On Saturday, June 28, the city of Bologna hosts the 2008 National Pride Parade.
Bologna will see the procession of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people who, like every year from Stonewall to today, will joyfully march through the streets of the cities all over the world to proudly reaffirm the secular nature of the State, the equal dignity and equal civil and social rights of all, exactly as stated in the principle of equality enshrined in Article 3 of the Constitution.
The Stonewall uprising of 1969 is generally considered the birthplace of the modern gay liberation movement. For this reason June 28th it was chosen by the movement as the date of "World LGBT Pride Day".
The hope is that one day soon, this day of celebration and vindication will definitively transform into a day celebrating the achievement of rights and the attainment of full equality.
Even today, homophobic culture and violence based on gender identity and sexual orientation are the order of the day in this country. and this means that physical integrity and personal respect are called into question by a dangerous attitude that attempts to undermine individual freedom, self-determination, and the demands of democracy.
The tradition of the city of Bologna, for years a point of reference for the Italian LGBT community and more generally for movements of social criticism and reformism, recognized as an outpost of "tolerance", today he is harshly confronted with a Curia and with right-wing and centre-right forces that, in order to affirm their own identity, oppose movements, first and foremost the LGBT movement and in this way they hinder the ambitions of a city that wants to be truly European and progressive.
For this reason we want the National Pride in Bologna, a symbolic place of freedom and civil progress in Italy, to represent a’opportunity to break out of a political stasis that has to some extent also involved this city. We want Pride to represent, especially for progressive political forces, an opportunity for dialogue and discussion so that they can achieve positive results in terms of civil rights and freedoms, in Bologna and in Italy.
Bologna is home to one of Italy's largest gay and transgender communities. Home to numerous groups and associations, both locally and internationally, organized into multiple and diverse national networks, they build and work for change in this country. The lesbian, gay, and trans groups and associations in this area operate within the broader Italian LGBT movement. This movement, along with women's groups, is a leading force in effective social and cultural criticism and denunciation.
In this Bologna, with the support of the Bolognese, Pride 2008 aims to be a milestone in the journey towards freedom and rights for the entire Italian LGBT movement..
The recipients of this great civic and national event are not only the government, the institutions and the parties within them, but above all women and men walking down the street, those with whom every lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender person shares space and time and with whom they wish to explore the paths of exchange, interaction, coexistence in diversity, and change.
Waiting for Pride.
From May to June, Bologna will host a program of over 40 events, each representing privileged moments of political and cultural exploration of the LGBT world.
On the one hand, initiatives aimed at the proper dissemination of scientific and historical information and political, sociological, and legislative analysis through conferences and conventions; on the other, a rich series of cultural events highlighting the diversity of LGBT artistic production and, above all, demonstrating an open citizen network participating in and supporting the June 28th event.
Bologna is leading the fight against homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation, leveraging the sharing approach that has always characterized democratic societies and cultures open to dialogue and exchange.
The promoters of the events on the bill are not only the 35 associations and groups who have joined the Bologna Pride Committee up to now but are also the Institutions that have sponsored a significant part of the program, in particular the Emilia Romagna Region, the Province and Municipality of Bologna and the Municipality of Casalecchio and also some important Bolognese spaces dedicated to socializing, such as the Estragon, the Locomotiv Club, the Women's Documentation Center of the city of Bologna, and Teatri di Vita, which will host concerts, shows, and screenings.
Two months of preparation, where citizens are invited to engage in a deeper discussion of issues dear to the LGBT movement but deeply resonate with the entire secular population, who see June 28th as an important and unmissable date. From meetings to social events, the program addresses the city and its residents in a cross-cutting manner, reflecting the intellectual vitality that unites Bolognese people and citizens of the world. The events are wide-ranging, ranging from fashion shows to sports events, from parties (covering every possible musical genre) to photography and graphic design exhibitions; from book, video, and documentary presentations to theater festivals, from national premieres presented during the first edition of the Transgender Film Festival to conferences on current issues involving lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.
This year's aims to be a Pride Without Barriers, with an information point made available to disabled people, thanks to the collaboration of LGD – Abili di Cuore, the national network made up of homosexual and bisexual people with disabilities and people interested in the issues of homosexuality and disability.
Pride 2008 expands and travels across the country with the ""Bologna Pride Party Tour"". From April to June, the tour will visit the cities of Milan, Bologna, Catania, Turin, Reggio Emilia, Perugia, Florence, Rome, and Modena. During each tour event, which stops not only at Arcigay clubs but also at major nightclubs and "gay-friendly" venues, posters, postcards, and collectible merchandise will be distributed. Eight festive dates will circulate testimonials from the Bologna Pride graphic design campaign throughout Italy.
Everything that will happen in the next few months is also the fruit of the work of a great and solid group of volunteers, composed of approximately 200 people coordinated by the Arcigay "Il Cassero" club. University students and professionals have offered their talents and time to the organizing committee, with the goal of creating a memorable June 28th.
The Board of Directors of the Bologna Pride 2008 Committee is composed of: Marcella Di Folco (President), Paola Brandolini, Lorenzo "Q" Griffi, Elisa Manici, Flavia Madaschi, Flavio Romani and Emiliano Zaino.
The following have joined the Bologna Pride Committee to date:
Arcigay National
National Archlesbian
Transgender Identity Movement – Bologna
Agedo Bologna – Bologna
Rainbow Families
Agedo Ferrara – Ferrara
Agedo Modena – Modena
Agedo Parma – Parma
Arcigay "Alan Turing" – Rimini
Arcigay "Circo Massimo" – Ferrara
Arcigay "Gioconda" – Reggio Emilia
Arcigay "Il Cassero" – Bologna
Arcigay "The Atom" – Piacenza
Arcigay "Matthew Shepard" – Modena
Arcigay Emilia-Romagna – Regional Coordination
Arcilesbica Bologna – Bologna
Arcilesbica Ferrara – Ferrara
Bologna Gay Volley – Bologna
Selected Meats
Dario Bellezza Gay Culture Circle – Forlì-Cesena
Civieventi – Only4womenentertainment
Chrysalis Action Trans – Piacenza
Bologna Fish Group – Bologna
The Cut Sleeve – Modena
Narciso and Boccadoro, a gay believer group – Rimini
Rainbow Buddhist Group
Easy Staff
Broche Brothers
New Gay Lesbian – Forlì-Cesena
SexyShock – Bologna
Terrabattuta Gay Believers Group – Reggio Emilia
Eccentric
Cultural Plans
Freaky Staff
