Arcigay welcomes the regional president's openness. Nieri (Sel) attacks: it's a schizophrenic decision because it doesn't protect gay rights.
Lazio Region President Renata Polverini announced she will be attending Europride. She said: "Participating in the entire parade seems excessive to me, but if the organizers, as they said yesterday, are happy for me to be there, then I'll gladly do so." This gesture was welcomed by Marina Zela of Arcigay Roma: "President Polverini's decision to participate in Europride tomorrow is an important sign of institutional and political attention that we welcome. In recent years, Rome and Lazio," she added, "have become a bipartisan political laboratory on the issue of combating homophobia: it is essential to continue to foster this growth through ongoing dialogue and through services and protections for lesbians, gays, transgender people, and same-sex couples.".
“"Beyond the clarifications and distinctions of the President of the Lazio Region, and beyond the understandable desire of the Europride organizers to have the institutions on their side, I find Renata Polverini's position incomprehensible. She decided to participate in tomorrow's Pride without sharing the reasons behind a demonstration of this kind." This is according to Luigi Nieri, leader of the Left Ecology Freedom group in the Lazio Regional Council. "Participating in Europride and simultaneously declaring oneself against gay rights is an act of political schizophrenia," Nieri adds. "Polverini cannot simply declare that she is against discrimination against gay people; she must act accordingly. Homophobia is countered by granting rights; that's how we change people's cultural perceptions." Nieri adds: "We would be delighted if Polverini would resolve this ambiguity and promote institutional initiatives to combat homophobia and promote the rights of the LGBT community. Our bill, recognizing important rights for de facto couples and combating homophobia, has been sitting in the Regional Council for a year. It could be the starting point," he insists, "for an open and calm discussion on a very important issue. I will bring the text of the bill with me to the march, where I will participate, as always, alongside the hundreds of thousands of citizens who are demanding that Italy catch up with Europe by finally enacting a law against discrimination and for the rights of homosexuals. I hope that President Polverini will now help us bring our bill to the floor as quickly as possible. This would be an important and concrete sign of the fight against homophobia," Nieri concludes.
