Arcigay is concerned about the huge media outcry that erupted following the appointment of a heterosexual person as President of an Arcigay provincial committee.
The choice certainly does not represent a new event, but it has already at least Three Previously, including the decades-long presidency of Arcigay Messina led by Roberta Palermo, a historic figure in the Sicilian movement. This militancy did not receive the same media attention, perhaps because it was a female presidency.
Yet this case alone seems to be attracting attention, sparking a veritable political and cultural speculation to the detriment of homosexuals. Curiosity, in fact, isn't always the companion of truth.
Interpreting the election of a heterosexual as the symbol of the divorce between homosexual culture and affirmations of rights, as we saw happen last night on Radio London on Rai UNO, is a misleading and inappropriate operation, which only adds confusion to the issue of the fundamental rights of gay, lesbian and transgender people in our country.
We reiterate the importance for us of the direct representation and visible, active participation of lesbians, gays, and trans people in the democratic and militant life of our association.
Arcigay is, and will continue to be, at the forefront of promoting homosexual thought and culture, aware of the fundamental contribution it can make to the civil development of our country.
We are convinced that the fundamental and inalienable rights of people cannot be subjected to changing cultural conditions, but that it is instead culture itself that is influenced and transformed by the recognition of these rights.
History teaches us that rights, to be guaranteed and recognized, must necessarily transform into culture, becoming visible, public, and everyday.
On the other hand, human rights do not depend on changeable factors: they either exist completely or they do not exist at all, precisely because they represent the realization and fundamental affirmation of each person's personality and dignity.
This cannot happen through a process of standardization, denial, and closure within the private sphere, but rather through the free diffusion of a culture that truly respects all diversity.
Sandro Penna wrote: “Blessed is he who is different because he is different, but woe to he who is different because he is ordinary.”.
We offer this thought to Julian Ferrara, trusting and making ourselves available, in every possible context, for further exploration of issues that concern the lives, desires, expectations, and happiness of millions of people in Italy.
Paolo Patanè, national president of Arcigay
