RIGHTS: A three-day event celebrating ARCIGAY's 40th anniversary continues in Rome. Guests include Nichi Vendola and Patrick Zaki tomorrow.
Second day of Forty Queer, the festival celebrating Italy's largest LGBTQIA+ organization.
Rome, September 26, 2025 – It opened today in Rome, in the spaces of The Social Hub (Viale dello Scalo S. Lorenzo, 10) Forty Queer, A three-day event of meetings, culture, music, and mobilization to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Arcigay, the largest Italian LGBTQIA+ organization. The inauguration was attended by national president Natascia Maesi, general secretary Gabriele Piazzoni, founders Beppe Ramina and Franco Grillini, and Rome City Councilor for Culture Massimiliano Smeriglio. Tomorrow, Nichi Vendola, one of the founders of Arcigay and now president of Sinistra Italiana, will address the event. The program opens at 10:00 a.m. Sun Salutation with YogaLab in the Frochill area; from 10am to 1pm, in the Spolato Area, the workshop will be held Ballrhome with Pony Gucci, dedicated to the techniques of Runway and Vogue Femme. Meanwhile, in the Hell's Kitchen Area, from 12 to 2 p.m., Alessio Cicchini (@RUCOOLAAA on social media) will lead a symbolic cooking class on the theme of fennel. Also in the morning, Angela Infante will lead a creative writing workshop (12:30-2 p.m., Spolato Area) based on chemsex stories, while Tommaso Spazzini Villa will lead a self-portrait workshop inspired by Virginia Woolf (2:30-4 p.m., Spolato Area). Numerous panels are scheduled for the morning: Sex Work in Progress (11:00-11:45, Folco Area) with Pia Covre, Olesea Croitor, Valeria Ruggeri, SWIPE Association and Manuela Macario; School and Resistance (11:00-11:45, Stonewall Arena) with Giovanna Cristina Vivinetto, Amin Abu Islaih, Colory, Donato's Parents Association, Marta Rohani; 40 Years of Journalism: The Story of LGBTQIA+ Sports with Francesca Muzzi and Marco Arlati; Queer Youth with creator Muriel, Sabrina Loparco and Antonio Auriemma; Local battles, international alliances with Stylianos Foteinopoulos, Angelica Polmonari and Roberto Muzzetta; The Cultural Revolution of Gender Studies with Francesca Romana Recchia Luciani and Luciano Lopopolo; Tomorrow's Memory with Aldo Simeone, Alessio Ponzio, Giorgio Bozzo, and Claudio Tosi. In the afternoon, the FUORI! Stage hosts Free Free Palestine – a link-up with Global Sumud Flotilla with Patrick Zaki, Micol Meghnagi, Alba Nabulsi, and Pietro Turano (5:30–7:00 PM) and the live podcast WILL: Closer with Carlo Notarpietro (7:00–7:30 PM). The evening culminates with a concert by Faccianuvola, Emma Nolde, and Labasco (8:00–10:00 PM) and the FortyQueer Ballrhome (10:00–12:00 AM), a vogue night with special judges.
Rome, September 26, 2025 – It opened today in Rome, in the spaces of The Social Hub (Viale dello Scalo S. Lorenzo, 10) Forty Queer, A three-day event of meetings, culture, music, and mobilization to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Arcigay, the largest Italian LGBTQIA+ organization. The inauguration was attended by national president Natascia Maesi, general secretary Gabriele Piazzoni, founders Beppe Ramina and Franco Grillini, and Rome City Councilor for Culture Massimiliano Smeriglio. Tomorrow, Nichi Vendola, one of the founders of Arcigay and now president of Sinistra Italiana, will address the event. The program opens at 10:00 a.m. Sun Salutation with YogaLab in the Frochill area; from 10am to 1pm, in the Spolato Area, the workshop will be held Ballrhome with Pony Gucci, dedicated to the techniques of Runway and Vogue Femme. Meanwhile, in the Hell's Kitchen Area, from 12 to 2 p.m., Alessio Cicchini (@RUCOOLAAA on social media) will lead a symbolic cooking class on the theme of fennel. Also in the morning, Angela Infante will lead a creative writing workshop (12:30-2 p.m., Spolato Area) based on chemsex stories, while Tommaso Spazzini Villa will lead a self-portrait workshop inspired by Virginia Woolf (2:30-4 p.m., Spolato Area). Numerous panels are scheduled for the morning: Sex Work in Progress (11:00-11:45, Folco Area) with Pia Covre, Olesea Croitor, Valeria Ruggeri, SWIPE Association and Manuela Macario; School and Resistance (11:00-11:45, Stonewall Arena) with Giovanna Cristina Vivinetto, Amin Abu Islaih, Colory, Donato's Parents Association, Marta Rohani; 40 Years of Journalism: The Story of LGBTQIA+ Sports with Francesca Muzzi and Marco Arlati; Queer Youth with creator Muriel, Sabrina Loparco and Antonio Auriemma; Local battles, international alliances with Stylianos Foteinopoulos, Angelica Polmonari and Roberto Muzzetta; The Cultural Revolution of Gender Studies with Francesca Romana Recchia Luciani and Luciano Lopopolo; Tomorrow's Memory with Aldo Simeone, Alessio Ponzio, Giorgio Bozzo, and Claudio Tosi. In the afternoon, the FUORI! Stage hosts Free Free Palestine – a link-up with Global Sumud Flotilla with Patrick Zaki, Micol Meghnagi, Alba Nabulsi, and Pietro Turano (5:30–7:00 PM) and the live podcast WILL: Closer with Carlo Notarpietro (7:00–7:30 PM). The evening culminates with a concert by Faccianuvola, Emma Nolde, and Labasco (8:00–10:00 PM) and the FortyQueer Ballrhome (10:00–12:00 AM), a vogue night with special judges.
