Tag Archives: Italy

The latest development: Barilla met Arcigay, Arcilesbica, Famiglie Arcobaleno, Gaynet and Equality Italia associations at the Regione Emilia-Romagna headquarters, where former Arcigay president and now regional councillor Franco Grillini has his office. Grillini told Gay Star News: “We spoke about the company’s policies and about the impact on the LGBT community worldwide. Mr Barilla apologized once again and told us …

(Tipped by JMG reader Lorelei)

“Yesterday I apologized for offending many people around the world. Today I am repeating that apology. Through my entire life I have always respected every person I’ve met, including gays and their families, without any distinction. I’ve never discriminated against anyone. I have heard the countless reactions around the world to my words, which have depressed and saddened me. It …

In case you missed it yesterday, here’s the back story.

Translation via Reddit: “To us, it doesn’t matter with whom you do it, it only matters that you do it al dente.” (Tipped by JMG reader Jake) UPDATE: Garofalo is denying having made the image. 

After threats of legal action from the Vatican, an art gallery in Rome has covered up its exhibit of photos depicting gay men kissing in Catholic churches. Pink News reports: The photography series by Gonzalo Orquin, had been due to open at the Galleria L’Opera beginning on Wednesday evening. The photographer said the gallery had received a legal notice from …

The above tweet translates as: “#homophobia #M5S Equal rights and dignity regardless of gender because a kiss and a hug do not have to be scary.” The Local explains: Five Star Movement (M5S) politicians staged a kissing protest in parliament during a debate on an anti-homophobia bill, calling for more rights for gay people. The bill was passed on Thursday …

As my pal Scott notes above, Skyy Vodka is sponsoring the Twitter hashtag #DumpRussianVodka. Skyy was founded in the US twenty years ago, but is now owned by Italy’s Gruppo Campari and is sold here through Campari America.

France’s NOM-backed anti-gay marriage group Manif Pour Tous, which is now run by a coalition of far-right violent extremists, some of whom call for a Catholic theocracy in France, is taking their campaign to Italy. Siamo lieti di comunicare che da oggi nasce La Manif pour Tous Italia con l’autorizzazione ed in stretto legame con La Manif pour Tous francese. …

The lower chamber of Italy’s national legislature is set to consider a bill that would make homophobic acts a criminal offense.   The bill was approved Monday by a parliamentary commission that included the votes of Prime Minister Enrico Letta’s center-left Democratic Party, former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s People of Freedom Party and the left-wing SEL party, ANSA reported. Critics of …

Italian police are investigating claims that a former policeman visited the area around a bar named Twink (seriously) to recruit rentboys for Catholic priests assigned to churches across Rome. Don Patrizio Poggi, 46, told Italian authorities that a former Carabinieri pimped boys for nine clergymen. Poggi, who served a five-year sentence for abusing teenage boys while he was a parish …

Clip description: “Italian DJ/Producer Marco Ricci aka WON teamed up with filmmaker Stefano Bellumat aka Joe Barba for the production of, “Face Simmetry.” This minimalist glitch techno video uses heroin addiction as a metaphor for the current financial crisis.” Well, it’s not boring.

Delicious. A day ahead of the papal conclave, faces at the scandal-struck Vatican were even redder than usual after it emerged that the Holy See had purchased a €23 million (£21 million) share of a Rome apartment block that houses Europe’s biggest gay sauna. The senior Vatican figure sweating the most due to the unlikely proximity of the gay Europa …

Reuters reports: Archbishop Georg Ganswein, Pope Benedict’s private secretary, who has been dubbed “Gorgeous George” by the Italian media, is now a real-life cover boy. The prelate has landed on the cover of Vanity Fair. The cover on the Italian edition of the magazine shows the 56-year-old archbishop smiling, his blue eyes beaming, above a headline that reads “Father Georg …

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who has a long track record of vile homophobic statements, has promised to support same-sex marriage if he is returned to power. LGBT groups, unsurprisingly, are skeptical. Via Gay Star News: Monday Berlusconi said: “I’m in favor of granting legal status to couples who live together, including gays, if there is a majority that …

The Italian island state of Sicily has elected a gay governor. Rosario Crocetta, an openly gay politician from the Italian Partito Democratico party, has become the first openly gay governor of Sicily. He won last Sunday’s election on the Italian island with more than 30% of the votes, winning over the right-wing PDL (Popolo delle Libertà), which has governed in …

You may recall that when Berlusconi was accused of patronizing underage prostitutes, he responded, “At least I’m not a homo.”