Spain’s first openly lesbian politician has asked closeted members of government to come out of the closet.

A member of Spain’s Socialist Party, Ãlvarez has been openly gay for years, but for the first time this week used her status as an openly lesbian politician to plead for other closeted politicians to come out.

Ãlvarez, who was speaking at an event held by Spanish LGBT rights groups COGAM and ArcÃ³poli in honor of the Day of Lesbian Visibility, took the opportunity to urge closeted members of government to come out publicly, to lend further support to young gay individuals and to move along LGBT-friendly policies.

Ãlvarez said during her speech to a crowd and news media: ‘It’s time to break the silence. It’s time to live our lives out in the open and grant ourselves the right to happiness.

‘Only with equality and visibility can we effect change.’

Ãlvarez’s reputation as a militant feminist precedes her political appointment as a Deputy on November 2011.

She is known for her vocal support of women’s rights, and has served as the founding member of the National Network Against Gender Violence, coordinator of the Foundation to Prevent Violence Against Women and member of the National Observatory of Violence Against Women.

