Luca Paladini’s (Civic Pact) motion requesting patronage for the rights demonstration was rejected. It was granted in 2022 and also in 2015 with Roberto Maroni. “They also give patronage to fascist groups. But not to those demonstrating for rights”
The Lombardy Region will not be present at Milan Pride 2024 on 29 June, the event which for several years has become one of the most important pride events in Europe. With 20 votes in favor and 41 against, the motion presented by was rejected Luca Paladini of the Civic Pact and also signed by several opposition councilors, aimed at delegating the President of the Regional Council or a councilor or a regional councilor to participate in the procession wearing the institutional sash, in order to reiterate the commitment of the Lombardy Region to overcome any form of discrimination and inequality, promoting full respect for human dignity, for a more just, equitable and inclusive society. The motion also committed to preparing for June 29th the symbolic lighting of Palazzo Pirelli with the colors of the rainbow, something that has already happened in the past in 2022 but also in 205 when the Northern League was in government Roberto Maroni. For the second year in a row, the Region’s step backwards on civil rights is confirmed, in terms of manner and tone: «It is not an inclusive place, but a partisan demonstration» commented the councilor of Fratelli d’Italia, Giacomo Zamperini. “A year ago, when the majority rejected a motion similar to today’s, we were told that closeness to the LGBTQ+ community would become concrete acts”, councilor Paladini, founder of Sentinelli in Piedi, tells L’Espresso. «without the need to sponsor partisan initiatives; a year later we asked what actions were actually carried out and the answer is there for all to see: zero!”
Paladini but why was this patronage so important that the right persists in not wanting to grant?
«Because the institutions can also decide not to share the political manifesto of a Pride event 100%, but they must have respect, attention and closeness to a community as important as that of Lombardy. Being present means saying, we are here to listen to you. We may not share some things but we are there.”
There won’t be any, but after all it’s nothing new
“Not exactly. In 2022 the Pirellone assembly, with a centre-right majority but dominated by the League, had approved a similar motion by secret ballot. The Bergamo regional councilor of the M5s Dario Violi took to the streets on 2 July with the green band to represent the Region for the first and only time, on the delegation of President Attilio Fontana. The following day the Pirellone was lit up with the Pride colours. And even in 2015, when the president of the Region was the Northern League member Roberto Maroni and the president of the Regional Council was his party mate Fabrizio Cecchetti, free legal aid was granted even if Maroni had distanced himself”
But is it so difficult to grant patronage?
«The Lombardy Region grants rain sponsorships. The choice is political. Last year, while denying patronage to Pride, it was granted to an initiative by Bran.co, an offshoot of Loyalty&Action. Openly neo-fascist organization. Bran.co specifically moves mainly in the anti-abortion field. At Pride, however, they deny patronage and say: “Our attention to the LGBT community does not go from patronage to pride. We will prove it””
And did they prove it?
«No, not only did they do nothing. The topic is never discussed. The only two motions that brought the right to LGBT rights were two homotransphobic motions. One against Career Alias in schools, i.e. a tool that since 2003 has offered the possibility for a student to register with a name that corresponds to their gender identity even if different from their personal name. The motion resembled a proscription list of the schools that had activated it. Furthermore, the issue of gender inconsistency was linked to an alleged “social contagion”. Fortunately, it failed in the secret ballot. Another referred to the Careggi center for gender incongruence in Florence on the use of blockers that suspend pubertal development in trans adolescents. He asked that the model be exported to Lombardy. I tried to contest it in the Chamber, the Northern League Regional Councilor Davide Caparini shouted at me twice “you’re a piece of shit”. The motion passed and in Lombardy politics is trying to replace medicine.”
You say “politics that tries to replace medicine”. It’s not the first time
No, the motion “Support for life and women in a state of fragility” was also recently passed which aims to increase the “cradles for life” outside Lombardy hospital facilities, places where mothers or parents in difficulty can leave newborns anonymously. What is left unsaid in this motion is yet another attack on law 194. IInstead of encouraging support for increasingly weakened public consultancies, it promotes CAVs (Help for Life Centres) to enhance the so-called “cradles for life”. When I asked the Lombardy Region Welfare Councilor for clarification, Guido Bertolaso, he replied: “We will do everything we can to encourage the birth rate”. A little disturbing, he didn’t say we will increase nursery schools or women’s wages. No, the project is another, quite clear and disturbing. This is a Region in the hands of Pro-Lifersmany councilors are the expression of pro-life movements and other lobbies such as Coldiretti or hunting”.
