Local and regional newspapers have given ample space to the statements of Alessandro Cecchi Paone Regarding the San Marcello Civil Union Registry, where he would like to register, despite declaring he currently lacks a "soulmate." Indeed, he even suggests the Municipality of San Marcello find him one! Cecchi Paone's comments, as often happens when a showman speaks, make headlines and are even amusing.
But we must look beyond the jokes. The establishment of the Civil Union Registry of the Municipality of San Marcello is The result of careful political and social preparatory work, of deep reflection on the part of those who proposed this Register and of a heated discussion within the Municipal Council of S. Marcello. We, as the Arcigay Club of Pistoia, participated in this work, bringing the National Director of Arcigay for the Campaign in Favor of PACS, Alessandro Zan, and the President of Arcigay Tuscany Regional, Alessio De Giorgi, to San Marcello for a public discussion.
The Registry is designed to strengthen the fight for the recognition of gay and heterosexual couples not united in traditional marriage and to ensure the legal protection of de facto situations, which correspond to the life choices of people who often face many difficulties in being themselves. It's obvious that the intervention of a showman tends to create a media space that is more suited to a variety program than to an important social and legal issue for this country and also risks confirming some stupid stereotypes circulating about gays. But it's equally obvious that political action doesn't reduce a serious issue in the daily reality of many people to a meaningless event (the raison d'être of de facto unions is certainly not to grab—perhaps provided by the municipality—a 'handsome Tuscan boy', but to seal a life choice), and I think I can say that in San Marcello no one intends to throw a carnival, but a an act of courage and solidarity towards people currently too little protected by the law.
