Felix Alvarez
Encyclopedia
Felix Alvarez is a Gibraltarian
LGBT, human rights
and green
activist
.
, to Felix and Laura Alvarez (née Parody). As a young boy, he attended St. Anne’s Middle School in Gibraltar.
Alvarez's family moved to London
in 1959, living first near the Dalston
/Hoxton
area of the East End of London
but spending the majority of his life in the South London
areas of Clapham
and Tulse Hill
. Alvarez grew up bilingual
in English
and Spanish
as do most Gibraltarians. Yet the experience of being "foreign" in 1960s London was not easy for him or his family. He has vivid memories of tobacconist notice boards full of accommodation "to let" signs saying "no coloureds or dogs".
The experience of "being different" in an unaccepting society alerted him from an early age to the situation of the marginalised
. As a teenager, Alvarez attended Wandsworth Comprehensive School, a progressive post-grammar school
model, famous for its boys' choir. It was during this period of his formative teenage years that, through personal contact, Alvarez joined Peter Hain
in his Anti-Apartheid campaigns, work which he continued later at university as a young student in the early 1970s.
(GLF), recently imported from the Stonewall riots
of New York
in the late 1960s. Becoming immediately involved in its activities, Alvarez was one of the founders of Britain’s first Gay Community Centres, where pioneering work was undertaken to establish phone counselling, information and advice, and weekly community meetings to raise self-esteem and channel gay
and lesbian
anger towards change rather than towards self-damage. At this time, Felix Alvarez worked with the Lambeth Community Law Centre and the Brixton Housing Advice Centre in Railton Road
.
Alvarez went on to qualify in community
and social work
at Goldsmiths, University of London in 1978. Disillusioned with the downturn of fascist
trends in London (with the rise of the British National Front
), Alvarez took up the possibility of work in the Middle East
on what he considered to be "an adventure" for 6 months. The adventure lasted 16 years, during which time Alvarez learnt Arabic
and travelled the world.
was to produce an in-depth study and MA
thesis on bilingualism in the Gibraltar educational system
from nursery school
s all the way through to adult vocational training
. This was entitled "Primary Code and Private Space: Choice in the Host Classroom". A copy was deposited with the John Mackintosh Hall and has become a reference point for international researchers regarding the impact of bilingualism in a community. The research contained implications for Gibraltar's educational policies which, to date, have not been taken note of.
Experiencing difficulties as a result of insurmountable bureaucracy
and prejudice
regarding his non-EU
same-sex partner
, Alvarez determined to start challenging discrimination of sexual minorities in Gibraltar
. By this time Deputy Leader of a political party (the now defunct Independent Liberal Forum (ILF)), he persuaded his party to back him in the establishment of what was to be known as Gib Gay Rights (GGR). In a GBC television news broadcast on 4 September 2000, Alvarez announced that “the fear factor” was over as far as gay citizens were concerned. From then on, gay citizens would be demanding equal rights
as full citizens of Gibraltar.
To date, under his Chairmanship, GGR has achieved the following:
Alvarez's vision has always been the establishment of comprehensive links across other areas of discrimination – whether disability
, age, children's rights
or any other area of social concern. This was clear from the start, even before his setting up of GGR, when he actively held meetings with lawyers and other individuals to create interest in the setting up of a Gibraltar branch of British human rights organisation "Liberty
". Whilst that project did not prosper, Alvarez's vision has been comprehensive and unitary throughout. This has meant that GGR now considers itself a gay and human rights organisation.
Alvarez continues to steer the development of gay and human rights in Gibraltar. To do so, and in addition to his already strong academic background (a B.A. and M.A. as well as qualifications in social and community work, in addition to in the teaching of English as a Second or Other Language) he undertook a law degree (LLB).
(AACR), a political party instrumental in granting the Gibraltarians greater civil rights.
Gibraltarian people
The Gibraltarians are a cultural group native to Gibraltar, a British overseas territory located near the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance to the Mediterranean sea.- Origins :...
LGBT, human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
and green
Green politics
Green politics is a political ideology that aims for the creation of an ecologically sustainable society rooted in environmentalism, social liberalism, and grassroots democracy...
activist
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
.
Early life
Felix Alvarez was born at Old St. Bernard’s Hospital, GibraltarGibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, to Felix and Laura Alvarez (née Parody). As a young boy, he attended St. Anne’s Middle School in Gibraltar.
Alvarez's family moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1959, living first near the Dalston
Dalston
Dalston is a district of north-east London, England, located in the London Borough of Hackney. It is situated northeast of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
/Hoxton
Hoxton
Hoxton is an area in the London Borough of Hackney, immediately north of the financial district of the City of London. The area of Hoxton is bordered by Regent's Canal on the north side, Wharf Road and City Road on the west, Old Street on the south, and Kingsland Road on the east.Hoxton is also a...
area of the East End of London
East End of London
The East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...
but spending the majority of his life in the South London
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
areas of Clapham
Clapham
Clapham is a district in south London, England, within the London Borough of Lambeth.Clapham covers the postcodes of SW4 and parts of SW9, SW8 and SW12. Clapham Common is shared with the London Borough of Wandsworth, although Lambeth has responsibility for running the common as a whole. According...
and Tulse Hill
Tulse Hill
Tulse Hill is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in South London, England. It lies to the south of Brixton, east of Brixton Hill, north of West Norwood and west of West Dulwich.-History:...
. Alvarez grew up bilingual
Multilingualism
Multilingualism is the act of using, or promoting the use of, multiple languages, either by an individual speaker or by a community of speakers. Multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population. Multilingualism is becoming a social phenomenon governed by the needs of...
in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
as do most Gibraltarians. Yet the experience of being "foreign" in 1960s London was not easy for him or his family. He has vivid memories of tobacconist notice boards full of accommodation "to let" signs saying "no coloureds or dogs".
The experience of "being different" in an unaccepting society alerted him from an early age to the situation of the marginalised
Marginalization
In sociology, marginalisation , or marginalization , is the social process of becoming or being made marginal or relegated to the fringe of society e.g.; "the marginalization of the underclass", "marginalisation of intellect", etc.-Individual:Marginalization at the individual level results in an...
. As a teenager, Alvarez attended Wandsworth Comprehensive School, a progressive post-grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
model, famous for its boys' choir. It was during this period of his formative teenage years that, through personal contact, Alvarez joined Peter Hain
Peter Hain
Peter Gerald Hain is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for the Welsh constituency of Neath since 1991, and has served in the Cabinets of both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, firstly as Leader of the House of Commons under Blair and both Secretary of State for...
in his Anti-Apartheid campaigns, work which he continued later at university as a young student in the early 1970s.
In London
Returning to London after 3 years in a northern university, Alvarez discovered the Gay Liberation FrontGay Liberation Front
Gay Liberation Front was the name of a number of Gay Liberation groups, the first of which was formed in New York City in 1969, immediately after the Stonewall riots, in which police clashed with gay demonstrators.-The Gay Liberation Front:...
(GLF), recently imported from the Stonewall riots
Stonewall riots
The Stonewall riots were a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations against a police raid that took place in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn, in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City...
of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in the late 1960s. Becoming immediately involved in its activities, Alvarez was one of the founders of Britain’s first Gay Community Centres, where pioneering work was undertaken to establish phone counselling, information and advice, and weekly community meetings to raise self-esteem and channel gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
and lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
anger towards change rather than towards self-damage. At this time, Felix Alvarez worked with the Lambeth Community Law Centre and the Brixton Housing Advice Centre in Railton Road
Railton Road
Railton Road runs between Brixton and Herne Hill in the London Borough of Lambeth.In the 1970s, Railton Road was a run down area that was known as "The Frontline" locally. The 1981 Brixton riot, the most serious riot in the United Kingdom during the 20th century, started here...
.
Alvarez went on to qualify in community
Community service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
and social work
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
at Goldsmiths, University of London in 1978. Disillusioned with the downturn of fascist
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
trends in London (with the rise of the British National Front
British National Front
The National Front is a far right, white-only political party whose major political activities took place during the 1970s and 1980s. Its popularity peaked in the 1979 general election, when it received 191,719 votes ....
), Alvarez took up the possibility of work in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
on what he considered to be "an adventure" for 6 months. The adventure lasted 16 years, during which time Alvarez learnt Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
and travelled the world.
In Gibraltar
In 1997, Alvarez returned to Gibraltar. One of his first undertakings on The RockRock of Gibraltar
The Rock of Gibraltar is a monolithic limestone promontory located in Gibraltar, off the southwestern tip of Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. It is high...
was to produce an in-depth study and MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
thesis on bilingualism in the Gibraltar educational system
Education in Gibraltar
Education in Gibraltar generally follows the English system operating within a three tier system. Schools in Gibraltar follow the Key Stage system which teaches the National Curriculum.-Primary education:...
from nursery school
Nursery school
A nursery school is a school for children between the ages of one and five years, staffed by suitably qualified and other professionals who encourage and supervise educational play rather than simply providing childcare...
s all the way through to adult vocational training
Vocational education
Vocational education or vocational education and training is an education that prepares trainees for jobs that are based on manual or practical activities, traditionally non-academic, and totally related to a specific trade, occupation, or vocation...
. This was entitled "Primary Code and Private Space: Choice in the Host Classroom". A copy was deposited with the John Mackintosh Hall and has become a reference point for international researchers regarding the impact of bilingualism in a community. The research contained implications for Gibraltar's educational policies which, to date, have not been taken note of.
Experiencing difficulties as a result of insurmountable bureaucracy
Bureaucracy
A bureaucracy is an organization of non-elected officials of a governmental or organization who implement the rules, laws, and functions of their institution, and are occasionally characterized by officialism and red tape.-Weberian bureaucracy:...
and prejudice
Prejudice
Prejudice is making a judgment or assumption about someone or something before having enough knowledge to be able to do so with guaranteed accuracy, or "judging a book by its cover"...
regarding his non-EU
Citizenship of the European Union
Citizenship of the European Union was introduced by the Maastricht Treaty . European citizenship is supplementary to national citizenship and affords rights such as the right to vote in European elections, the right to free movement and the right to consular protection from other EU states'...
same-sex partner
Same-sex relationship
A same-sex relationship is a relationship between two persons of the same sex and can take many forms, from romantic and sexual, to non-romantic close relationships. The term is mainly associated with gay and lesbian people...
, Alvarez determined to start challenging discrimination of sexual minorities in Gibraltar
LGBT rights in Gibraltar
In Gibraltar, the age of consent is 16 for heterosexuals and lesbians, while the age of consent for gay males was maintained at 18, while anal sex among heterosexuals is illegal under statute, until April 2011 when under Supreme Court order the law was found to be unconstitutional and so the age of...
. By this time Deputy Leader of a political party (the now defunct Independent Liberal Forum (ILF)), he persuaded his party to back him in the establishment of what was to be known as Gib Gay Rights (GGR). In a GBC television news broadcast on 4 September 2000, Alvarez announced that “the fear factor” was over as far as gay citizens were concerned. From then on, gay citizens would be demanding equal rights
Egalitarianism
Egalitarianism is a trend of thought that favors equality of some sort among moral agents, whether persons or animals. Emphasis is placed upon the fact that equality contains the idea of equity of quality...
as full citizens of Gibraltar.
To date, under his Chairmanship, GGR has achieved the following:
- An on-going social education and awareness campaign through the media and political action which has seen a significant shift in public opinion in Gibraltar on issues affecting same-sex relations. So much so that neither silence nor taboo can any longer be said to describe the situation in Gibraltar on gay issues.
- From a position where no politician or political party addressed gay rights, today the majority of politicians and political parties in Gibraltar have clear and positive pro-gay rights policies and stances. The ruling Gibraltar Social DemocratsGibraltar Social DemocratsThe Gibraltar Social Democrats, abbreviated to GSD, is a centre-right political party in Gibraltar.Their current leader is Peter Caruana, the Chief Minister of Gibraltar. The GSD has been the governing party in Gibraltar since 1996.-History:...
are now in a minority by not having clear pro policies. - The establishment of strong and important ties with organisations and high-profile politicians both at WestminsterParliament of the United KingdomThe Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
and BrusselsEuropean ParliamentThe European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world... - A campaign to pressure the Government of Gibraltar to introduce an EU directive introducing sexual orientation anti-discrimination provisions in employment law.
- A campaign to equalise the gay age of consentAge of consentWhile the phrase age of consent typically does not appear in legal statutes, when used in relation to sexual activity, the age of consent is the minimum age at which a person is considered to be legally competent to consent to sexual acts. The European Union calls it the legal age for sexual...
. This having been successfully brought before British Prime MinisterPrime Minister of the United KingdomThe Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Gordon BrownGordon BrownJames Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
. The Government of Gibraltar is to announce the measures to be introduced in this respect.
Alvarez's vision has always been the establishment of comprehensive links across other areas of discrimination – whether disability
Ableism
Ableism is a form of discrimination or social prejudice against people with disabilities. It is known by many names, including disability discrimination, physicalism, handicapism, and disability oppression...
, age, children's rights
Children's rights
Children's rights are the human rights of children with particular attention to the rights of special protection and care afforded to the young, including their right to association with both biological parents, human identity as well as the basic needs for food, universal state-paid education,...
or any other area of social concern. This was clear from the start, even before his setting up of GGR, when he actively held meetings with lawyers and other individuals to create interest in the setting up of a Gibraltar branch of British human rights organisation "Liberty
Liberty (pressure group)
Liberty is a pressure group based in the United Kingdom. Its formal name is the National Council for Civil Liberties . Founded in 1934 by Ronald Kidd and Sylvia Crowther-Smith , the group campaigns to protect civil liberties and promote human rights...
". Whilst that project did not prosper, Alvarez's vision has been comprehensive and unitary throughout. This has meant that GGR now considers itself a gay and human rights organisation.
Alvarez continues to steer the development of gay and human rights in Gibraltar. To do so, and in addition to his already strong academic background (a B.A. and M.A. as well as qualifications in social and community work, in addition to in the teaching of English as a Second or Other Language) he undertook a law degree (LLB).
Relation
Alvarez's maternal grandfather was cousin to Emilio Alvarez, founding member of the Association for the Advancement of Civil RightsAssociation for the Advancement of Civil Rights
The Association for the Advancement of Civil Rights is a now defunct political party in Gibraltar.Like all Gibraltar political parties, it opposed transfer of sovereignty over Gibraltar from the United Kingdom to Spain...
(AACR), a political party instrumental in granting the Gibraltarians greater civil rights.