«"A gay guide? An unacceptable request. It goes against our fight for inclusion."»

PROVOCATION: This is how the gay movement responded to the Canadian tour operator's request for a gay guide for its group. Below, Alessandro Maggi, president of Arcigay Siena.
by FRANCO TINELLI "We gays do not pass the discrimination we are victims of onto heterosexuals." Alessandro Maggi, 28, president of the Pansexual Movement – Promotion Committee of the three-year-old Arcigay club in Siena, unequivocally condemns the letter from a group of Canadian homosexuals who requested a gay tour guide to visit our city. So, is the request unacceptable? "If the issue is as described, it is a very serious request, which goes against our principles of inclusion and respect for diversity. Sexual orientation has nothing to do with the professionalism of guides and their competence. It is an affront to their dignity. Here we are faced with unacceptable discrimination against heterosexuals, behavior contrary to the fight we wage for the respect of everyone's rights, homosexuals and heterosexuals alike. I want to be understanding and believe that this was a failure of communication." What do you feel like saying to the Canadian tour operator who made the request? "I would advise him again to possibly ask for a 'gay-friendly' guide, that is, one who is open to diversity. This is a 'politically correct', respectful request." The Canadian request, however, smacks of intolerance. "That statement might have something to do with Italy's image as a country more advanced than ours in respecting diversity. It's well known abroad that Italy has experienced bloody homophobic incidents, and that parliament has twice struck down an anti-homophobia law. In light of this, Canadian gays, intimidated by all this, may have been guilty of excessive self-defense. But in any case, the request is unjustifiable. There are no excuses." Do you rule out the interpretation that the gay world sometimes risks reacting to prejudice and violence by entrenching itself in positions that are themselves discriminatory? "I rule that out. We homosexuals always fight for rights peacefully and respectfully." How does Siena feel about homosexuals? "The city is actually a large town, where everyone knows everyone, where there's still a lot of ignorance on these issues, and where prejudices persist. It's therefore difficult for gay people in Siena to come out, to come out; they fear the reaction of others. However, the new city administration's attitude is positive. The establishment of a registry for de facto couples and the approval of the motion against homophobia are small but positive signs." In Siena, the homosexuals who gravitate around the newly formed Arcigay club number "about 200," says Maggi. They meet every Wednesday. The club's first big party will be held on September 30th in a nightclub.