The Ministry of Equality has given the go-ahead to line 028, a comprehensive care telephone for victims of LGTBIphobia. Available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, it will have professionals who will assist by telephone any person who declares that they have suffered a hate crime or discrimination due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. Its services include basic care, as well as psychological and legal assistance.
“I am happy to tell you that since 9 in the morning, Spain has a service and information on LGTBI rights,” said the Minister for Equality, Irene Montero, about the line baptized as Line 028 rainbow. “This is a service that, in coordination with the autonomous communities, will attend free of charge with professionals specialized in this matter to give attention to the victims of incidents, hate or discrimination.”
The 028 has been officially presented today, July 5, thanks to an economic item of 3.5 million euros until 2026. Despite its opening being announced a year ago, the contract went out to public tender last November .
After successive delays, the service lands with a team of telemarketers who will attend in Spanish, Galician, Catalan, Basque, French and English. They also have the email 028-online@igualdad.gob.es, as well as an online chat and specific communication channels for people with hearing, visual or speech disabilities.
“With this service, which will work in coordination with similar services in the autonomous communities, it is intended that there is no one, in any corner of Spain, who does not have comprehensive assistance in the face of any discrimination, hate crime due to LGTBIphobia or to see resolved any questions or concerns related to sexual orientation, gender identity or sexual characteristics,” the ministry said in a statement.
Although it was not mentioned during his presentation, this phone will be operational to inform and advise people who suffer intragender violence (which occurs in the field of homosexual couples). Thus functioned in the same way as its counterpart, the 016.
Although there were already similar initiatives in different autonomous communities, 028 will serve to bring them together so that all of Spain has a reference contact for issues that affect the LGTBI community.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project