Gays also gathered at the Pirellone for a panoramic kiss: "The initiative is open to all."«

Tonight, the Region's Valentine's Day initiative is underway. Formigoni: "We're not excluding anyone, but we're not going to provoke anyone."«
Maria Sorbi
Tonight, the first collective Valentine's Day kiss will take place on the 39th floor of the Pirellone. A promise of love between lovers, complete with a panoramic view of Milan. The gathering will be open to all, including gays. "The meaning of our initiative is crystal clear, and we have never rejected anyone," emphasized Lombardy Region President Roberto Formigoni (in the circle), adding: "It's obvious that the 39th floor cannot be used for events of any kind.".
Just to clear up any doubts about possible gay pride-style parades or various provocations.
Formigoni, who promoted the initiative, maintains that "the Lombardy government has always had the greatest respect for individuals," but the special opening of the 39th-floor observation deck is, in any case, inspired by "the celebration of Saint Valentine, which is so called because it honors Saint Valentine, bishop and martyr: it is therefore clear what kind of inspiration we draw upon." Once certain concepts have been clarified, entry will truly be open to all. The first to remind gay and lesbian people that the meeting at the Pirellone is not a political demonstration in the traditional sense is Arcigay president Marco Mori. "We will ascend to the 39th floor as free citizens," he explains. "So Formigoni and his followers, not fooled by the solitary peaks to which they are accustomed, will be able to appreciate the plurality of affections and relationships that color our territory." And he takes the opportunity to send a message to the Lombardy president: "Valentine's Day," Moris explains, "challenged an emperor's law that prevented soldiers from marrying. If Formigoni truly takes inspiration from him, he should become a spokesperson for the center-right and the country to remove the exclusionary policies that prohibit homosexuals from having their unions legalized." The provocation is scathing, and Arcigay makes a distinction: "Respect for the individual is one thing, respect for the couple is another.".
The Pirellone initiative gives the Democratic Party (PD) the impetus to once again demand the recognition of de facto couples. But it also opens the door to some exploitation. Councilor Giuseppe Civati (PD) on his blog called on de facto couples to show up at the Pirellone for a Valentine's Day kiss, with the specific goal of sending a message "to the most prudish regional president in the world." "Let's demonstrate that Italian society is free," he urges. But the Region's initiative was also born for this purpose: to open the institutional headquarters to lovers. To all lovers. "It may be," comments Chiara Cremonesi of Selma, "that the Region ignores the thousands of de facto couples all year round. Those women and men who live their love without any welfare policy.".