Gay Pride: Parades in 7 Italian Cities, but in 60 Countries Being Gay Is Still a Crime

In this last weekend of June, also called Pride Month, Gay Pride parades are taking place in 7 Italian cities, in support of rights of people belonging to the LGBTQI+ community.

The question is often the same: Is it still necessary to demonstrate? Until all the people come recognized the same rights – in matters of love – the answer is yes, say the large processions that today are crossing the streets of the cities of Milan (where the Secretary of the PD, Elly Schlein, is present), Treviso, Dolo (VE), Naples, Cagliari, Bari and Ragusa.

«In the disturbing climate of a Prime Minister who stirs up coup-plotting ghosts behind the exercise of the sacrosanct freedom of information – stated the General Secretary of Arcigay, Gabriele Piazzanireferring to the Fanpage investigation – our mobilization continues and makes no concessions.”

The accusations leveled against the Prime Minister, her party and the government are very serious: «The Prime Minister, instead of talking to us about the work of journalists, must explain to us why in the ranks of her party they praise fascism in an open and evident way. And consistent, I want to add, to persecutory policies towards women, foreigners, LGBTQI+ people which Giorgia Meloni has been implementing for months. This is true, as in regimes” added Piazzani.

Elly Schlein at the Gay Pride in Milan: «Marina Berlusconi? I’m always happy when there is recognition of equality”

Elly Schlein from Milan, where MP Zan was also present, said: «There are seven parades today, It is a day of pride and visibility for the battles for rights. There continues to be a need for it in the face of the many and too many attacks and discriminations that these people experience every day. We want equal marriage because love is not discriminated against and we will not let the right decide who we have the right to love. We need a law to not leave mayors alone on the recognition of homosexual couples”.

Schlein also commented on the words of Marina Berlusconi who a few days ago said she felt more in tune with the common-sense left on the subject of abortion, end of life or LGBTQI+ rights: «I am always happy when there is recognition of equality – Schlein said -. I have to say that it should be a much more transversal thing than it is, because there are other countries where even the right has come to government and has not changed important advances such as equal marriage, so it is not clear why the Italian right is determined to remain the one furthest behind ever in Europe on these issues and to oppose these fundamental rights”.

In 60 countries being gay is considered a crime

And while in our country we are discussing the need to allow same-sex marriages and adoptionsin 60 countries (out of 193) of the United Nations being gay is a crimeabove all in Asia and Africa where some states continue to apply severe punishments against homosexual people ranging from prison (including, in some cases, life imprisonment) to flogging, up to death penalty. The latter is currently planned in Brunei, Iran, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and some northern regions of Nigeria. And it is potentially applicable in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Qatar, Somalia and even the United Arab Emirates.

In other countries, then, despite the progress made at an international level, in recent years there have been worsening of people’s civil rights. This is the case of Ghana which introduced strict rules and severe sanctions and theUganda where since last year the rules, among the most restrictive in the world, provide for up to life imprisonment for consensual sexual acts and the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality”. TO Singaporedespite the abolition in 2022 of the law that made homosexual relations between men illegal, LGBTQ+ communities remain discriminated against.

But fortunately the conquests of rights continue throughout the world. The latest country to have made a big step in this matter is the Thailand which recognized same-sex marriages. The third law in this direction on the continent after Taiwan and Nepal. Bangkok’s choice follows the push for greater protections that has led Bolivia, Latvia and some Japanese prefectures to legalize civil unions between homosexual couples and Andorra, Estonia, Greece and Slovenia to recognize same-sex marriage. Something we hope will happen soon in Italy too.