Between January and February 2026, Getafe and Santa Coloma de Gramenet hosted a pilot Anti-Rumours LGBTIQ capacity-building programme. Designed to help local institutions and communities counter anti-LGBTIQ narratives and discriminatory practices, the programme engaged municipal staff from different areas (e.g. equality, coexistence, education, cooperation), educators, civil society organisations, youth workers, and community agents.

Consisting of two intensive training modules per city, the initiative improved participants’ ability to identify and analyse rumours, understand unconscious bias, and develop concrete local responses—including awareness campaigns and youth-led activities. Cross-sector collaborations were strengthened and local Anti-Rumours LGBTIQ networks began to form, raising LGBTIQ inclusion as a governance priority.

The pilot confirmed that the Anti-Rumours methodology is adaptable to SOGIESC-related discrimination, with participants showing improved narrative analysis skills and readiness to integrate these approaches into local policies. While challenges remain in long-term institutionalisation, the next steps will focus on scaling the programme, developing the Anti-Rumours LGBTIQ Toolkit, and embedding it in municipal strategies.

The capacity building programme has been organised in the framework of the European Union/Council of Europe joint project “Combating Anti-LGBTIQ Violence and Hate Speech, and Strengthening Awareness and Fact-based Narratives about LGBTIQ People.”