National LGBT group Arcigay held a number of events across the county. In Palmero a lecture was held at the City University on discrimination in the LGBT community. In Vincenza, the local branch held a public event aimed at addressing discrimination, stigma and marginalisation.

The group also used the day to launch its annual report on LGBT-phobias. The report highlights the difficult situation facing the Italian LGBT community, largely caused by the mixed legislation that allows same-sex marriage but fails to provide adequate protection against discrimination and hate crimes.

Italian Christians also marked the day, for the tenth consecutive year, with a number of vigils and public worships held in sites across the country.

In Palermo, arcigay organises a lecture at the city University

For the 10th consecutive year,  a vigil against homophobia will be held by Christian groups

In Vincenza, local LGBT group Arcigay will host an event at the Piazza Delle Erbe. The event will be open to the public and hopes to address issues facing the local LGBT population, including discrimination, stigma and marginalisation.

For more information please follow us on Facebook for regular news updates. 

As the years before, the Progetto Gionata, together with LGBT Christian Groups coordinated the IDAHOT Vigils around the world. The organisation is based in Italy and there were Prayer Vigils across the country in many various places. This year’s biblical verse is Psalm 139, 14 “I praise you because I am awesomely made, wonderfully; your works are wonders. My soul knows it very well” This psalm marked the vigils and the prayer services commemorating IDAHOT around the world.

Locations for vigils in Italy included:

May 10: Grosseto, hosted by “Centro di Cultura Protestante Rosa Parks” and “Arcigay Leonardo da Vinci”
May 13: Parma, hosted by Methodist Church of Parma and AGEDO Parma
May 14: Catholic Church de Gesù and City Plaza Palermo, hosted by a group of churches and religious organisations
May 15: Catholic Parish of Beverara in Bologna, hosted by Noi Siamo Chiesa Emilia-Romagn
May 16: Methodist Church in Trieste, hosted by Progetto Ruah, Chiesa Metodista di Trieste and Federazione Giovanile Evangelica in Italia
May 16: Torrazzeta (Pavia)
May 17:

• Waldensian and Anglican Church in Florence
• Waldensian Communities in Milan, Turin and Venice
• Catholic Parish of Buona Morte in Catania
• Naples
• Pinerolo
• LGBT Catholic Parish Vicofaro in Pistoia
• Rimini
• Rome
• Pescara
• Padova

May 20: Genova and Florence
May 26: Genova
May 28: Milan
June 5: Catholic Parish of San Bartolomeo in Crema

Find more details about the vigils here or on their website.

In Rome, the Gay Centre organised for IDAHOT celebrations on May 17. The event took place on Piazza del Pantheon in the heart of the city.

Find out more about the event on their page or visit the organisers here.

In Milan, the group ICONS Calcio organised the Diversity Cup 2015 (5 vs 5 Tournament). With the Cup they tackled discrimination of all kind, with special focus on LGBT discrimination. With this event they sent the clear message of saying YES to solidarity in sports and NO to discrimination.

Follow the updates on the event page.

Le Cose Cambiano, the Italian affiliate of the global It Gets Better project, in cooperation with college students of Progetto Prisma, as well as other LGBT-friendly associations (like Amnesty International), staged a flashmob in the streets of Bologna for IDAHOT as part fo the campaign ‪#‎unamicoinpiù‬.

The groups also came together on May 19 for a discussion on LGBT representation. For more details follow them on Facebook.

During the EXPO 2015 in Milan,members of the LGBTQ community organised a info booth in the Civil Society Pavillon from May 11 – 17 to speak about LGBTQ Rights. The week was filled with events and the theme of them, in coherence with the EXPO’s topic is IL CORAGGIO VIEN MANGIANDO COMING-OUT A TAVOLA. The event was coordinated by AGEDO Nazionale.

The group ArchiLesbica and their affiliates organised activities in and around the IDAHOT in Bari, Bergamo, Bologna, Ferrara, Milan, Naples, Novara, Padova, Perugia, Pisa, Roma, Trento and Udine. Find all the details here.

In Rome, the group Sportivamente Lesbica organised their “Race for the Cure” around the Circolo Massimo in support of the fight against breast cancer, which was supported by around 60,000 people. They linked the event to IDAHOT.

In Bologna, the Cassero LGBT Center established an inclusive area where anybody could show their own support in the struggle against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia. In order to bring colour to the city in a positive and purposeful way, “Il Cassero” and other associations gathered at “Santo Stefano” square with info points, games, music and other activities.

You can find more details about the event on Facebook.

More details at https://www.facebook.com/events/1456392454614856/

Italy was witness to one of the strongest mobilisations for IDAHOT 2014, in Europe and worldwide. Actions took place in at least 15 cities, and countless topics and communities were the focus of activities around May 17 this year. Progressive voices of faith and individuals joined in prayer, reflection and remembrance in 14 towns and cities, as part of a Global Interfaith Prayer Initiative for IDAHOT 2014. The project ‘ddl405′ launched a video and public call for anti-transphobia and anti-intersexphobia messages to support their campaign. In the north of Italy a local youth organisation brought more than 500 people together to hug a UNESCO monument, amongst many other events.

Global Interfaith Prayer Initiative

For many years now, the Global Interfaith Prayer Initiative, organised from Italy by Gionata, an Italian Project addressing Faith and Homosexuality, and with the support of the European Forum of LGBT Christian Groups, has taken place throughout the period around May 17 in various cities in Italy, and other countries. The focus of the vigil is to commemorate the victims of homophobic violence and discrimination. At the same time, organisers and participants also stand up and speak out against prejudice within the Church. The events were organised by local churches and groups, and took place in the following cities in Italy this year:

May 12: Bologna
May 15: Florence and Palermo
May 16: Padova, Parma, Pistoia and Rome
May 17: Borgo Priolo, Catania, Forano Sabino, Licata, Mantova, Pecara, Pinerolo, Rome, Torino and Trieste
May 18: Rome, Florence, Grosseto, Licata, Milan, Naples, Padova, Rimini and Trapani
May 20: Genova
May 22: Milan

The vigils and commemorations are set to continue in Italy until June 13 and will include Palermo, Livorno and Cremona.

Campaign ddl405

On the occasion of the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, the project ddl405 has launched their campaign video for the draft bill DDL405 to put forward to the Parliament. The bill would protect the rights of Italian transgender and intersex people, making a series of changes to the current legal framework.

The claims are to
– stop forced surgery for transgender people to enable them to legally change their name and gender;
– ease off the bureaucracy and relieve the expenses of transition;
– prevent the unconstitutional annulment of marriage in case one of the spouses changes their legal gender;
– end mutilating surgeries on intersex infants.

You can watch the ddl405 campaign video here (launched May 15):

The initiative also invited people to send in their message against Transphobia and Intersexphobia with a picture which was then published on their Facebook page.

Here is a message from Francesca Cellini, a candidate for city council in Bagno a Ripoli:

Francesca Cellini, local Italian politician, leaves her IDAHOT 2014 message.

You can find out more about the campaign on their blog and you can sign the petition here.

Free Expression Zone Bologna!

On May 17, the Cassero LGBT Center in Bologna together with ArciLesbica Bologna and other groups declared a Free Expression Zone on the Piazza dei Celestini in Bologna and later on they also took action in via d’Azeglio and Piazza del Nettuno. The public space was created into a space free from violence and racism, where all identities can be expressed. The space was created together with other civic associations active in the field of LGBT or other social justice questions. The space was occupied with workshops, small events, information tables, and activities from morning to evening.

You can find out more about the Center on their website and on Facebook page.

Casa Delle Donne di Milano

On May 18, the Casa delle Donne di Milano organised a conference with presentations and a discussion on the struggles and violence LBT women face, and on good practice to combat homophobia. They also talked about social constructions and the self-image of teenagers. Eva Schwarzwald addressed gender stereotypes and specifically body images; Helen Ibry, an anthropologist, gave a tour of Europe in twenty minutes with numeric data, legislative proposals and political situations of countries; and Milena Cannavacciuolo spoke about popular culture.

Presentation at Casa Delle Donne di Milano

Hug-In in Vicenza

Organised by the local Youth organisation Arcigay, Vicenza (Northern Italy) hosted a big ‘hug’ against homophobia, biphobia and transphobia. More than 500 people gathered to hug the Palladian Basilica, a UNESCO monument.

Source: Arcigay Vicenza

Flashmob Venice

The Collettivo Stonewall Venezia LGBTIQueer organised a flashmob against Homophobia on Campo Santa Margherita, Venice. The flashmob was aimed at sparking discussion and increasing public awareness, by participants wearing a mask of Putin in the streets while homophobic insults were shouted and stories told about the impact of homophobic violence. To provide more details they also distributed flyers.

Source: Collettivo Stonewall Venezia LGBTIQ

LGBT Training in Torino

On occasion of the IDAHOT 2014, the LGBT Office of the city of Torino carried out training sessions about gender identity and sexual orientation, as part of a national strategy to sensibilize state officials and police forces.

This year is particularly important for our LGBT Office as the City of Torino, as national Secretariat of RE.A.D.Y, the Italian Rainbow Cities, Provinces and Regions, has been assigned by the national Government the meaningful task of translating in concrete actions the objectives and measures of the national LGBT Strategy.

Top level trainings on LGBT topics have already been carried out for the national Police and Arma dei Carabinieri high rank officials in April 2014 while other top level trainings are going to be hold for CEO belonging to the Minister of Labour and Regions.

Locally, the LGBT Office held its first LGBT training in the jail of Ivrea, a city nearby Torino, on gender identity and sexual orientation in detention. The session addressed police officers, psychologists and social assistants of the Penitentiary Police working in the LGBT section of the prison of Ivrea. LGBT transsexual/transgender persons are likely to experience a double suffering in detention: restrictions of freedom, and restrictions in specific areas of prisons. “Our training focused on sexual identity, applicable law, good practice for the management of transsexual/transgender and homosexual persons in jail aiming at their social and professional reintegration in society,” the organisers explained.

Further details about the national strategy are available here.

Photo: Christmas Lights in Rome 2013 in rainbow colours in solidarity with LGBT people. Source

Free Expression Zone in Bologna

On May 17, there will be a Free Expression Zone in Piazza dei Celestini, Bologna, starting at 10:00am.
The event is organised by the LGBT Centre Cassero and its volunteers group named PeopAll

The FEZ is supported by following associations: Arcilesbica Bologna, Agedo, MIT, Famiglie Arcobaleno, BUGS SPORT, KOMOS, Hamelin, SISM, SDU, UniLgbtq, MigraBo LGBT, Amnesty International, Igor and Terra di Nettuno that represent the LGBT community of Bologna and the students associations and the partners in the field of human rights.

All day long, the participants will interact with people passing by to raise awareness about homophobia and transphobia. But there will also be some fun moments like animation for kids, a gay chorus singing, a sport demonstration and a live painting.

You can find out more about the event and the organisers on the Cassero LGBT Centre website or on Facebook.

Case della Donne di Milano

On the weekend of the IDAHOT, Casa delle Donne di Milano will host a meeting with women to reflect and share thoughts, experiences and good practices. There will be an intersectional approach, trying to address different levels andforms of discrimination lesbian, bisexual and trans women face.
Speakers will be:
– Milena Cannavacciuolo: responsible for sito www.lezpop.it
– Helen Ibry: Antropologist and President of Arcilesbica Zami
– Eva Schwarzwald: Progetto Rainbow – Rights Against Intolerance: Building an Open-minded World
For more information, please visit their Facebook page or website.

Vigils against Homophobia and Transphobia
These prayer vigils against homophobia are promoted in Italy by Gionata, the Italian Commission on Faith and homosexuality and in Europe with the support of the European Forum of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Christian Groups.
For further information on this ecumenical initiative, go to inveglia.wordpress.com or gionata.org or write to gionatanews@gmail.com

THURSDAY MAY 15
FLORENCE (Italy). Ecumenical prayer vigil in remembrance of victims of homophobia and transphobia. Madonna della Tosse Parish Church, Largo Adone Zoli 1 at 9pm. Prayers to stop homophobic violence and build spaces in our society and in our churches that unconditionally welcoming Others. This vigil has been organized by the Kairos Group Christians GLBT of Florence along with other Christian communities and associations of good will.
PALERMO (Italy). Vigil to overcome homophobia and transphobia at 8:30pm. Starting at Waldensian Church in via Spezio no. 45, followed by candlelight walk to Catholic parish of SS. Pietro e Paolo in via Bentivegna 62.
Organized by: Ali d’aquila – LGBT Christians of Palermo; Community of San Francesco Saverio; Catholic parish of S. Gabriele Arcangelo; Laici Missionari Comboniani ; Waldensian Church of Via Spezio, Palermo ; Waldensian Church of Trapani & Marsala; Lutheran Church ; Kairòs Community ; Parish of SS. Pietro e Paolo.

FRIDAY MAY 16
PADUA (Italy). Prayer vigil in remembrance of victims of homophobia at 8.45pm in Santa Caterina d’Alessandri Church, Via Cesare Battisti 245. Organized by ‘Emmanuele’ gay Christian group of Padua.
PARMA (Italy). Prayer vigil in remembrance of victims of homophobia, Methodist Church of Parma, in Borgo Giacomo Tommasini corner of Borgo Riccio at7:00pm. Organized by Methodist Community of Parma with the help of a group of gay Christians.
ROME (Italy). Prayer vigil in memory of victims of homophobia and transphobia at 7:30pm in piazza SS. Apostoli (in front of the Basilica dei SS. Apostoli). Organized by groups of Christians LGBT: Nuova Proposta, La Sorgente and REFO.

SATURDAY MAY 17
BORGO PRIOLO (Pavia – Italy). Prayer vigil in remembrance of victims of homophobia organized by La Fonte Group of Milan at the OASI ROSA MISTICA Center in Località Torrazzetta, Borgo Priolo (Province of Pavia).
CATANIA (Italy). Ecumenical prayer vigil for victims of homophobia at 9:00 pm in the SS. Crocifisso della Buona Morte Catholic parish chruch in Piazza Falcone.
Organized by gay Christian group Fratelli dell’Elpis and parish community of SS. Crocifisso.
PINEROLO (Turin – Italy). Prayer vigil or victims of homophobia and transphobia at 5:00pm at ARCI in Stradale Baudenasca 17. Organized by La Scala di Giacobbe group of Pinerolo.
ROME (Italy). To mark the International Day against Homophobia, Prayer Service at 5:00pm & Concert at 8:00pm at the Waldensian Church in Piazza Cavour 32.
TURIN (Italy).Sunday worship service to commemorate the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia. At 6.30pm in the Waldensian Temple located in corso Principe Oddone 7. The Waldensian church and the via Passalacqua Baptist church will be meeting together at the corso Principe Oddone 7 church to celebrate the service together.
TRIESTE (Italy). Prayer Vigil for victims of homophobia, Methodist Church in Scala dei Giganti, 1 (near piazza Goldoni) in Trieste. At 7:30pm doors open for welcoming and at 8:30pm beginning of prayer vigil. Organized by Progetto Ruah of Trieste.

SUNDAY MAY 18
FLORENCE (Italy): Interdenominational Sunday worship service for victims of homophobia and transphobia hosted by Waldensians and Old Catholics at the Waldensian Church of Florence at 10.30am in via Micheli corner of via Lamarmora.
Organized by ecumenical group “Fiumi d’Acqua Viva – pace, giustizia e salvaguardia del Creato” and with the participation of Kairos Catholic group.
GROSSETO (Italy). Sunday morning worship service in remembrance of victims of homophobia and transphobia at 11.00am in Grosseto Baptist Church di in via Piave 17. Organized by Claudia Angeletti
MILAN (Italy). Sunday morning worship service in observance of the International Day against Homophobia at 10.45am in the Waldensian Church of Milan on Via Francesco Sforza 12/a. Pastor Dorothee Mack. Organized by the Varco-Refo Group Milan.
NAPLES (Italy). Vigil in memory of victims of homophobia at 6:00pm in Waldensian Temple on via Duomo 275 at the corner of via dei Cimbri. Organized by gay Christian group Ponti Sospesi along with other communities, associations and Christian groups in the city.
PADUA (Italy). Sunday workshop service “There is no fear in love” (1 John 4:18) to mark the International Day against Homophobia at 11:00 in the Methodist Church of Padua in Corso Milano 6.

TUESDAY MAY 20
GENOA (Italy). Prayer vigil for victims of HomoTransphobia at 6:30pm at the catholic parish of San Benedetto al Porto in via San Benedetto. Organized by Bethel group of LGBT believers in Liguria.

THURSDAY MAY 22
MILAN (Italy). Prayer vigil for victims of HomoTransphobia at 9:00pm at the San Gabriele Church in Via Termopili (MM1 Pasteur). Organized by Il Guado group.

FRIDAY JUNE 6
CREMONA (Italy). Vigil for victims of discrimination at S. Gerolamo Catholic Church in Piazza Duomo at 9pm. Organized by Querce di Mamre group, which is a Diocese ministry group for gay people

A Sunday worship service will also be held in LIVORNO (Italy). Day and time to be announced.

This will be the 8th annual edition of the initiative which, in just a few years, has blossomed into a truly international demonstration of solidarity, and has become a key feature of the global May 17th commemorations. People of faith from all different religions, spiritualities and denominations are welcomed to join the call, by holding vigils or other services, joining in prayer or other ritual observance.

A statement announcing the call from Gionata group now follows:

Also this year, during the week before the 17th of May – the International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia (IDAHOT) – many vigils of prayer will take place in several Italian cities, European and South American countries to remember the victims of homophobia.

The project involves an increasing number of groups of homosexual believers, Christian communities (Catholic, Waldensian and Baptist), many organizations and ecclesiastical groups from several Italian cities. The relationships between homosexual believers and Christian communities have thus strengthened and deepened, producing positive results.

In 2007, 13 groups answered the call, while last year in Italy 22 vigils were organised. For the first time, the ecumenical vigils for the victims of homophobia also took place in Spain (in Madrid, Bilbao, Murcia, Valencia, Ciudad Real and La Coruna), in some South American cities and in Munich (Germany).

It’s also important to realize that something is changing in the Catholic Church: for the first time, in 2010, in 6 Italian cities, vigils were held in Catholic parish churches – and among these, in the parish church of Cremona where the bishop, Dante Lanfranconi, attended the celebration and read his homily.

As Italy is a close-minded country about homosexuality, sometimes and in particular at the beginning, it seemed impossible to find a church or a community for a public vigil.

The experience of these years has been positive, and it has displayed that you don’t have to stop knocking at the door, even if at first only few people open it.

Do you remember the bothersome friend the Holy Writ talks about? All you need is a bit of patience and goodwill, bearing always in mind that you don’t want to persuade others or take over the world, but only try to share your hope.

If we did it, others may, too! So, this year again we manage to get together in prayer in our city, in a small or big group and in any case it will be a great result – we will try to display that the Church doesn’t leave out the homosexual Christians of our city.

In spite of all, the Church, or better, the Churches are present, and it is important to remember that God says “don’t call anyone impure or unclean”. [Acts 10:28]

As the organizers say, “If you join us in prayer, the hope sign will be stronger and more meaningful, and we’ll be able to lay firm foundations for a different future when gays and lesbians will be heartily welcome in churches”.

The vigils of prayer to remember the victims of homophobia will be organized in Italy with the support of Gionata, the Italian Project on Faith and Homosexuality, and in Europe with the support of the European Forum of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Christian Groups.

The volunteers of Progetto Gionata

THE SIGN> The verse vigils of prayer to remember the victims of Homophobia & Transphobia

• Year 2014> will be announced on March 1, 2014
• Year 2013> 1 John 4:18 – There is no fear in love!
• Year 2012> 1 John 2:9 – Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness
• Year 2011> Acts 10:28 – God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean
• Year 2010> Romans 8:35 – Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
• Year 2009> John 4:18 – There is no fear in love
• Year 2008> Martin Luther King – I have a dream
• Year 2007> 2 Corinthians 5:17 – the old things are passed away; behold, they are become new

For more information see the Gionata website, or email the team via: gionatanews@gmail.com

In front of such gratuitous violence against homosexuals, and considering the ear-piercing silence of the world; as Christians coming from different confessions and progress of faith, we believe that it is in our duty to give some concrete answer, obviously, we won’t keep silent.

That is why on May 17th we will meet together in several cities of Italy (Rome, Florence, Milan, Naples, Palermo, …) to hold many vigils of prayer to remember the victims of homophobia and to smash in, through our testimony, the wall of silence and embarrassment that usually prevails in our churches and our society about this heavy problem.

On May 17th Catholics, Old Catholics, Methodists, Baptists, etc…: we will meet together in our churches, in our communities, in our houses to launch a yell of hope, in order that all these things come to an end. In this spirit we invite all believers to start vigils of prayer in their communities as a signal of hope.

On May 17th , you too may organize a vigil together with your friends, your group of believers, your family, your community, in your church or house a vigil on the 17 of May in order to share this hope with the others. It is up to you, as Christians, to decide whether it is time to break your silence or not.

The IDAHO Committee invites “all progressive religious voices to use the Day to take whatever action they feel appropriate. We invite all to share information about their plans, so we can share this with the rest of the world and connect like-minded people together, create more momentum, and show the world how vibrant and diverse we are”.

The vigils of prayer to remember the victims of homophobia will be organized in Italy with the support of Gionata, the Italian Project on Faith and Homosexuality, and in Europe with the support of the European Forum of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Christian Groups and the IDAHO committee team.

A English language guide-text for the vigils, which may be of inspiration to others, can be downloaded from: Vigil for the remembrance of the victims of homophobia (file pdf).

More information can also be found (in Italian) at the Gionata site.

For further information on the IDAHO Global Prayer Initiative in general, please contact Zara via contact@dayagainsthomophobia.org.