Debate
Thursday, 23 October, at 6 p.m., with a grand inaugural meeting entitled ‘Literature as a means of activism, activism recounted in literature’.
The protagonists of the debate will be Spanish trans senator Carla Antonelli, deputy mayor of Paris Jean Luc Romero, coordinator for LGBT+ Rights Policies of Rome Capital Marilena Grassadonia and activist Massimo Milani.
A comparison of experiences, visions, and personal stories to explore the power of words in changing society.
Carla Antonelli, born in Güímar (Tenerife) in 1959, is a Spanish actress, politician and long-standing LGBTQ+ rights activist. The first trans woman to be elected to a regional parliament in Spain, she was a member of the PSOE and is now a senator with Más Madrid. Always at the forefront of the “Ley Trans” and the defence of civil rights, she contributed to the passing of the 2007 gender identity law. She is also the author and protagonist of the documentary “El viaje de Carla” and her memoir “La mujer volcán”. An international figurehead, she continues to represent the freedom, visibility and dignity of transgender people.
Jean-Luc Romero-Michel is a French politician, writer and activist born in Béthune in 1959. He is deputy mayor of Paris and regional councillor for Île-de-France, known for his commitment to LGBTQ+ rights and the fight against HIV, which he spoke openly about in his book Virus de Vie, becoming the first French politician to declare himself HIV-positive. Founder of Élus Locaux Contre le Sida and president of ADMD-France, he fights for the right to euthanasia and for a more inclusive society. Author of several essays, he is considered one of the most visible figures in contemporary European activism.
Massimo Milani is one of the historical figures of Italian LGBTQ+ activism and one of the founders of the first Arcigay club, established in Palermo in the 1980s together with his life partner Gino Campanella. An actress, performer and transgender activist, Milani is known for her constant commitment to the fight for civil rights and against all forms of discrimination. Together with Campanella, she opened “Il Neo” in 1989, the city’s first gay club, which became a symbol of freedom and inclusion. The two were symbolically married in 1992 in front of Palermo City Hall, a gesture that marked the history of the Italian LGBTQ+ movement. Milani continues to be an authoritative and passionate voice for the visibility and self-determination of trans and queer people.
Marilena Grassadonia, born in Palermo in 1970 and resident in Rome, is a lesbian activist, engineer and mother of three children. She is the coordinator of the LGBT+ Rights Office of Rome Capital, a position conferred on her by Mayor Roberto Gualtieri, where she works to ensure inclusion, protection and equal opportunities for the LGBTQ+ community. Former president of the Famiglie Arcobaleno association, she has fought for the legal recognition of same-sex families in Italy. She is a member of the national secretariat of Sinistra Italiana and is responsible for the party’s “Rights and Freedoms” policy. Her work is marked by a constant commitment to combining civil policies, education and social rights.
