8th edition of the Madrid Summit, an international conference on the challenges facing the LGBTIQ community

On 3 July 2026, Madrid hosted the 8th edition of the Madrid Summit, a conference focusing on the main challenges currently facing the LGBTQIA+ community in Europe and internationally.

Launched in 2017 during WorldPride Madrid, the Summit has established itself as a leading forum for analysing the challenges affecting LGBTIQA people around the world. This eighth edition was organised by Orgullo Madrid and FELGTBI+, with support from the European Parliament, the European Commission and Madrid City Council. The event brought together institutional representatives, activists, experts and sportspeople to tackle some of the most pressing issues.

The programme focused on sport as a space for LGBTQIA+ inclusion and visibility; on historical memory; on the state of trans rights in the European Union; and on the challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ people in the context of migration and asylum. The conference also included a look at international cooperation and the role of political and social alliances in defending rights.

Participants at the event included:

• Sira Rego, Minister for Youth and Children in the Spanish Government – who delivered the opening address.
• Estrella Galán; MEP, The Left Group in the European Parliament – GUE/NGL
• Damián Castaño Martín, press officer at the European Parliament Office in Madrid
• Nikolaos Isaris, Deputy Head of the European Commission Representation in Spain
• Óscar Rodríguez Fernández, member of the FELGTBI’s External Relations Committee
• Jorge Noval Álvarez; Ambassador on a Special Mission for the Rights of LGBTI People
• María Teresa Verdugo;Chair of the Independent Authority for Equal Treatment and Non-Discrimination

 

More information: European Commission