SAVONA – The city seems reluctant to open up to the gay community on the occasion of Gay Pride and the secretary of Arcigay is Richard Gottardi to turn to local civil society because Savona will also host, as will happen in Imperia, meetings, conferences and debates collateral to the Pride.
In reality a step forward had been made last year when members of the management of Arcigay l'Approdo of Genoa had met Mayor Federico Berruti and Culture Councillor Ferdinando Molteni to develop a series of cultural initiatives. Then everything stopped.
The Genoa Pride organizing committee is currently contacting the Savona area's trade unions, politicians, and associations, seeking collaboration to organize some events in Savona. "We're available to work together to organize Pride events in other Ligurian provinces," says Gottardi, "but It is appropriate that this push comes from the territory, from institutions, bodies, unions, associations. We've already emailed the provincial council groups, even though it's under special administration, and some civil society representatives. We'll contact the others in the coming days. So far, however, we haven't received a response, and this surprises me, given that Savona has always been very open about civil rights. It was the first Ligurian municipality to adopt a resolution to establish a registry for civil unions.
In the coming days, Arcigay leadership and the Pride organizing committee will meet with the regional unions and, through them, the provincial ones to seek assistance. "I believe it would be important for Savona, also in terms of image," Gottardi concludes, "to demonstrate its openness to this event of national importance. In Genoa, for example, there will be exhibitions and meetings. The one on the holocaust of gays in concentration camps could also be hosted in Savona.».
