The LGBTI community in Bologna, northern Italy, woke up to a disgusting surprise today (22 June).
A few hours away from the annual Pride parade, local activists spotted offensive banners put up by neo-fascist group Forza Nuova (New Force).
‘Straight Pride,’ one the two banners reads, while the other contained homophobic slurs.
Stanotte i fascisti di #ForzaNuova sono usciti dalle fogne per andare ai Giardini Margherita di Bologna da dove partirà nel pomeriggio il corteo del #Pride. Hanno attaccato due striscioni analfabeti.
Lo hanno fatto di notte, come fanno i ladri. Coraggiosi, vero? pic.twitter.com/fpEmbpANAC— Simone Alliva (@SimoneAlliva) June 22, 2019
‘Last night, fascists belonging to Forza Nuova crawled out of the sewers to go to Giardini Margherita in Bologna where the Pride parade will kick off from,’ Italian journalist Simone Alliva wrote in a tweet.
‘They put up two ignorant banners. They did so overnight, like thieves would. How brave, right?’ he then added.
Alliva also included two pictures of the banners.
Pride will get stronger
LGBTI activist and Pride organizer Vincenzo Branà confirmed local authorities removed the banners.
‘This message is a revival of something we haven’t defeated yet. Something that threatens our democracies, our communities, and the lives of too many,’ Branà told GSN.
‘But we promptly need to put fascism where it belongs: out. Out of our history, out of our lives, politics, out of our Pride.’
Branà also confirmed the parade would go ahead.
‘Pride will go ahead and it’ll get stronger than ever.’
LGBTI lives in Italy
‘Ever since the new government, LGBTI people in Italy can’t live their lives,’ continued Alliva.
‘LGBTI people are the main target,’ he said.
‘Neo-fascists see themselves in those who are in power and are no longer ashamed or afraid. They are, in fact, loud. Those who commit hate crimes are validated by those in power.’
Alliva writes about homophobia, biphobia and transphobia for Italy’s magazine L’Espresso.
‘We’ve been saying this for months, we’re living in the darkest of times. We’re either going forward or fall backwards.’
‘We need to be extremely careful. But people won’t surrender. Pride really is resistance,’ he finally said.
See also
How the Vatican trans document will impact me, a Catholic trans woman
Air Italy introduces non-binary gender option for passengers