Tomorrow, the Chamber of Deputies will vote on the anti-homophobia bill. Paolo Patanè and Annalisa Scarnera: "We deny the homophobic incidents on Via di San Giovanni in Laterano." But the Gay Center insists: "These are dangerous statements from those who don't know the facts."“
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“"Regarding the recent news about recent homophobic incidents in Rome and the rumors about events that allegedly occurred on Via di San Giovanni in Laterano, better known as Gay Street, it is worth taking the utmost care." This was stated in a statement by Paolo Patanè, national president of Arcigay, and Annalisa Scarnera, president of the Gay Street association.
This reflection is all the more important on the eve of tomorrow's vote on the anti-homophobia law in the Chamber of Deputies, "and of the great work done by the Honorable Paola Concia in developing a meaningful approach to such a sensitive issue," Arcigay and Gay Street add. The associations then deny the homophobic incidents on Via di San Giovanni in Laterano: "We express our deep appreciation for the constant, daily communication with the police headquarters, the Celio police station, and the law enforcement agencies, which has made it possible to establish a climate of growing security and trust in a climate of extraordinary collaboration.".
In short, there's no need to panic. "It's true, on the one hand, that the 'homophobia' problem urgently requires a regulatory solution that offers real tools for preventing and repressing hate crimes against gay, lesbian, and transgender people," Arcigay and Gay Street conclude, "but also requires fairness and rigor in distinguishing generic criminal circumstances from situations of genuine homophobia and transphobia, especially out of respect for the many real victims.".
The location of Gay Center. "The statements of those who don't know the facts are shocking: at a time when a particularly serious phenomenon is emerging, in which gay people report incidents of homophobia that they don't have the courage and strength to report to the police for fear of retaliation or because they aren't visible to their families, certain statements are very dangerous, especially for young gay men themselves, who cannot be contradicted by people who don't know the facts. Gay Help Line and Gay Center are seriously alarmed by a phenomenon that leaves young people defenseless. We reiterate that, as always, we are in close contact with the police and also today with the commander of the Celio Carabinieri, to whom I have provided all the necessary information, but we cannot ignore incidents that are reported to us and that deserve a political response, such as the approval of a law against homophobia. These are statements whose meaning we don't understand and which are not substantiated, and therefore, furthermore, incomprehensible. With all due respect, the counter of a bar on Via di San Giovanni in Laterano is not an observatory for homophobia, also because the events took place on Via dei Fori Imperiali. "We will evaluate possible legal action based on the statements we read," Fabrizio Marrazzo, spokesperson for the Gay Center, stated in a statement.
Homophobia, Arcigay, and Gay Street: No alarmism, but "serious reflection"“
This article was written on 19 July 2011.
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