When one of the Italian volunteers suggested going to the first pride ever in Rieti I got confused. The first feeling that I had was excitement – because I fancied the idea of being part of such a historical event. I felt that my and my friends’ presence would make a real difference. Before coming to Italy I had never been to the pride simply because we have never had one in my country. My first pride was in Rome in June. It was one of the most uplifting experiences in my life. For the first time, I physically felt that I belonged. After this experience, I was expecting that Rieti Pride would even accelerate those feelings and remind me the importance of pride, self-love, and acceptance.
The second feeling was a shock – it came from the realization that even in Italy there are cities where people have not yet felt comfortable enough to come out in the streets, show their pride, and celebrate themselves. I don’t even know why I was so surprised. Maybe because coming from a more conservative country, I have always imagined western Europe to be the lighthouse of equality and inclusion. Of course, I knew that not everything was perfect there, but I guess I needed to believe such notions to build up my spirit and keep the hope for the better future of my own country. When my friends and I arrived, there were a few people gathered. I was a bit disappointed. I am not sure in whom though. After an hour or so, the crowd started to get relatively bigger and I was back in spirit. Then the speeches started. With my little Italian and the help of my friends, I understood a bit of what the speakers were talking about. Unfortunately, it turned out that the mayor of Rieti was opposed to such “Gay propaganda” that pride organizers were advocating for. He publicly denounced the event and declined to be the guest. After hearing this I felt like my presence was even more important. Such hatred in the top positions of government shows that the problem is far from solved. It also proves the importance of attending the pride. Homophobic sentiments that dominate politics perpetuate existing hatred toward the LGBTQ+ community. It puts us in an even more vulnerable position to harassment, assault, or murder. The statistics are loud and clear. Italy has the highest murder rate of transgender individuals in Europe.*1 “Along with Switzerland, it also remains the only country in Western Europe where gay couples still cannot get married or jointly adopt, and it stands at 35th out of 49 European and Central Asian countries on ILGA’s 2021 survey assessing the situation for the LGBT community.”*2 Transgender and non-binary individuals are the most marginalized and easy targets for such hatred. Sometimes they are even pushed away from the LGBTQ+ community since the usual narrative is dominated by part of the gay community who in the attempt to integrate into the society often neglects the importance of Transgender and non-binary individuals’ contribution in the struggle to end the oppression. We forget that by protecting the most marginalized we go so much closer to equality. Elitism in activism is something we should talk more about. Unless our fight includes lifting up the ones in the most need, we will never escape the oppression cycle. In all these questions and chaos in my mind after listening to the speakers highlighting the problems and the importance of having pride, I realized how much I could relate to all of it. I realized that even in the heart of Europe, people had to experience this much hatred because of their gender or sexual identities. It wasn’t new but it was disappointing. Now when I reflect on this issue, it all makes sense. Depending on the existence of our intersectional privileges, some of us have to carry a heavier burden, some of us lighter. It does not in any way diminish the worth of our personal experiences. It only acknowledges different circumstances that either help us or prevent us from facing certain issues. But no matter where you live or what kind of privilege you have, there is a common struggle that we all are part of. This is the struggle against white heteropatriarchy. This fight is not only for minorities but for all of us because the only way for our society to progress and flourish is if it values diversity, equality, and inclusiveness. I stopped at one place for a minute to observe people around me. I wanted to feel the moment and remember. One person standing alone with the pride flag in their hand. Children dancing around their parents with rainbow paints on their cheeks. Drag queen with a shiny dress proudly walking in the crowd. Lesbian couples with floral tiaras on their heads kissing each other. Some wearing black, some pink or purple. All the colors were there. All kinds of people were there. Gay, Bi, straight, or trans, it did not matter. What mattered was that we all were standing up for something. Something bigger than us. Nika Tatoshvili Resources: 1. https://www.euronews.com/2021/08/09/how-a-bill-to-fight-homophobia-has-polarised-italy-and-sparked-a-culture-war 2. https://www.euronews.com/2021/08/09/how-a-bill-to-fight-homophobia-has-polarised-italy-and-sparked-a-culture-war
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