«Be careful your Holiness, there’s a lot of fagotism here». It is one of the many signs of this Crowded, colorful Turin Pride and that in defiance of the leaden sky that has been threatening a storm since this morning, it left at 4.30pm from Piazza Castello. “Don’t worry, mom, I’m just a fagot, I didn’t vote for Vannacci” reads a second sign carried on the shoulders of a group of teenagers. The procession, born as a gay pride, has over the years become a great celebration of love, under the Mole remains a tradition capable of involving thousands of peopleof all ages, united to express their dissent towards gender discrimination. And to scream that the right to happiness and self-determination of one’s body concerns everyone: women, men, homosexuals, transsexuals, non-binary, fluid.
This year, however, Pride in Savoy style began under the banner of controversy. Internal, among the supporters of the demonstration, some of whom opted out of signing the political document. And among groups opposed to the parade who during the night applied stickers with the slogan “the only pride is national pride” in the city center.
Palestinian flags
The Turin association «Memory Train» which every year organizes trips to Auschwitz for the Holocaust, during Pride waves the Palestinian flag. «The long association with concentration camps allows us to recognize the genocide and this is what is happening in Gaza» he declares Andrea Tuamilitant of the Memory Train, sitting on the passenger side of the moving wagon «We discussed it for a year and we decided to include the Palestinian resistance in Pride.” “You can be a fascist and racist even if you’re Jewish, I would like to remind everyone”, says Tua again. Here is the reply from the queer Jewish association Keshet.
The association is not the only one. Even from the Arci chariot at one point a Palestinian flag waves. Along the parade, there are many boys and girls wearing keffiyehs or holding signs: “No Pride in genocide”. «Free bodies, free lands».
Politicians in the procession
Many politicians and representatives of institutions are currently marching among the crowd of Pride activists. Among them the first citizen of Turin, Stefano Lo Russoand the councilors for social policies and the environment Jacopo Rosatelli and Chiara Fogliettamarching together with the rights activist Vladimir Luxuria who, in the front row (like every year) recalled how «until we all have the same rights, love will always be a political question, especially now that these ugly right-wingers are advancing in Europe».
The Councilor for Transport and the Environment, Chiara Foglietta, dances under the bandwagon of the Young Democrats of the Democratic Party. At the time in opposition as a municipal councilor, in 2018 she was the first in Italy to register Niccolò Pietro Foglietta Ghisleni as the son of two mothers, thanks to the forcing of the mayor of Turin, Chiara Appendino.
But there are many politicians present. Among them are parliamentarians Marco Grimaldi (Avs) and Anna Rossomando (Pd), the vice president of the Pd Chiara Gribaudothe new councilor of the Region Gianna Pentenero (Pd), the president of the city council Maria Grazia Grippo (Pd) and the grillini Alberto Unia and Valentina Sganga. Also parading along the rainbow procession is the Luca Coscioni association.
Luxuria’s speech
The procession, which lasted almost 2 kilometres, finally arrived in Piazza Vittorio Veneto at 7.15pm. The director of the show takes the stage on stage Lovers Film Festival, Vladimir Luxuria, historic and implacable champion of Turin Pride. «I will personally work hard to bring the European Pride here in Turin, in the city of rights. We must bring Pride, more pride, to Europe.” Luxuria looks at the immense audience: «My goodness, how much fagot there is today! Did the seminarians all have the day off?».
After the Pope, he attacks the “world in reverse” of General Vannacci and the advance of the right and the ultra-right: «When faced with governments that promise us things and often don’t keep them, and governments that threaten us, we respond in the same way: we exist and will continue to exist. Get over it. We will always fight to be who we are.”
This Pride “is special for two reasons. We are celebrating 30 years since the first Italian Pride. While next year it will be 40 years since the birth of Lovers Film Festivalwhich», anticipates the director, «this year will be longer: from 10 to 17 April 2025».
