Video: US tourists ask Madrileños to translate homophobic rant

A gay couple from the United States makes a reservation online to stay at a hostel in Madrid.

When they ask for directions on how to reach it, they receive a message in Spanish from the owner and, not speaking a word of the language, ask for help translating it from passers-by. The note is filled with homophobic insults, including a threat to punch them in the face if they even think about kissing each other inside the hostel.

The spontaneous reactions of the people reading out the note to them are recorded in an English-language, Spanish-subtitled video produced by Spain’s State Federation of Lesbian, Gays Transsexuals and Bisexuals (FELGTB) for its new campaign, Con la voz bien alta (With a loud voice).

Two actors were hired to play the couple but the reactions of the passers-by were genuine

The aim of the campaign is to remind people that they have the right to file a police complaint against anyone who threatens, insults or physically assaults someone because of their sexual orientation.

According to the group, 38 percent of the LGBT community in Spain has been a victim of some kind of assault but only 10 percent report such incidents to police.

FELGTB wants the new campaign to educate people about the hate crimes that many suffer because of their sexual orientation and also to pressure the government into passing a law against what it has labeled “LGBT-phobia.”

According to FELGTB sources, two professional actors were hired to play the couple but the reactions of the passers-by who were asked for help were genuine.