LGBTQ+ rights, Barcelona vs. Milan: "Spain is freedom, a daughter with my partner, and a job free of exploitation."
Whether we're talking about recent football matches or human rights, the result is the same. Italy loses, while Patrizia Capranzano, her partner, and the baby she's carrying— three wonderful people —have found happiness in Spain , in Barcelona.
And, despite having Italy in their hearts and a double sacrifice because their first attempt to move was foiled by Covid, they chose the capital of Catalonia as their new home: free, equal to any other couple, with every right recognized. And not only that. While their choice was made to live a rainbow-colored life , which distinguishes LGBTQ+ families (actually, any family), in Spain they discovered they had more rights in the workplace, a better salary, more affordable rents, and, therefore, time and quality for their lives beyond their professional commitments.
Barcelona nominated for WorldPride 2030
We met Patrizia Capranzano and her growing family at Barcelona Pride , the latest Pride event to take place in Spain, on July 19, 2025 (events mostly take place in June throughout Europe and beyond). A truly endless parade of floats and open-top buses filled with joyful and festive people, accompanied by thousands of others parading between the vehicles, along the avenues of the Catalan capital. This summer, Barcelona was officially nominated (by Turespaña, the Spanish Tourism Institute , an autonomous body under the Ministry of Industry and Tourism) to host WorldPride 2030, the traveling global event, highlighting its commitment to LGBTQ+ rights, its vibrant cultural life, and its history of activism. If Barcelona is selected, it would be the second time Spain has hosted a WorldPride, following Madrid in 2017 .
Spartacux Gay Travel Index 2025: Spain Tops the List
Spain, on the other hand, ranks first in the Spartacus Gay Travel Index 2025 , a recognition that confirms its prominent international position among the safest and most welcoming destinations for LGBTQ+ tourism. It has also created a Diversity Destination Network, an initiative that aims to ensure safe, inclusive, and discrimination-free spaces throughout the country; an approach that is also reflected in the variety of destinations most popular with LGBTQ+ travelers , from major cultural cities to seaside resorts.
Spain celebrates 20 years of equal marriage
Not only that: this year, Spain celebrates the 20th anniversary of "Equal Marriage," the law of July 3, 2005 (at the time, the third in the world to have one) that legalized marriage between people of the same sex: a historic moment that marked a profound change in Spanish society, leading, among other things, to adoption by same-sex couples . And Valencia, from June 27 to July 4, 2026, will host the Gay Games 2026 (held every four years), whose aim is to support participation, inclusion, and personal growth in 38 sports. And the airline Vueling, in addition to practicing a non-discriminatory policy for its employees, already has a rainbow-colored airplane and promises it will be only the first.
The chef: "Here we can live without fear."Thanks to all this, it's natural for LGBTQ+ people to feel freer to be themselves in a country like Spain today. Patrizia Capranzano, a chef who is expecting a baby girl with her partner and has moved to Barcelona permanently, confirms this. We met her during "Orgullo," Pride Day, or Spanish Pride, which closed out the year in Barcelona.
Patrizia, why Spain?
I came to Barcelona to build a life for myself, in the truest sense of the word, because unfortunately the situation in Italy is still a bit complicated, and here we are freer; we can live without fear. My partner and I are finally expecting a baby girl, something I wouldn't have been able to do in Italy, even though she's my biological daughter, based on my eggs. I would have had problems every day in various life situations, at school, at work, at the hospital. So we came to Barcelona, a place where the LGBTQ+ community is very welcome: for 20 years, you can get married here. In Catalonia, even more than in the rest of Spain, we are all equal: this region is like a world apart. Here you can go out in your pajamas, no one judges you. We come from Milan, where you have to be perfect every day, but here you realize that imperfection exists, but no one makes a fuss about it. This is the best part of Spain: freedom. We celebrate pride and eagerly await 2030 to celebrate it as a threesome. with our little girl”
How do you see Italy from Spain?
"Bad, very bad; it's sad to say because I've always participated in every gay pride event in Italy, every possible demonstration, but I see things getting worse and worse: things aren't getting better. It's sad to see kids beaten up for demonstrations they hold at school, something that's impossible here: there's no policeman trying to beat someone up, invading their privacy. From here it's even more noticeable: with what I see happening every day in Italy, I tell myself I did the right thing in leaving, even if it's sad because I love Italy, our food. But many things need to change: it's time to evolve."
Yet Spain is a very Catholic country, like Italy.
"Yes, but here they've always been more revolutionary. Plus, there's less crime here than in Italy. In Milan, for example, you're afraid to walk down the street, to go to the central station, you have to be careful walking down the street. In Barcelona, on the other hand, you can walk around at night without anyone touching you; if that happens, it's the exception, not the rule."
What did you find here, compared to Italy, beyond the rainbow 'question' and the freedom to be?
“In Italy, what you do isn't a life. As a chef , I worked 12 hours a day, 6 days a week; I had Sundays left to do laundry and see family and friends, do something. In Barcelona, I work 40 hours a week, as is right, with two days off. I can pay rent without getting stuck in debt. With the same money I used to pay for an apartment in Italy, in Milan, here I have a house that's twice the size, with a balcony and a lovely, comfortable kitchen.”
You had to try to move twice, why?
"Yes, the first time we came, we had a great time, but then Covid hit, there was no more work, and we had to return to Italy. We got back to work, we saved up to do it all again, with the same intention. And now we're here, in Barcelona. Our families are happy, they come to visit us. And now they're waiting for their granddaughter to arrive." We thank the Spanish airline Vueling for its collaboration in creating this service.
Luce
