Italy is facing a big social revolution which has seen the approval of an Anti-Homophobia Act and the creation of a political party made of all LGBT+ representatives.
The press conference to present this new party to the world, opens with a touching and still so real video of LGBT+ people around Italy that have suffered and still suffer from Homophobic attacks and offences. Some of them, as they tell us in the video, still receive today death threatens or get publicly offended and threatened on social media simply for being who they are. All these witnesses have been spontaneously submitted by LGBT+ people around Italy to a project called #LGBTLivesMatter (launched by Gay Center Roma) during the first lock-down due to Covid-19.
Fabrizio Marrazzo famous Italian LGBT+ activist, founder of Partito Gay (and already founder of Gay Help Line Italy and Gay Center Italy), when creating this party, probably started from this question: is this the freedom of expression we really want and can accept?
Clearly the answer was a big monumental NO, and this is why, together with his group of activists, they have been defending LGBT+ rights in Italy since 1995 and have improved by a lot, the common text shared with the Italian MPs regarding the law against every homophobic action and speech, but still – as Fabrizio has stressed out during the press conference – there is room for improvements that must be done as soon as possible to allow Italian LGBT+ people to live a normal life.
Fabrizio is lucky to have with him Claudia Toscano (president of AGEDO – the Italian association of parents and friends of LGBT people), which has highlighted the importance of a more implemented education system that has to start from the very first years of school and has to follow the students throughout the entire study career, to make sure that bullism, homophobia, transphobia and all actions related to hate, can be fought and erased by educating the new generation to be tolerant, accepting and open minded.
She added: “I used to be a teacher, and as a teacher, many times I felt I had no obligations in correcting some of my students’ behaviours, especially when mocking friends because – probably – gay, as I thought there was nothing I could have really done. But then one day, my son came out to me, and I suddenly realised that he surely went through the same “mocking” situations… in that moment I understood I had to really do something to avoid other young LGBT+ people to suffer and commit suicide. I honestly think this is the political party Italy was waiting for and I wish this party existed when I started the AGEDO association, as with this party the LGBT+ people of Italy can really achieve a much better life:”
What is Partito Gay aiming for?
Three are the main points in their manifesto.
– Solidarity, not intended as welfare, but as support to start again, where no one is left alone.
– Environment, intended as a unique resource because environment, business and work must progress together and not in opposition to one-another.
– Liberalism, because independently from the kind and status of the family we are born in, everyone must be able to aspire and reach their goals, thanks to a State that should give opportunities to their citizens, not bureaucracy, taxes, mismanagement and corruption.
TheGaylyMirror asked a few questions to Fabrizio Marrazzo during the press conference.
TGM: Do you already have alliances in mind with LGBT + politicians from other parties?
FM: “Well, at this very moment we are open to every kind of alliances as long as the interested ones share our same views and points of action.”
TGM: Does this mean that you will also be open to alliances with Right-wing parties in Italy?
FM “I am afraid this won’t be possible, given their very homophobic views. I would take this chance to remind you that Giorgia Meloni (Fratelli d’Italia) and Matteo Salvini (Lega Nord) have too often said that, especially during this pandemic time, the Italian Government should have taken care of more important issues than caring about the approval of a law against homophobia. Always these two politicians have too oftener fought agains every kind of LGBT+ right, acting instead in favour of extremist and homophobic associations and parties linked to catholic-fascist people.”
TGM: What are your next steps on the agenda?
FM: “We have many plans and actions to be taken, but at this very moment of our history and social situation, our main short-term-targets are to get to be known all over Italy, as if we reach a least a 6% of consents we can easily enter the Italian Parliament and start our actual programme. On the other hand, we need to continue our actions to make sure to improve the actual law against homophobic-discriminations, as at its actual status, it does not fully protect the Italian LGBT+ population.”
If this is the change that Italy needs and was waiting for, then, we can only wish good luck to Partito Gay, wishing them to always have the strengths to fight for LGBT+ rights.
