We got to know the Arcigay club in Syracuse better by exchanging a few words with president Armando Caravini.
Introduce us to Arcigay Siracusa.
The Arcigay club of Syracuse is made up of more than two thousand members, the third largest committee in Sicily in terms of number of members after Palermo and Catania. On February 12, 2013, I, a 25-year-old activist and former member of the board of the Barbagallo administration, and Orazio Lauretta, a 22-year-old law student and staunch supporter of the principle of equality and the recognition of the rights, currently denied, of the LGBT community, were elected.
Can you briefly tell us the history of your club?
The Arcigay Siracusa branch was founded in 1994 by Agata Ruscica, a prominent activist who immediately fought numerous battles to affirm and protect the rights of the LGBT community and initiated, among other initiatives, a series of courses in Syracuse schools to combat homophobia. The work was continued by Angela Barbagallo, Agata's partner, and in subsequent years by Salvo La Rosa, also remembered for having inspired and inspired many young people. The association, which has always been committed to the protection of civil rights, has had various leadership roles.
What are the biggest problems or difficulties facing the LGBT community in Syracuse?
The issues within the Syracuse LGBT community have obviously been evolving. We can certainly say that citizens' thinking is currently centered on the "live and let live" principle. Unfortunately, however, we have learned of incidents of homophobia within some Syracuse high schools, involving students who have sought our help and support, both psychological and legal. What has most astonished us is that the "criminal" acts originated with the teaching staff, in all cases where our intervention was requested, a fact that gives us pause as well as profoundly saddens us.
What are your initiatives? What have been your victories?
Going back to the previous question, we can immediately state that among our initiatives is that of organizing meetings with the support of a psychologist, who is also a member of our association, within schools to educate and raise awareness not only among students but also among the teaching staff, since it is to the latter that the education and teaching of respect for students is entrusted, both inside and outside the school walls. .
Among our initiatives, we recall the World Aids Day which saw us involved in schools together with the Italian Red Cross, the infectious diseases department of the Umberto I Hospital in Syracuse, and Anlaids, with the screening of one of our videos made with the support of several doctors and followed by the testimonies of three HIV-positive people, obviously filmed in a way so as not to show their faces in order to safeguard their privacy, guests of the nursing home in Syracuse. ( The video is visible both on the official Arcigay Siracusa page and on YouTube ). We then sold more than fifty seedlings on the same day and donated the entire sum raised to AIDS research. Among our initiatives was the Day of Remembrance, commemorating the Holocaust. This initiative was also covered by "La Sicilia", a regional newspaper. .
Do you have any plans for the future?
We have several projects to implement. While our social program, which we intend to fully implement, is visible online, among the initiatives about to be implemented, one we strongly believe in is "Gay Day," a day dedicated to socializing and integrating the Aretusa LGBT community, accompanied by public debates to engage with citizens, including by inviting local institutions; and our collaboration with the Catania and Palermo Pride parades, the first southernmost national pride event in Europe.
It is also necessary to remember a bill entirely written by us and presented to all the candidates for Mayor of Syracuse concerning the creation of lists of civil unions, protection and fight against homophobia at local level (This document can also be viewed online on the Facebook group)
Are you looking for new members? If so, how can I contact you?
The association is obviously looking for new activists for the Syracuse committee. We would like to emphasize that our committee is open to anyone who believes in our initiatives and wants to make a concrete contribution. Therefore, it is also open to heterosexuals, highlighting that they already have members within the committee; it would be paradoxical if this were not the case. .
Anyone interested can contact us at the following email address: [email protected] or on Facebook at the following addresses www.facebook.com/groups/arcigaysiracusa/ ; www.facebook.com/arcigay.siracusa