In the United States, LGBT+ rights have been progressing recently with the legalization of same-sex marriage and states expanding their laws in protection of transgender Americans. In Italy however, this is not the case. There is little to no protection for LGBT+ Italians and while there seems to be less violence towards the LGBT+ community here, they are still not recognized under Italian laws.

Although there is a lack of space for LGBT+ groups in Italy, some organizations, like IREOS (an LGBT+ activist organization) and Full Up (a nightclub in Florence) host LGBT+ nights. These places are few and far between but do exist. To get a closer look into the politics and social issues, I interviewed an activist from IREOS, Francesco Papani, about what it is like as an LGBT+ individual in Italy.

Where are you from/what is your background?

I am from Florence, Italy. I've been living here since I was born, I come from a middle-class family and I've been studying foreign languages at the university for some years, after studying humanities at high school.

Do you identify as LGBT+? And if so, how do you identify?

I am definitely a LGBT+ and I identify myself as gay, though I do not like labels.

What is your role in IREOS? And what kinds of activism does IREOS participate in?

I've been a volunteer for more than one year. I usually help our association in organizing events and meetings, but I'm also involved in our HIV testing service.

As an activist, what do you see as being the biggest obstacle against LGBT+ rights in Italy?

There are several problems linked to this issue. Italy lags behind EU and US states primarily due to the lack of will of governments and politicians to grant full rights. Moreover, I also consider a big obstacle the lack of interest of many common people about this theme and the fact that Italy is not a secular country, although our Constitution states the reverse. In other words, lots of people are really biased and homophobic here in Italy because our society is extremely closed-minded.

In the US, many high schools have clubs called Gay Straight Alliances which create a safe space for LGBT+ youth. Are there clubs/groups in public education (high schools specifically) that support LGBT+ teens?

Unfortunately there aren't. There are some in universities and colleges, but they do lack in high schools where it is necessary to be supportive and to help teenagers. As far as I know, rarely are some activities or counseling services organized in high schools in order to stamp out hate, homophobia and transphobia.

In your lifetime, if you could see one thing change in the culture or legal system of Italy, what would that be? (for example; marriage equality, transgender rights, etc...)

I think that cultural and legal systems are on a par, I mean that they change at the same peace. First of all I wish people weren't discriminated against for being LGBT or weren't stigmatized for being HIV positive. Then, I believe that it is paramount to grant same rights like civil partnerships, marriage equality or the right to adopt.

How do you and other activists tackle the obstacle of lack of interest? Is Italian culture influenced by international media such as American movies in a way that could evoke change?

Our association runs some counseling services and organizes public activities to be noticed, moreover IREOS organizes the "Florence Queer Festival" where LGBT-themed films are shown, so I believe that cinema and books both from U.S and EU play an important role, but some political solutions should be found to broaden the knowledge about LGBT world.

Do you think campaigns that have been effective or popular in the US (such as, "It Gets Better") would be effective in Italy?

I suppose so, provided that this kind of campaign is supported by all associations here in Italy, in other words, these campaigns can succeed only if they are nation-wide as it happened in the U.S.

Is there adequate healthcare for those who are HIV positive? Or does the stigma surrounding HIV affect the level of care people receive?

Not quite, in fact although people can get tested in hospitals or at our office freely, people know little about HIV and STDs. As a result, peoples' fear of these diseases can only fuel the spread of prejudices against HIV-positive people, which we should remember, are also straight people.

What words of advice would you like to leave for LGBT+ youth who are reading this interview?

I would tell them to be always themselves and to act in order to improve their conditions, no matter how difficult it could be, in fact groups and associations, which can help them, exist.

Thank you to Francesco for all of the work you do as an activist in Florence, and for taking the time to be interviewed.