The judges of the Palermo Regional Administrative Court today accepted the appeal filed in recent months by Rosario Crocetta (PdCI), the candidate for mayor of the city of Gela (Calabria), who was defeated by his opponent, Giovanni Scaglione (CdL).
Crocetta, who has never made a secret of his sexual orientation, is the first openly gay mayor to be elected in Italy.
Sicily rainbow
In March 2001, Paris stunned the world by electing Europe's first openly gay mayor: Bertrand Delanoe, a candidate for the entire Gauche Plurielle. By choosing a mayor who had openly declared his identity, Paris demonstrated its secular and democratic character, ready for renewal and full of hope for its future.
In June of that same year, it was Berlin's turn. "I'm gay, and that's fine," declared Social Democratic candidate Klaus Wowereit, 47, leader of the parliamentary group. A few weeks later, Wowereit became mayor of the German city.
“"Today, even in Italy, a taboo is being broken," declared Arcigay national president Sergio Lo Giudice, originally from Messina. "From the depths of Sicily, the land of Brancati's Gallicism, a sign of civility and modernity reaches all of Italy. Despite his sexual orientation being used against him during the election campaign, Crocetta has earned the trust of his fellow citizens by overcoming all prejudice. A heartfelt thank you to the women and men of Gela who have given the country a lesson in civility, and a heartfelt good luck to Saro Crocetta, a symbol of a changing Sicily."”
Arcigay National
Press Office