Bologna, February 20, 2017 – “We are currently witnessing an attempt to suspend freedom of association for both gay and non-gay people in Italy,” said Gabriele Piazzoni, national secretary of Arcigay. He continues: "The report aired last night on the program 'Le Iene', which maliciously combined anonymity, vagueness, and hastily detailed details, even violating the right to privacy, triggered a despicable smear campaign, immediately seized upon by professional homophobes, both inside and outside Parliament. Later that evening, the Director of UNAR resigned, having taken personal responsibility for the absurd outcry raised by Le Iene's complaint. The Director's resignation serves to restore the serenity needed to continue UNAR's important work. The list of projects funded by the Department of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers includes important initiatives that address marginalization and the fight against discrimination and social exclusion: it is essential that the country and the people (LGBTQ and otherwise) who live and pass through it be able to count on these opportunities, which are as rare as they are necessary. There is a whole world of volunteers working, doing so much, in the vast majority of cases without a single euro of public funding." And there's a whole world of LGBTI people in need of social interventions and support, people who can't be left alone. Using stolen reports and packaging them in a narrative full of prudishness and innuendo just to undermine UNAR is a shortsighted political operation. Let's not throw mud, but rather demand clarity. UNAR is and must continue to be a body that guarantees everyone's rights regarding anti-discrimination policies,“ concludes Piazzoni.
