It’s finish. On Thursday, April 27, Spanish parliamentarians banned shows presented during bullfights by troupes of people with dwarfism. The initiative was welcomed by human rights organizations but criticized by the professionals concerned. These performances, called “dwarven bullfighting”, appeared decades ago to entertain the public at bullfighting encounters.
These “dwarf bullfighters”, as they call themselves, disguise themselves as firefighters and chase down young bulls without killing, with the aim of making the spectators laugh. They are fewer and fewer and these shows have lost popularity. The law approved on Thursday prohibits “performances or recreational activities in which persons with disabilities … are used to arouse the mockery, ridicule or derision of the public.” It aims to ensure compliance in Spain with European Union directives on discrimination against people with disabilities.
The Royal Committee for Disabilities, which advises the Ministry of Social Rights, found that Madrid had “advanced human rights by banning public performances that humiliate people with disabilities”. These performances “spread the idea to so many girls and boys who watch these disgraceful performances with adults that it’s okay to laugh at the difference,” said Jesus Martin, the organization’s chief executive.
Many of the artists concerned said they felt respected and appreciated, stressing that without these shows their livelihood was threatened. A few demonstrated in front of Parliament ahead of the vote on the law to express their opposition. “We are bullfighters, we are artists, enough bans, we don’t want alms,” the “Arena Entertainment” troupe wrote on its Facebook page this week.
