Rene Moraida
Dr. Angela Oberer
Humanities 295
Italian Life and Culture
10 March 2010

Being Gay in Conservative Italy: Examining Italy’s LGBT History and Current Affairs

“I’m gay.” This simple, honest, and direct phrase was how television host and comedian Ellen DeGeneres came out to the world her 1997 primetime television show Ellen, announcing she was a lesbian, later to be followed by a front cover of People magazine. I remember my own coming out when I was about 17-years-old. My mother had read an email I left open to an online boyfriend I had. He lived in Michigan, I was in Texas, it was naïve, innocent, and my recognition and admission I was a homosexual. My mother sent me to a Roman Catholic priest to try to “cure me” and thus began my initial disdain and bitterness to a church that I had grown up in and went to school in throughout my adolescence. You can’t change who you are, who you were born, and living an open and honest life has been a mantra I try to follow. I was open about my sexuality while I was in the military and just a year ago was in the fight for LGBT marriage equality rights in California. Thus, coming to a country that plays host to the conservative Catholic Church and pope was intriguing and the GLBT struggle was an aspect of Italian society that greatly interests me. There are many stereotypes and preconceived notions about what it means to be gay and live in Italy, as well as many questions. Can gays marry in Italy? Where do gay people go for fun in Italy if it is so conservative? How much influence does the papacy have in Italian politics and does the Pope clash with gay rights groups? Is it safe to be out about your sexuality in Italy? By briefly examining homosexuality in Italy, one can see its presence dates as far back as the Roman Empire and up to present-day, the struggle for gay rights continues in a country celebrated throughout the world for its culture and history.

If one looks back to the Roman Empire, there is evidence that male homosexuality was a part of everyday life, widely practiced, and accepted. Richard Hoffman, a professor of history at San Francisco State University, offers a scholarly peer review on a book by Craig Williams titled Roman Homosexuality: Ideologies of Masculinity in Classical Antiquity, in which he explores sexuality in ancient Rome. “William contends that Roman tradition persistently accommodated and provided socially acceptable contexts for male homosexual activity. Furthermore, as part of this sexual tradition, a man’s image as a Roman male was unconnected with the gender if his partner” (Hoffman). Indeed an entire paper can be written alone on the complexities and examples of homosexuality in ancient Rome, it is clear though that it existed.

Present-day Italian gay politics are as complex, with conservative views from the Church in one direction, and gay rights groups demanding action from another direction. The Roman Catholic Church is headquartered in Vatican City near Rome, and church teaching and dogma has often not been welcoming to homosexuals or in support of GLBT causes. In 1998, there were clashes in Rome between Gay Pride events occurring at the same time as church Jubilee events. The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, pointed out in a 1998 news release, that some Italians had taken to extreme measures to point out double-standards in the Church:
The recent murder of a closeted gay man who was also a "gentleman" of the Vatican called attention to the hypocrisy of the Church in condemning homosexuality and in campaigning against gay and lesbian equality in societies around the world. The situation was still more dramatically highlighted in January 1998 by the suicide of a gay man who burned himself to death in St. Peter's Square to protest officially sponsored intolerance. (“Italy: Rome Authorities”)

Earlier, in 2005, Pope Benedict XVI caused a stir when he publicly spoke out against same-sex marriage, at a time when gay marriage was gaining momentum in Spain. The Pope said gay marriage was as an example of an ''anarchic freedom which falsely tries to pass itself off as the true liberation of man” (Fisher). Thus, when it comes to social justice issues, there is little common ground between the papacy and gay rights groups. It can be argued that the Pope’s condemnation of gay hopes and aspirations, may legitimize discrimination in the eyes of Italy’s Catholics, and in some cases, Italians take it further.

While Italy is a relatively safe country for tourists, there has been documentation of violence against LGBT people. The United States Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor publishes an annual human rights report, taking a in-depth look at countries around the world and the government’s practices and respect for basic human rights. For Italy, the report concluded, “There were reports of societal discrimination based on sexual orientation. On September 15, an NGO reported that unknown persons painted swastikas and graffiti saying "gays in ovens" in a Rome neighborhood popular with gays. On July 7, a gay couple was insulted and beaten by a group of youths near Naples. On July 12, a court ordered the ministries of Transportation and Defense to pay 100,000 euros (approximately $140,000) in compensation for having requested the revocation of a person's driver's license based on his sexual orientation.” (“Human Rights”). The report however, did not find their was discrimination for people living with the HIV/AIDS virus.

The State Department report was filed in 2008, and while the incidents may appear isolated, a 2009 report by human rights organization Amnesty International, concluded that “homosexual attacks are on the rise in Italy” (“Amnesty International”) The report cited three separate attacks in Rome in August and September of 2009, among them a stabbing of a gay couple observed kissing and an arson attack on a night club. Amnesty International noted the Italian government and authorities should do more to stem anti-gay violence and behavior, saying:
Amnesty International calls on the Italian authorities to ensure that crimes targeting individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity are effectively investigated and that anyone reasonably identified as responsible to be brought to justice. The Italian authorities should also place greater emphasis on combating homophobic attitudes and ensuring greater security for lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender people. (“Amnesty International”)

While there are many external governments and international organizations that monitor human rights in Italy, the main gay rights organization in Italy is known as Arcigay. The organization has been a presence in Italy since 1985 and according to its website, maintains local offices in 41 provinces in Italy, including one in Florence, and its national headquarters in Bologna. The stated missions of Arcigay is “to combat homophobia, heterosexism, prejudice and anti-gay discrimination. It is committed to achieving equal status and equal opportunities among all individuals regardless of sexual orientation, and aims to reinforce a full, free and happy life for gay people” (Arcigay). Specifically, one initiative is working towards legal recognition of same-sex partnerships in Italy. Currently gay or same-sex marriage, as well as gay adoption, are not legal in Italy. One noteworthy and positive aspect of Arcigay’s work, is its colloboration and partnership with the Italian Health Ministry on HIV and AIDS education.

Threats of violence, a conservative government, and lack of social progress for gays, has not deterred GLBT travelers from visiting Italy in large numbers, not only to explore the historic sites, but to explore the gay life as well. Specifically in the city of Florence, the gay scene, while small in comparison to larger metropolitan cities, exists and is firmly established. Travel guides, websites, and a quick Google search will bring up lists of bars, discos, gay-owned or gay-friendly hotels, and even more seedy places like bath houses. Among the establishments include gay bars near Santa Croce called Piccolo Café and YAG bar, which is gay spelled backwards, as well as a famous dance club disco called Tabasco located near the Piazza del Signoria. Florence also hosts a yearly Queer Film Festival in November and December, that focuses on GLBT themes in cinema.

The gay historical and cultural side of Italy is long, complex, and ever changing. Italy is a mix of old and modern, not only in its architecture and fashion, but in its ways of thinking. Social attitudes and wider acceptance of LGBT people may improve in coming years. With alarming trends of increased violence against gay people, a conservative pope at the helm in the Vatican, it is clear that it will take grassroots efforts from groups like Arcigay and Amnesty International, to pressure Italy to change, or at the very least, to become more tolerant. Worldwide, the struggle for equal rights for gay people marches on, in America, in Africa, and even here, in modern Western Europe and the country of Italy. For a more in-depth look at gay history in Italy, laws and homophobia, and a list of gay tourist events, visit www.gayfriendlyitaly.com


Works Cited
“Arcigay in English” Arcigay Associazione Gay e Lesbica Italiana. 6 May 2006. Web. 9 Mar. 2010
“Homophobic Attacks on the Rise in Italy” Amnesty International. 3 Sept. 2009. Web. 9 Mar. 2010
Ian Fisher, (NYT). "World Briefing | Europe: Italy: Pope Condemns Gay Marriage As 'Anarchic'." New York Times 07 June 2005: 10. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 9 Mar. 2010.
“Italy: Rome Authorities Restrict Basic Liberties of Transsexuals, Bisexuals, Lesbians, And Gays” International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission. 1 Mar. 1998. Web. 9 Mar. 2010.
Hoffman, Richard J. "Roman Homosexuality (Book)." Journal of the History of Sexuality 9.4 (2000): 535. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 10 Mar. 2010.
United States. Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. 2008 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Washington: GPO, 2009. Print.