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Guillem Montoro

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Guillem Montoro i López (born March 3, 1995, in Paiporta, Valencian Community) is a Spanish politician, equality technician, and LGBT rights activist. He served as a councilor in the Paiporta City Council for Compromís from 2018 to 2020, becoming the first openly trans man in Spain to hold this position.[1][2]

Biography

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Public life

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In April 2018, he published his first book, ¿Y si fueras tú? (What if it were you?), with Vínculo Editorial, co-written with Patricia Estellés, addressing school bullying and how to combat it.[3]

In February 2018, after nearly three years, he was able to legally change his documents.[4][5]

In December 2020, he was part of the short film jury at the 6th edition of Mostra La Ploma - Film and Culture Festival for Sexual, Gender and Family Diversity, organized by Col·lectiu Lambda, awarding Transversales directed by Jorge Garrido.[6]

Political career

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Montoro began his political journey with Compromís in the 2014 elections, appearing on the party's list for Paiporta, headed by Isabel Martín, who became mayor.[4] He joined the governing team as Councilor for Transparency, Modernization, and Citizen Participation, later taking on Social Welfare and Equality from 2015 to 2019.[7]

In January 2018, he became the first transgender councilor in the Valencian Community,[4] and the first openly trans councilor in Spain.[8][9] At 22, he was also the youngest councilor in Paiporta at that time.[9] He denounced online attacks over his gender identity.[10]

He ran in the Compromís primaries for the Valencian Parliament in the Valencia constituency ahead of the 2019 elections.[11][12]

In the May 2019 municipal elections, he was re-elected councilor in Paiporta with Compromís, led again by Mayor Isabel Martín. Their list was the second most voted.[13]

On September 24, 2020, he resigned from his councilor role in Paiporta due to professional circumstances.[14][15] He remained politically active, involved in a February 2022 dispute between Compromís and Daniela Requena, LGTBI secretary of the PSOE-PSPV, over a statement.[16]

In December 2022, during the debate on the Law 4/2023 for Real and Effective Equality of Trans People and Guarantee of LGTBI Rights, Compromís MP Joan Baldoví gave his speech time to Montoro,[17] who read his statement from the Spanish Parliament podium in support of the law, which passed in February 2023 with 191 votes in favor, 60 against, and 91 abstentions after over six months of debate.

In May 2023, Montoro was the target of a transphobic attack by VOX councilor Daniel Furió in Paiporta, who called the LGBT community “filthy trash” and directly insulted Montoro in a video on social media. The video was quickly condemned by Compromís Paiporta, who demanded its removal.[18]

Awards and recognition

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The magazine Shangay named him one of the six most relevant LGBT youth activists of 2018, alongside figures like directors of La llamada, Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, and poet Elvira Sastre.[19]

That same year, he was the flag-bearer of the Thematic Year on trans realities of the National Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Trans and Bisexuals (FELGTB).[20]

In October 2024, the National Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Trans and Bisexuals (FELGTBI) awarded him the 2024 Pluma Award, along with journalist Nerea Pérez de las Heras and influencer Perra de Satán, “for his LGTBI+ activism and visibility, becoming a reference for trans youth. Also for defending LGTBI+ rights through institutional politics, being the first openly trans councilor in Spain.”[21][22]

References

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  1. ^ Olaya, Pilar (January 23, 2018). "Guillem Montoro, first trans male councilor: "This is trans resistance"". Levante-EMV. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  2. ^ "Guillem Montoro, first trans male councilor in the Valencian Community". ABC España. January 23, 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  3. ^ "Patricia Estellés and Guillem Montoro advocate against bullying with "I si fores tu?"". Nou Horta. April 30, 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  4. ^ a b c "Guillem Montoro, the first trans male councilor in the Valencian Community". El Plural. January 23, 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  5. ^ "First transgender councilor in Spain gets gender changed on ID: "After more than three years of fighting, I legally exist"". La Sexta. February 17, 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  6. ^ "Transversales, awarded short at Mostra La Ploma". Culturama. 2020-12-24. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  7. ^ "Guillem Montoro and Teresa Verdú to assume PSPV's portfolios after their exit from Paiporta tripartite". Horta Noticias. October 25, 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  8. ^ "Guillem Montoro becomes Spain's first transgender councilor". Huffington Post. 23 January 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  9. ^ a b "Guillem, the first transgender councilor: "I speak up to make visible those who suffer at home and face bullying at school"". Público. 24 January 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  10. ^ Zafra, Ignacio (2018-01-23). "Paiporta councilor denounces attacks over his transgender identity". El País (in Spanish). ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  11. ^ "Guillem Montoro announces candidacy in Compromís primaries for the Corts". Levante. February 8, 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  12. ^ S.L, EDICIONES PLAZA. "Councilors, directors, former officials... 'Operation Triumph' intensifies within Compromís". Valencia Plaza. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  13. ^ "PP fails to form government despite winning the most votes in Paiporta municipal elections". ValènciaExtra. 27 May 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  14. ^ "Spain's first trans councilor, Guillem Montoro, resigns in Paiporta". Las Provincias. September 25, 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  15. ^ Olaya, Pilar (September 25, 2020). "Guillem Montoro, Spain's first trans councilor, resigns". Levante-EMV. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  16. ^ "Compromís and PSPV expose differences over trans legislation". Levante. February 16, 2022. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  17. ^ 6.6k views · 852 reactions | Today I gave my speech to Guillem Montoro, the first trans councilor in Spain. For all the Guillems, for all the Melus, YES to the Law... | By Joan Baldoví | Facebook (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  18. ^ "Compromís Paiporta demands removal of transphobic video by VOX targeting candidate Guillem Montoro". elperiodic.com. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  19. ^ "6 LGBT millennials make up the 25th anniversary flag of Shangay". Shangay. December 8, 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  20. ^ Bóveda, Nahikare (May 10, 2020). "Guillem Montoro". Euforia. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  21. ^ Press, Europa (October 14, 2024). "Pérez de las Heras, Perra de Satán, Guillem Montoro, Antonio Nuño, CEAPA, and Enrique Bernabeu receive FELGTBI+ Pluma Awards". Europa Press. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  22. ^ FELGTBI+, Press (October 14, 2024). "Nerea Pérez de las Heras, Perra de Satán, Guillem Montoro, Antonio Nuño, CEAPA and Enrique Bernabeu, 2024 Pluma Award Winners". FELGTBI+. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
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