A minister in Spain’s left-wing coalition government was at the centre of a row after suggesting that gay and transsexual people face homophobia from working class people. Irene Montero, who is the equality minister, tweeted: “Of course, there are LGBT+ people in working class neighbourhoods. What happens is they do not rent them an apartment because they are lesbians. “They get beaten up for being trans, they make fun of them at school or at work. Is there anyone who thinks that LGTBI rights are ‘symbolic’ and not material?” Montero’s tweet is accompanied by an excerpt from the film Pride, a 2014 British comedy-drama which was based on a true story about a group of lesbian and gay rights activists who raised money to help families affected by the miners’ strike in 1984. The film, starring Bill Nighy, won the Queer Palm award at the Cannes Film Festival the year it was released. Montero’s comments drew criticism from across the political spectrum.