If you haven’t heard of Ada Colau, prepare to find yourself a new inspiring woman to look up to. Ada is not only the first female Mayor of Barcelona, one of Spain’s hottest holiday destinations, she’s also a human rights juggernaut who has zero time for sexism and a very refreshing outlook on what it means to be bisexual.
Ada has been a symbol of hope and progress for Barcelona for years now. She has often said she is not anyone special, and her role as a politician is to be the face and voice of the people as a collective. She has held the political office of Mayor in Barcelona since 2015, but a recent interview made headlines after she allegedly “came out” during it. Ada quickly shut down that notion and said she couldn’t possibly come out, since she’s never once tried to hide her sexuality. Appearing on Saturday Deluxe, a Spanish TV show, Ada spoke openly about her past relationships for the first time saying that she dated both men and women while studying in Italy.
“I had a long-term relationship with an Italian woman, first with a man and then with her. It was the first time I fell in love with a woman, it was a long relationship, two years” Ada says, “We had a lot of gay friends, it was part of our environment. I’m not explaining it, but I do not have to hide it, either.”
It’s such a breath of fresh air to hear someone so candidly describe their sexual preference, while also protecting their privacy. We sadly live in a world where the LGBTQI community has progressed, but certainly still experiences a lot of scrutiny, especially those who identify as bisexual. Having a role model like Ada to look up to can do nothing but good for those who need the courage to speak their own truth without being demonised or sexualised.
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Following the interview, a spokesperson for the State Federeción of Lesbians, Gays, Transsexuals and Bisexuals (FELGTB), Amanda Rodriguez, praised Ada’s public speech:
“We value very positively that the topic of bisexuality has been placed in the public debate with such naturalness and honesty, even though it has not been identified with a label: politicians have the double responsibility of being honest and of being references, especially for generations to come, they need to find on television and in their daily lives these models in which to look.”
Amanda went on to add that there is still much work to be done for those who identify as bisexual and there is a lot of misunderstanding around it. “There are still many myths about bisexuality, we still think that we are undecided people, that we have time to define ourselves, that we are hidden homosexuals, or that we are repressed and vicious people … It is not seen as a sexual orientation as such,” Amanda explained. It seems that Barcelona’s Mayor is working to change all that and that’s a change for good is you ask us!