In Turin a museum dedicated to the themes and history of homosexuality, the first of its kind in Italy. The request to the new mayor of Turin, Stefano Lo Russo, comes from Angelo Pezzana, founder in the 70s of the homosexual liberation movement Fuori !, and president of the Sandro Penna Fuori! Foundation. The open letter, also signed by the co-president Maurizio Gelatti, is also addressed to the president of the Piedmont Region, Alberto Cirio.
“We decide to write to you now for various reasons that will be immediately evident – underlines Pezzana – because in Turin there is a new administration (and soon a new council) that immediately declared itself attentive to culture and rights; because in Turin today an exhibition (which was a success both with the public and the media) dedicated to the fifty years of the Fuori! – the first Italian homosexual liberation movement – and finally because the Turin Book Fair closed on Monday, which hosted a LGBT space: not for the first time but, for the first time, wanted and supported jointly by the Region and the Municipality ” , writes Pezzana who was one of the founders of Fuori !.
“We read everywhere that Turin is considered the” capital of rights “in Italy and that it must rediscover its tourist vocation and intercept new flows of visitors and here we cannot fail to write to you, have our say and make ourselves available as every citizen and every town, within the bounds of its possibilities, should always do. Torino – we firmly believe – should host a museum of homosexuality. We do not say it lightly but with data in hand and for various reasons “.
A long list of reasons. The homosexual movement was born in Turin and is the “Capital of Rights”. The Foundation “which we preside owns and keeps one of the most important (we do not want to be arrogant) archives dedicated to the homosexual movement that we are ready to make available”. Similar experiences in the world dedicated to the history of homosexuality and homosexuals, such as the Schwules Museum in Berlin, according to Pezzana and Gelatti, are a great success.
In Turin, the only Italian city, there is the chair of “History of homosexuality”. “The museum, therefore, could count on the sure support of local universities – underline Pezzana and Gelatti – Because in a year, the general assembly of European Prides will take place in Turin and the main LGBT stakeholders of the world will arrive in the city with the possibility of to be able to illustrate the project to them and to obtain their support “.
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