GLAY is most proud to announce that, for the first time on Gran Canaria, a shared LGBTQI+ community office has been provided, by our local town hall, to offer resources and collaboration for the Yumbo and Maspalomas area, in collaboration with six non-profit associations all working together to voluntarily provide services and information to the vibrant gay collective who reside, work and visit this most important destination. The Punto Arcoíris, “Rainbow Point“, was officially inaugurated at the main square on Wednesday July 17 2024, in an event organized in collaboration with LGTBIQ+ groups and the Ayuntamiento de San Bartolomé de Tirajana Town Council, marking a monumental step forward for the LGTBQI+ community.
GLAY proudly attended the official act, alongside the other collaborating associations, ACES (Amigos Contra El SIDA), Chrysallis Canarias, Freedom, Checkpoint Canarias and Observatorio INAP LGTBIQ+, who will coordinate the use of the space and manage access, for the development of various projects serving the wider Yumbo community and offering assistance to residents and visitors from this most important tourism segment. Their presence underscored the significance of the achievement and the collectives’ commitment to fostering a supportive and inclusive environment for all.
Leading the proceedings, Mayor Marco Aurelio Perez recognised the hard work carried out over many years to ensure the visibility and protection of this community so vital to Maspalomas and the island of Gran Canaria.
Events and Tourism councillor Yilenia Vega pointed out that, “according to data from the Gran Canaria Tourist Board, business owners and the LGBTIQ+ community itself, this segment of visitors represents more than 15% of the island’s total tourism business”. Which is to say, more than double the global average for this sector.
Town councillor for Citizen Participation, Ruymán Cardoso, claimed the newly inaugurated facility as the very first of its kind on the islands, being a permenant office from which to develop vital services to tourists and residents alike, from the third sector, in partnership with local and regional government, “providing essential services such as personal guidance, psychological support and legal advice.”
Newly apponted office coordinator, Fano Hernandez, described the new space as “more than just a place, it is a temple where all the associations can work collaboratively to meet the needs of all those members of the collective who may need to resolve legal or social-health queries.”
Don Orlando Viera, of ACES Maspalomas, who has for 20 years served the Yumbo community tirelessly as an advocate, advisor and friend to some of the most marginalised in society, then read the official declaration, composed by writer and journalist, Edward Timon, A Prayer For The Yumbo.
Punto Arcoiris Maspalomas aims to be a central meeting place, a safe space, that promotes social cohesion and well-being within the broader community. Non-profit associations, who sign up to collaborate toegether, over time will offer essential resources such as personal counseling and health support services, focused on addressing the needs of the LGTBQI+ population. By providing a space for solidarity and cooperation, this co-working resource is poised to become a cornerstone for community development here in Maspalomas and for Gran Canaria as a whole.
GLAY President, André van Wanrooij expressed enthusiasm, saying, “This is a significant milestone for our community. Punto Arcoíris represents a safe haven and a hub for collaboration and support. We are excited about the positive impact it will have.”
Comms specialist, and GLAY’s serving Vice President, Edward Timon, added, “Punto Arcoíris is a testament to what we can achieve when we all work together. This is really just the beginning, 22 years after this organisation founded Maspalomas PRIDE, and marks a fundamental shift in how we can all support each other’s work, while creating opportunities for direct dialogue with our elected representatives. Here we can at last offer much needed resources to our community, and our hundreds of thousands of visitors, who choose Maspalomas not just as “Gay Friendly” but as a completely integrated and inclusive destination”
The inauguration ceremony was attended also by the British Vice-Consul to Las Palmas, Jackie Stevenson; the Director General of Diversity of the Canary Islands Government, Celso Mendoza; and the Director General of Social Services of the regional Executive, Elisabeth Hernández.
Attendees were encouraged to participate in volunteer opportunities and to actively engage with the initiatives that will be developed there over the coming weeks and months. The event highlighted the importance of collaboration and a shared vision of inclusivity, offering hope for an evolving culture of progressive innovation and support to the non-profit associations seeking to assist, educate and support the LGBTQI community, advocating for Unity, Diversity, Cultivation and Growth.
A Prayer for the Yumbo
It was a singer, named Dolly, who said, “The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.”
Not so, here on Gran Canaria; storms may be rare, but they can be powerful, shaping landscapes and lives in their wake. We respect the rains. We call to them.
Yet, you may still see rainbows in the spray of surf, in mountain dew at dawn, in fresh springs and fountains, in the mists that hug our northern shores, and at our sacred summits, which forever reach for the clouds.
Unity in the face of adversity;
Diversity, the seeking and providing of shelter from the elements;
Cultivation of new ground;
and Growth
These are as much a part of our community as they are the history of Gran Canaria and these islands.
Our origin.
Today, we inaugurate a shared space in the heart of our community, stepping forward, with hope, as one. Here we can serve, hand in hand with our representatives, to nurture future harvests. For 40 years, and more, this Yumbo has acted as a beacon of love to the world.
Though storms have come and gone, we know the sun will always shine on Maspalomas. As long as there is starlight, sands, winds and sea; fire, earth, air and water, we will create rainbows. Together.
This is our lighthouse, for all who sail unfamiliar shores seeking safe harbour. Here we may offer help and healing. Where together we may chart our onward journeys.
Warmth of welcome is as fundamental to the Canarian character as it is to LGBT movements throughout the world. Strangers parting as friends and returning as family. Let’s remember who we serve. We work together to protect this paradise.
These Canario traits, in the DNA of all who make this their home, will continue to define us far into the future.
A wise man, a Lover of Men and advocate of Equality, once said: “The Best Way To Predict The Future Is To Create It.” There is much work to do.
Let this be our Ode to the Atlantic, our as-yet-unfinished Poem of the Elements. Our visceral creation of vibrant colour and light.
Let us paint the most beautiful rainbows, working as a collective, to promote acceptance, understanding, and joy in who we are and what we may achieve if we work together. Amen.
In the words of Canariona, Acerina Cruz:
YOU AND I
Look to the sky.
Concentrate your gaze
on the movement
of the clouds. Follow them.
They go from your house to mine.
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