Couples from all over Italy celebrated a symbolic wedding. Provenzano of Arcigay told Sodano: "Civil unions must be registered immediately."«
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By Nicola Corradini, "Today, Mantua is the capital of the gay and lesbian movement. We demand the right to be free and equal." Davide Provenzano, president of Arcigay's La Salamandra club, greeted gay couples from across northern Italy, who had arrived from all over the country to participate in the collective wedding ceremony, from the steps of the Isabella d'Este grotto at the Castello di San Giorgio. At least fifty gay and lesbian couples—half of whom live in Mantua and its province—joined by several straight couples in solidarity and support, said "I do" at the symbolic ceremony that took place yesterday on a clear but chilly morning beneath the castle. A serene and festive, yet sober, atmosphere dominated by the rainbow colors of Arcigay's flag (reminiscent of the flag of anti-war protests) and the yellow of Amnesty International, one of the organizations that sponsored the event. A climate that not even the excesses of a small far-right group that gathered on the lakeside, shouting slogans and setting off firecrackers, could disturb. And in any case, the demonstration demanding the legal recognition of same-sex marriage, modeled on what already happens in many European Union countries, achieved its primary goal: to give national visibility to the demands of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) movement in the midst of an election campaign. The presence of reporters from national newspapers and television stations was no coincidence. Provenzano also knows this—he and his partner were the first couple to be symbolically united in marriage—and later called yesterday "a historic day, certainly significant for the extraordinary demonstration of civility, cohesion, and universality that so many citizens (not just those who gathered on the lawn of San Giorgio) wanted to show us. For this, for the shared yearning for the hope of equal rights and dignity, I thank the people of Mantua, both men and women, and all those who were at our side. The wedding was officiated by the mayor of Pegognaga, Dimitri Melli (Democratic Party), the provincial welfare councilor Elena Magri (Sel), and city councilors Fiorenza Brioni (candidate for the Senate) and Giovanni Buvoli, both of the Democratic Party. The couples gathered under the steps, and around 11 a.m. the officiants began reading the civil marriage formulas. The collective part of the ceremony concluded with applause. In the castle's lawn and promenade were friends of the newlyweds, heterosexual engaged couples who joined in a spirit of militancy and support for equal rights, families with children, and people who simply came to witness the event. Each couple was then able to officially register with the sample marriage certificates issued by the municipalities. Among the hundreds of attendees were also several political figures, all from the center-left. From Francesco Tiana and Claudio Morselli (Sel) to Andrea Murari (Pd) and Paolo Refolo (Idv). Representatives of the associations that sponsored the initiative were also present, including Mattia Palazzi of Arci, Rita De Santis, national president of Agedo, and Marta Balasso, president of the Masala association and regional candidate for Etico a sinistra. "We are asking the candidates to commit to a package of proposals that includes the recognition of gay marriage and the abolition of Law 40," explains Valerio Barbini of Arcigay's national secretariat. "Nichi Vendola and Antonio Ingroia have already signed up, and others are doing so. We are waiting for Bersani." During the demonstration, the president of the Salamandra club officially asked Mayor Nicola Sodano, who was not present at the initiative, to establish a civil union registry in Mantua as well. "Today, Mantua has become the capital of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) movement, which demands the right to be free and equal," he said. "To mayors Nicola Sodano and Giorgio Penazzi (the center-left mayor of Sabbioneta, who had called the initiative "carnival-like," ed.), we say that we are not having a carnival here. We ask all municipalities in Mantua, but especially the capital, to establish a civil union registry as a first step. I am certain that a discussion will be possible with Sodano, who is a helpful person and, unfortunately, only after the fact will he have fully understood the meaning and scope of our initiative, beyond any misunderstandings and hate speech.".
Response to criticism: "We don't accept ethics lessons."«
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«"They called this initiative inappropriate because it coincides with the commemoration of the victims of the Foibe massacres. We don't accept lessons in ethics, given that we homosexuals have been tortured, persecuted, and killed under every regime, even democratic ones." This was Davide Provenzano of Arcigay Mantua's commentary on the criticisms leveled by some politicians in recent days.