Starting tomorrow, the Salerno Campania Pride 2012 marathon begins in Piazza Vittorio Veneto, starting at 4:30 pm: pride, visibility, and the demand for equal rights for gays, lesbians, and transgender people will take to the streets of Italy.
And never before have pride events been so numerous, crowded, and spread across the country, a sign of a country urgently calling on the Government and Parliament to finally address the demands for LGBTQ+ rights. And it's not just the country that's calling for this; Europe, which has repeatedly condemned the uniquely Italian anomaly of the lack of any legislation protecting same-sex families and against discrimination, is calling for it.
The pride parades, with thousands of citizens in the streets and the unwavering commitment of LGBT organizations, will also be a heartfelt invitation to homosexuals who still live their love lives in secret to peacefully come out: no more shame; it's homophobia and the lack of rights that are despicable, not our love.
The initiatives, which will culminate with the national parade in Bologna on June 9th, celebrating the conquest of the Cassero in 1982, a turning point in the battle for LGBT rights in our country, are so numerous that they represent a true marathon for LGBT rights.
After the demonstrations in Salerno and Bologna, on June 16th we'll be marching in Turin. The following week, on June 23rd, we'll be in Rome for the capital's Pride parade. On June 23rd, we'll invade Palermo, and on June 30th, we'll march in Catania at the end of a queer week. On the same day, we'll also march in Naples, and for the first time in Sardinia, in Cagliari.
The pride marathon will conclude with Toscana Pride, organized by the Friendly Versilia Consortium in Viareggio on July 7th.
