Vox leader Santiago Abascal has claimed gay voters will eventually back his party because it is the only one that defends against ‘imported homophobia’.
Speaking to Spanish radio station COPE on Tuesday, the hard-right leader was asked whether gay people had anything to fear from him and whether sexist men had anything to thank him for.
The Vox leader said that, if he came to power, he would fast-track the expulsion of people he described as ‘imported sexists’.
He linked sexism to immigration and religious fundamentalism, citing forced marriage and female genital mutilation.
He also claimed that most homegrown sexists were in the ruling Socialist Party, the PSOE.
Abascal said he had ‘no doubt’ gay voters would eventually support Vox.
He pointed to France’s far right as an example, claiming it had gained support among gay voters by taking a similar stance.
He said Vox recognised the dignity of everyone regardless of nationality or sexual orientation.
He also claimed gay people were often spoken for by a lobby that reduced them to their sexuality, and accused his party’s critics of waging a ‘propaganda war’ against it.
Critics point to Vox’s record on LGBT rights
Some users on X pushed back against the remarks.
One shared past coverage of Vox’s positions on same-sex marriage and adoption. Another cited a remark they attributed to Abascal that he preferred children to have a father and a mother.
A third criticised Vox for treating sexism and homophobia as problems brought to Spain by immigrants, arguing that doing so undermined any serious discussion of either issue.
Other replies were supportive, with one user who identified himself as gay writing that he hoped Abascal was right.
Spain will head to the polls on November 29.
