The orange buses that first starting spreading their homophobic, transphobic messages have now made it overseas to the United States and Mexico, thanks to funding from conservative group Hazte Oir.
Mexico is having none of it, and has found the perfect solution to drowning out harmful messages such as: ‘Teens should not know about sexual rights!’ and ‘Free textbooks with gender ideology out’.
LGBT+ activists in Guadalajara wrapped giant rainbow flags around the so-called ‘Freedom Bus’ as part of a protest against conservative coalition National Front for the Family, a group that supports the initiative.
Jaime Cobián attended the protest and said “these right-wing groups want to remove the rights" of the most vulnerable people.
“Gay people are not what you fear. They are your sons, fathers, brothers, bishops and priests,” .
“Since Mexico is moving forward in LGBTI rights, we will not let there be a setback.”
The buses picture symbols of children accompanied by the message: ‘Boys have penises, girls have vulvas. Don’t let them fool you. If you’re born a man, you’re a man. If you’re a woman, you will continue to be a woman.”
The buses were banned in Madrid and Barcelona with Spanish authorities the campaign.
The Mayor of Barcelona tweeted earlier this year: “In Barcelona there is no place for LGBT-phobic buses. We want our children to grow in freedom and without hatred.”
The buses have been met with a similar reception in the US with protests in New York, Boston and Philadelphia surrounding their arrival.
