GAY: NATIONAL PRIDE PARADE STARTS ON APRIL 14TH. DON CIOTTI AND CAMUSSO ARE AMONG THE GUESTS. THE PROCESSION WILL BE IN PIAZZA MAGGIORE ON JUNE 9TH. "BOLOGNA'S PRIDE FOR A MORE EQUAL FUTURE.".
Bologna, April 11, 2012 – Sports, theater, concerts, cinema, books, and a packed agenda of conferences and meetings in the square. From April 14 to June 9, Bologna Pride 2012 will take place, the national pride event of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community, which returns to the city on the thirtieth anniversary of the founding of its gay lesbian center, the Cassero. And it is from the former historic site of the Porta Saragozza keep, which still gives the association its name, that the final procession will set off on the second Saturday of June. Destination: Piazza Maggiore.
“"Italy is suffering more than other countries in this crisis because it has fallen behind in the rules. Both the economic ones, which condemn too many young people to precarious employment or unprotected unemployment, and the civil ones, which make Italy, along with Greece, the last in Europe in recognizing the rights of LGBT people," says Emiliano Zaino, president of the Bologna Pride 2012 Committee. "Therefore, it falls to the most advanced and responsible Italy to get the country moving again toward a future built on different and more just rules. And Bologna, where the recent inclusion of gay and lesbian families in the municipal council anticipated the latest court rulings, is certainly part of this Italy. That's why a new Pride parade in Bologna! To give voice to those who believe that the only way out of the crisis is through a future with fewer privileges and more equality for all.".
“"The theme of family is a recurring theme in children's schoolwork. But our children also need to see their family life represented. To be reflected in books and fairy tales. To rediscover their own experiences in what they read. For this reason, we will ask school authorities to adopt teaching materials and initiatives aimed at presenting all forms of family," says Ilaria Trivellato of the Rainbow Families association. Meanwhile, Zaino announced the finalization of an agreement with Confesercenti this week to promote Pride and attract protesters from outside Bologna.
The program kicks off this Saturday with two initiatives. In the morning, a conference with Father Luigi Ciotti will take stock, exactly thirty years after the enactment of the first law that allowed transgender people to change their registered sex in Italy. Scientific and legislative experts will discuss the issue, along with representatives of the MIT (Transsexual Identity Movement), the only Italian association to provide psychological and legal support to those undergoing gender reassignment, delegated by the health authority and local authorities. (9:00 a.m., Via del Piombo 2, Aula Magna Santa Cristina).
In the afternoon, a series of meetings, "Flying on the Rainbow," kicks off at the Cassero Documentation Center (4 p.m., Via Don Minzoni 18). These readings are for children ages 3 to 6, featuring stories focusing on the diversity of families, individuals, and male and female identity. Each meeting (the others are April 28, May 12, and May 26) will be followed by creative workshops on "wild clay," spray painting, and planting with preschool teacher Nicoletta Portavia and ceramist and educator Manuel Fontana. Between the readings and the workshops, there will be a snack for children and an aperitif for adults (participation is free, but registration is required: tel. 051 095 7214, [email protected]). Among the used books, there will be Piccolo Uovo, which illustrates rainbow families with illustrations by Altan and is published by Lo Stampatello, whose volumes will be presented at another meeting on Monday the 16th, at 6 pm at the Cassero.
In the coming days and weeks, there will be something for everyone. From the international transgender film festival "Divergenti" (May 4-6, Lumière Cinema, via Azzo Gardino 65), to the bus tour of the provincial towns (Castel Maggiore, Bentivoglio, Pianoro) with street events, video documentaries, and lectures on school activities, in celebration of the International Day for the Elimination of Homophobia on May 17. The volleyball tournament of Boga Volley, Bologna's gay sports group (June 1-3, Copernico High School gym). The all-Romagna and all-female Dyke on Bike bike ride, which will travel from Cesenatico to Bologna, passing through Ravenna, Lugo, and Ferrara. The Teatri di Vita show in tribute to the writer Pier Vittorio Tondelli (June 5-8, via Emilia Ponente 485). The concert by the gay choir Komos, and the closing post-parade party on the night of June 9-10 at Parco Nord.
The conferences and discussion meetings, in addition to transsexuality and the unresolved issues surrounding sex change (Saturday 14 April), will address the issues of same-sex families (4 May), education on diversity and sexual identity in schools with the writer Ivan Cotroneo (10 May, Palazzo d'Accursio), HIV and the problem of those who become aware of the infection late (14 May, S.Orsola-Malpighi Polyclinic), the fight against homophobia with the help of the police (17 May, Aula Magna Santa Cristina), the role of openly lesbian women in political parties and institutions (21 May, Province of Bologna, Via Zamboni 13), LGBT people in the world of work, with speeches by Susanna Camusso, Ivan Scalfarotto and the CEO of Ikea Italia (25 May, Palazzo d'Accursio), the changing family and the fight against prejudice (26 May, Palazzo d'Accursio).
The complete program, which is constantly updated, can be found on the website www.bolognapride.it and on the event's Facebook group www.facebook.com/pages/Bologna-Pride-2012/348974308466865.
Starting April 18th, the first Bologna Pride posters will be displayed on the streets of Bologna, commemorating some of the key milestones in the civil rights movement: from the achievements of blacks and women to the LGBTQ+ movement of today, along the same common thread of pride.
Bologna Pride 2012 is financially supported by Conad, Robintur and Vigin Active.
The Bologna Pride 2012 Committee brings together the associations involved in organizing the national pride parade on June 9th in Bologna. Its members include Arcigay Nazionale, Arcilesbica Nazionale, Arcigay Bologna Il Cassero, Arcilesbica Bologna, the Transsexual Identity Movement (Mit), Rainbow Families (same-sex parents), and Agedo (parents of same-sex parents).
Why Pride?
It is celebrated annually in memory of the June 28, 1969, rebellion of the LGBT community, which centered around a small Manhattan bar, the Stonewall Inn, against yet another episode of harassment and bullying by the city police. The unusual street riot sparked a public debate on gay rights, and the gay and lesbian communities in several American cities gained new awareness and initiative. The event is considered the beginning of the contemporary gay liberation movement and is commemorated annually in a growing number of countries around the world. For the LGBT community, it is an occasion for celebration and reunion, but in countries like Italy, still lagging behind in terms of equal rights, it also becomes an opportunity for political demands, such as those for the right to marry or for legislation against homophobic discrimination and violence.