Madrid - Spain's Queen Sofia opposes gay marriage and doesn't understand the need for gay pride parades, according to a report in the daily El Pais about a newly published biography on the queen.

According to the report, the queen is not opposed, in principle, to homosexuals living together or forming unions. "But you can't characterize this as marriage," she told the newspaper.

She proposed alternate names - civil union, for example - for such pairings.

She also questioned the need for gay pride parades.

"I can understand, expect and respect that there are people with other sexual orientations. But should they feel proud of that? Should they climb on top of cars and hold parades?" she asked. "If everyone who wasn't gay rallied through the streets, traffic would come to a standstill."

The comments drew swift attacks and calls for retraction from gay rights groups and liberal politicians.

"It is unprecedented that the palace, which usually never comments on social issues, now has to vent about one group of citizens who have been discriminated against in the past," stated FELGTB, an association of gays and lesbians.

The IU, a leftist party, declared itself grateful that the legislature, and not the royal family, gets to decide the legality of gay marriages.

The new biography, The Queen Up Close, is the first time Sofia has made public comments on political issues. The book is being released in conjunction with her 70th birthday, which falls on November 2. According to the publisher, it was reviewed by the royal palace before publication.

In the book, Sofia also recounts a story where she asked former Cuban president Fidel Castro to open up his country to outsiders. According to the report, he responded that if he opened it up a little bit, then he would have to open it up a lot.

She also said she does not worry too much when anti-monarchy protesters burn images of her husband, King Juan Carlos. (dpa)