June, time for the first warm weather, Birkenstocks finally on your feet and Pride Month. The LGBTQIA+ community's month of pride has officially begun, when lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual people take to the streets to remind everyone that they exist and to claim rights and protections that have too often been postponed.
Pride against intolerance
The celebrations and events that punctuate Pride month have not stopped even with the Covid-19 pandemic, and this year they promise to be everywhere until the autumn to rebel against a political climate of intolerance.
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According to the 2024 ILGA-Europe report, in fact, Italy ranks 35rd out of 49 European countries for gay rights. And after the failure of the Zan bill in 2021 and the advent of the most right-wing government in republican history, the rainbow community is ready to make itself heard, from north to south, all along the boot.
Capillary presence
Nearly 30 Pride events are scheduled to take place in major Italian cities in June. Others are yet to be confirmed, while some have already taken place between April and May. The Pride events will not only be limited to this month, but will also be held in July, August, September and October. In all, there are over 50 events to date.
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The most eagerly awaited events are obviously those in Milan and Rome, with the latter celebrating 30 years since the first parade. Among the other cities already announced, Terni, Modena and Isernia will host the pride for the first time.
A decade in crescendo
If until the 1910s Pride was held in the major Italian cities, in the last decade it has arrived almost everywhere in Italy, especially thanks to the creation, in 2013, of Onda Pride, a platform that brings together the various city and regional prides.
As a result of this coordination and a greater sensitivity of the new generations to the issues at the centre of the events, participation in these events has grown considerably, along with institutional involvement and the commitment of public figures. Alongside the traditional parades, cultural and artistic initiatives related to the claims of the LGBTQ+ community have also increased.
The recognition of civil unions in 2016 was an important step that influenced the tone of the events. Pride now celebrates the successes achieved but continues to call for further progress, such as egalitarian marriage and recognition of the rights of rainbow families.
Anti-system mainstream
Today Pride may have entered the mainstream by now, but it has lost neither its urgency nor its anti-system charge. “In Pride we see an alternative world, an alternative society, which is inclusive”, recalled Mario Colamarino, spokesperson for Roma Pride 2024 and president of the Mario Mieli circle. That is why it is important to be there, whether as part of the community or as simple allies.
Here, then, is where to find the Pride closest to you even if you do not live in Milan or Rome.
June
1 June: Perugia Umbria Pride, Taranto, Padua, Ferrara, Pavia, Savona
June 8: Liguria Pride Genoa, Syracuse
June 15: Bergamo, Catania, Rome, Turin
16 June: Verona
22 June: Marche Pride, Cosenza, Frosinone Lazio Pride, La Spezia, Lecco, Palermo, Varese, Vicenza
29 June: Cagliari Sardegna Pride, Milan, Naples, Ragusa
July
6 July: Bologna, Cremona, Lecce Salento Pride, Pescara Abruzzo Pride
13 July: Isernia Molise Pride, Belluno
August
4 August: Rimini Summer Pride
31 August: Lignano Pride
September
7 September: Brescia
16 September: Torre del Greco Vesuvio Pride
October
12 October: Aosta Pride
More news and updates on Pride dates can be found on the Onda Pride website or on Gay.it.
Illustration by Gloria Dozio - Acrimònia Studios
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