The Ambassador, José Pascual Marco, underlined the importance of not giving up our freedom and honouring the memory of those who suffered repression and persecution due to their sexual orientation. The head of the Spanish representation also reviewed Spain's main milestones in the defence of LGBTQ+ rights, noting that this year marks the twentieth anniversary of the Same-Sex Marriage Act in Spain.
Subsequently, Lord Cashman, a member of the House of Lords and LGBTQ+ activist, warned of the risk of regression and praised the United Kingdom and Spain as two of the most advanced countries in terms of LGBTQ+ rights. Deutsche Bank's COO, Marie-Jeanne Deverdun, emphasized the long road ahead to achieve true equality in the business world.
The panel, led by Sarah Chapman, Director of New Business at Deutsche Bank, featured Suki Shandi, founder and CEO of Involve & Audelliss; Jill Leflour, also from Deutsche Bank; and Lord Collins of Highbury, from the FCDO. The discussion focused on promoting inclusion in the business and banking world.
Finally, a celebration featuring Spanish wines and products was held. The Embassy would like to thank the sponsors and collaborators: Deutsche Bank, the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, Barrafina, LIO, Cervezas Damm, Codorniú, and José Pizarro.