2024-07-07 02:06:46
BOLZANO. The first South Tyrolean Pride has a date: June 28, 2025. With a parade, stage, speeches and party. Colorful, noisy, joyful, glittering. An ad hoc association was created to organize the event, Alto Adige Pride South Tyrolwhich yesterday with a mixed-language press conference Italian-German-English made the official presentations hosted at the headquarters of the Anpi, in via Torino. It will be a year full of events. “It is an ambitious goal, we want to arrive prepared”, announce the entities united in the association.
Bringing a pride event to the city streets – the demonstration of LGBTQIA+ pride in memory of the Stonewall protests of June 28, 1969 – requires a complex organizational machine. A year flies by. If today we can count on the support of the municipality, the local elections next spring could mix things up. The organizing association professes to be confident. “A first meeting with the municipality took place two months ago, and in the coming months a technical table will be created”, informs president Andreas Unterkircher.
Arianna Miriam Fiumefreddo launches Centaurus’ appeal to politics for a provincial law against homobitransphobia, for a “rainbow protocol”, for “real access to health” and for a school “that does not muzzle students and teachers on LGBT issues”. Rainbow Families are also in the field, engaged in battles to improve law 40 on assisted procreation as well as to obtain protections on parenthood. And there are transgender people, who demand therapies. “We are under attack from the national government, an unheard of attack on our bodies and the family choices we want to make”, denounces Arianna Fiumefreddo.
But don’t think of Pride as a catwalk. The organization is categorical: “Politicians will be welcome, but without party flags, and not to make public speeches. We don’t want exploitation.” Meanwhile, in the corridors of the provincial council, the Green Madeleine Rohrer rummages through questions and motions. She has made three on the topic. One on the drug Sandrena gel (the most used by transgender women for hormone therapy), not available in the hospital pharmacy. One on discrimination in the workplace. And another on the strategies of the Province’s in-house in diversity management. When she hears about the Pride, she immediately responds that she will be there. It is unlikely, however, that the group leader of Fratelli d’Italia, Anna Scarafoni, will participate in the procession on June 28. “It’s a long speech,” she comments, “I know that where these demonstrations have taken place, the limits of good taste and respect for the thoughts and sensibilities of many people have been exceeded. There must be limits of decency and respect, otherwise the demonstration degenerates into a farce. “Frolic with contempt.” Angel Gennaccaro (Civica) objects: «We still don’t know how it will be organized». In any case Gennaccaro expresses openness. So does the president Arno Kompatscher. “It is proven and well known – the governor recalls – that we protect the rights of LGBT people. A provincial law? We should understand the proposal, content and legal context”. In short, it will be a year of high tension at Palazzo Widmann. Even more so because Christian Bianchi, the councilor of Lega-Uniti, has indeed celebrated several gay marriages as mayor of Laives (“I have always been of the opinion that personal emotional and life choices should be protected”), but he remains skeptical about the parades. “They have always seemed to me – he says – an ostentation that does not do justice to LGBT people who live their life choices in absolute normality”.
The Pride association has already activated a public assembly of political coordination that meets every three weeks to discuss and decide on political and organizational issues. There are already initial contacts with local entities, from Burgraviato to Val Pusteria to Trentino. “The real challenge is to involve the valleys”, says the association, citing an initial informal approach by Aied and Altromercato, the hospitality of Anpi, Arci (Guido Margheri and Sergio Bonagura were present at the press conference), and contact with the Frauenmarsch: at the feminist parade on October 5th there will be a segment for Pride. The unions will also be heard. “We will propose to everyone – concludes the association – a manifesto of values to subscribe to”.
The next appointment at Pippo is on September 13th, at 5 pm, with the opening event of the «Road to Pride» path dedicated to queer art and performance. «Everyone is welcome and welcome to participate», the organization says, «Furthermore, in the fall we will organize a round table open to the realities that intend to participate and be involved in the path». SM
2024-07-07 02:06:46