Jesús G. Amago and Kenneth, diversity activists: "Let's open our disability closets 365 days a year."
On the occasion of International LGBT+ Pride Day 2025, the Capaces section of 20minutos brings together two leading figures in the defense of the rights of the LGBT+ community with disabilities .
From intimate experience and first-hand activism, Kenneth, a young trans man with autism living in Ciudad Real, and Jesús González Amago, president of the LGBTI+ Sexual Diversity and Disability Commission of the State CERMI , trace a collective narrative that goes beyond June 28th. Both demand the same thing: more visibility, more accessibility, and more real role models throughout the year.
There is a lack of references, a lack of access, and a lack of listening.
"What is not shared, does not exist," says Jesús G. Amago. And in the case of LGBTI+ people with disabilities, what is not shared multiplies exclusion. Although he celebrates advances such as the approval of Law 4/2023 or the first national study on the reality of the group, Amago insists: "There is a lack of role models, a lack of access, and a lack of listening." His slogan is clear and firm: "Let's open up about disability 365 days a year."
Kenneth, for his part, is 22 years old, lives with his partner in Ciudad Real, and collaborates with Plena Inclusión Castilla-La Mancha as a sexuality trainer. He was recently diagnosed with autism and has a recognized 47% disability. At the age of 16, he began his transition process as a trans man, which he is carrying out in the Multidisciplinary Unit for Transgender Care at the Virgen de la Luz Hospital in Cuenca. He also regularly visits the Diagrama Foundation in Ciudad Real, where he finds safe spaces and support. "Being yourself should be a right every day, not just on Pride Day," he asserts.
Being LGBTI+ is not just a one-day thing, it's something that happens every day.
For Kenneth, diversity isn't limited to a flag or a date. "Being LGBTI+ isn't just a one-day thing, it's an everyday thing. I'd like to see more LGBTI couples on the street or trans people working normally," he explains. His transition has allowed him to feel at peace: "I can be comfortable with my body," he confesses. Although he's still waiting for gender reassignment surgery, slowed by the lack of specialized professionals, he's grateful for the support of those around him: "The first person I told was my mother, and then my aunts and grandfather also supported me. I never felt alone."
They both agree that Pride should be held every day. "We can't wait until June to talk about rights," Amago emphasizes. Kenneth reinforces this with experience: "You have to choose carefully who you tell, people who can help you and not harm you. That makes all the difference." For both, visibility is a political and emotional tool, opening up paths for those who still feel fear or doubt.
Amago denounces that there is still a lot of resistance in the closest environments. " Families, centers, and residences continue to deny spaces of intimacy or affection to couples with disabilities . That is also violence," she asserts. She gives specific examples: "I know a couple with cerebral palsy who cannot live in the same room. They want to live as a family, but they are denied access." Therefore, she adds, "this year's Pride motto, Embracing Family Diversity , must also be applied within the disability movement."
In his role as an educator, Kenneth works to help other young people with disabilities live their identity freely. He gives talks in educational centers on gender identity and sexual orientation, aimed at teachers and soon also at students. " Sex education should be taught in schools as a subject , just like math or language, always adapted to the age group," he proposes. His goal is clear: to inform, educate, and support.
Jesús G. Amago emphasizes that the challenges are multiple: generating role models, breaking family overprotection, guaranteeing universal accessibility, and combating the infantilization of people with disabilities . "It's still difficult to understand that we also have desire, affection, and the right to live our sexuality," he complains. To achieve this, he insists, "it's vital that we be present in all forums, networks, and public spaces, including the media."
They both believe in the power of representation. "Today, there are older and younger activists who have turned their double or triple exclusion into a banner," Amago points out. Kenneth embraces this as a responsibility: "I am a unique person. My way of being makes me different, and that is also valuable."
And although many barriers remain to be broken down, both agree that progress is being made. "The fact that the Ministry of Equality has promoted a specific study on our community is a huge step forward," Amago states. "2025 must be the first year for the LGBTI+ community with disabilities to begin to occupy the place they deserve," he concludes.
Meanwhile, Kenneth continues to walk with a firm step : educating himself, telling his story and making it clear that diversity is not an exception, but a legitimate and powerful way of being in the world.
20minutos
