se han casado en La Rioja desde la aprobación de la ley «Ya nadie se sorprende». La Rioja. Retrieved from https://www.larioja.com/prensa/20070713/rioja_region/veinte-parejas-gays-casado_20070713.html
[1] (Portal de Archivos Españoles (PARES), 2019)
[2] (La Rioja, 2005)
[3] (La Rioja, 2005)
[4] (Sainz Jimenez, 2007; Europa Press, 2018)
[5] (La Rioja, 2005)
[6] (A.B.H., 2006)
[7] (Sainz Jimenez, 2007)
[8] (rioja2, 2009)
[9] (nuevecuatrouno, 2018)
[10] (rioja2, 2018)
[11] (Alvarez, 2022)
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