Abascal made the statements after Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez previously claimed that VOX views homosexuality as a disease. In his counterattack, Abascal tried to compare the Social Democrats with Che Guevara: "who locked up homosexuals."
"You can label and insult [our party] any way you like, but we care about Spaniards, regardless of their colour, age, gender and sexual orientation," Abascal assured. "Encourage your government partners to move away from ideologies that catalogue people based on their sexual condition."
The sudden positive attitude towards homosexuals is surprising, as VOX has made numerous homophobic statements in the past. For example, the party complained about spending tax money on Pride events, referring to an "expansion" of such events. The party also opposed the adoption of children by same-sex couples. In addition, when a representative in Madrid said that if her son is gay she would rather not have grandchildren.
The Spanish LGBT + community has reacted with cynicism. For example, Abascal is accused of "pinkwashing", only supporting gay rights when it suits him. Some poked fun at the sudden turn from the party, which lead to the following (hilarious) results on Twitter:
