Episode Seven: Madrid Pride: Orgullo en llamas, Pride on Fire

Madrid was still protesting a few years ago — and it's dancing even louder because of it. This episode, Joan Oh! (AKA Jono Kitchens) and Candy Licious storm Plaza Mayor and the streets of Spain's capital for the fire, the shimmer, and the dimmer side of Madrid Pride nobody puts on a postcard. We go behind the barricades with the leather community (meet Master Zeus and Puppy Bebe — yes, there's a story behind that collar), and land an exclusive sit-down with PSOE politician Santiago "Santi" Rivero: how Madrid Pride runs on volunteer power alone, the 2021 vote that barely stopped Madrid's trans rights law from being erased, and his take on trailblazing Senator Carla Antonelli. Then things get dramatic — flamenco royalty Ricardo Castro Romero opens up about hiding his identity and his dreams inside a closet as a kid, and growing up to bring his family's art to the legendary stage of Russia's Mariinsky Theatre. Plus, Madrid's finest tour guides Enrique Marco Montero and Jovan Gibson of the House of Aviance spill on tourism, visas, and choosing Madrid over literally everywhere else for love. We went backstage, marched in the streets with the people of Madrid, and found out exactly why Spain just claimed the #1 spot in Europe for LGBTQ+ legal rights and policies.* This is Madrid: Orgullo en llamas, Pride on Fire on Pride This Way. This is a bilingual podcast episode. If you need to see the transcription, please subscribe to Pride This Way’s YouTube channel and watch the episode’s transcript. If you hear the “pop” sound effect, head over to YouTube to learn more about the segment.

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*Source: ILGA-Europe Rainbow Map 2026