028 rainbow service is an emergency

telephone A telephone, colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that enables two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most ...

email Electronic mail (usually shortened to email; alternatively hyphenated e-mail) is a method of transmitting and receiving Digital media, digital messages using electronics, electronic devices over a computer network. It was conceived in the ...

and

instant messaging Instant messaging (IM) technology is a type of synchronous computer-mediated communication involving the immediate ( real-time) transmission of messages between two or more parties over the Internet or another computer network. Originally involv ...

service in

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

for victims of

hate crime Hate crime (also known as bias crime) in criminal law involves a standard offence (such as an assault, murder) with an added element of bias against a victim (individual or group of individuals) because of their physical appearance or perceived ...

s or discrimination based of

queerphobia Opposition to legal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people exists worldwide. Opponents of LGBTQ rights may object to the decriminalization of homosexuality, laws permitting civil unions or partnerships, same-s ...

. Its implementation was announced for Summer 2022 by Equality Minister

Irene Montero Irene María Montero Gil (; born 13 February 1988) is a Spanish politician and psychologist, member of the Podemos party. She most recently served as the Minister of Equality of Spain from 13 January 2020 to 20 November 2023. She is the partn ...

in a press conference held on May 17, on the

International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia The International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) is list of minor secular observances#May, observed on 17 May and aims to coordinate international events that raising awareness, raise awareness of LGBTQ rights violati ...

. It started operations on July 4, 2023. The number was selected as a reference to June 28,

International LGBT Pride Day Pride Month, sometimes specified as LGBTQ Pride Month, is a month-long observance dedicated to the celebration of LGBTQ pride, commemorating the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) culture and community. Pri ...

History

In November 2022, the service went out to public bidding under the tentative name of 028 rainbow. Some features of the service were announced, like it being free of charge to use, its 24 hours per day and year long availability, and that it would be complemented by an email address and instant messaging service. It was announced that the phone line would serve victims of hate crimes based on

sexual orientation Sexual orientation is an enduring personal pattern of romantic attraction or sexual attraction (or a combination of these) to persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender. Patterns ar ...

gender identity Gender identity is the personal sense of one's own gender. Gender identity can correlate with a person's assigned sex or can differ from it. In most individuals, the various biological determinants of sex are congruent and consistent with the in ...

, as well as victims of

domestic violence in same-sex relationships Domestic violence in same-sex relationships or intragender violence is a pattern of violence or abuse that occurs within same-sex relationships. Domestic violence is an issue that affects people of any sexuality, but there are issues that affec ...

or minors at risk of being rejected due to their sexual orientation. The announcement also indicated that it would include emotional and psychological counseling service, and support and information on sexual and reproductive health. Likewise, it was emphasized that it would be available in different language and with accessibility features for people with disabilities. Collected data was to be sent to the Dirección General de Diversidad Sexual y Derechos LGTBI to prepare reports on the situation of LGBTIQ+ users. In April 2023, the government adjudicated the contract to manage the 028 telephone service to Servicios de Teleasistencia S.A. for 2.6 million euros. In May, the government announced that the service would be enabled and operational in the coming months. The following month, in June, the Ministry of Equality launched the "Spain is proudly different" campaign for International Pride Day in which it also presented the 028 service, which got the official name of the "Rainbow Line for information and comprehensive care against queerphobia". On July 5, 2023, a few days after the second anniversary of the

Killing of Samuel Luiz Samuel Luiz Muñiz, a 24-year-old nursing assistant, was beaten to death in A Coruña, Galicia, Spain, on 3 July 2021. In November 2024, three men were found guilty of his murder, one man as an accomplice, and one woman was acquitted. It was acce ...

, the service began operations throughout the Spanish territory, with access to people with hearing and speech disabilities, and offering its services in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

, Catalan, Galician,

Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

and

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

References

2023 in LGBTQ history LGBTQ in Spain Emergency services in Spain {{LGBT-org-stub