This article is published in issue 26/27 of Vanity Fair on newsstands until 6 July 2022
«There is no mediation possible, either we say yes or we say no. Yes to the natural family, no to the LGBT lobby. Yes to sexual identity, no to gender ideology. Yes to the culture of life, no to the promotion of death. Yes to the universality of the cross, no to Islamist violence ».
With these words, pronounced during a rally in Andalusia, Giorgia Meloni did not just highlight her ideas (ideas and opinions that everyone can and must have). Giorgia Meloni has highlighted her own violence. There are no shades. Neither in tone nor in words. There is only the violence of a thought that does not accept differences. Either you are with us, or you are against us. And yet, how many contradictions in these words.
What is a natural family? Nature, that of animals, is merciless and violent. It is a place where the strongest wins over the weakest and the food chain sets the rules. In our society, in our democracy, fortunately this does not happen. So what is a natural family? The LGBT lobby, then. But what does it mean? And above all: what would you take away from the family made up of a man and a woman? Anything. On the contrary, he would add. Because this is what it is: the family imagined by Meloni takes away any other possibility of loving and raising children. The other families, on the other hand, add new ways of loving, of raising children, of loving each other. Why be afraid of this love?
Sexual identity. Does it have to be one? Or two? And why not multiple? Again: why be afraid of loving those who do not love what we love but something else? We always go back there: to remove rather than add. Gender ideology … Why ideology? Why, again, remove when you can add? Why prevent others from being different from us?
On religion, then: yes to the universality of the cross, no to Islamist violence? Oh yes? Are all Muslims violent? So what do we do: there must be only one religion and do we prohibit the others? Finally: the culture of life versus the promotion of death. Are we really still here talking about the right to abortion? And to have doubts if someone wants to end their life as happened to Federico Carboni, a quadriplegic for about 10 years due to a car accident, finally managed to put an end to his suffering a few weeks ago with a drug and with the tool of assisted suicide. «Life is fantastic but the suffering is too much», Federico had written before dying, «continue to support this struggle to be free to choose».
Here, free to choose. Why, dear Giorgia Meloni, do you want to take away this freedom from us? The freedom to love who we want. The freedom of a woman to decide about her own body. The freedom of a man to decide whether to end his life after inhuman suffering. The freedom of a person to choose the religion he wants or the dress he wants, or the identity he dreams of.
Last week, the Pope recommended not having sexual intercourse before marriage. And a few days later Fedez suggested having as much sex as possible before the wedding. Who is right? It doesn’t matter who is right. Instead, it is essential to create a place, a society, a democracy where you can have or not have sex before marriage, for example. While from the words spoken in Andalusia emerges a world where you are either on one side or on the other, a world of violent screams where there is no possibility of choice.
Do we really want to live in a world like this? In this issue of Vanity Fair and in the initiatives on our social networks and on our website in the coming weeks we will tell you stories of love, hospitality, dialogue, respect. From the protagonist of this cover, a splendid Drusilla Foer, to the video stories of grandmothers and grandparents who tell of beauty, affection, humanity in the stories of diversity of their grandchildren. Comparing generations, ages, origins, sexes, different identities that speak to each other without borders, without fear, without prejudice. I want to live in a world like this. A world where there is room for everyone.
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Source: Vanity Fair
