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By Oli Vorster
THE SOCIAL ARTIFACTS OF PRIDE
"Human-made objects that contain information about the society from which they come. They are reminders and triggers. Their values is their capacity to reshape and have impact on perceptions, meaning making, beliefs, actions, and institutions. They are often used in specific rituals, such as the ritual of Pride."
-IGI GLOBAL & CUNY UNIVERSITY
"LA RIVOLTA PRIDE BOLOGNESE" - MAKING MEANING OUT OF REVOLUTION
Bolognese Flag
PRIDE 2019
""THE 2021 REVOLT OF PRIDE: WE ARE THE PARTISANS OF LIBERTY"
Video Credits - Fanpage.it
TRANSLATED QUOTES FROM ACTIVISTS
Bolognese Flag
 “BECAUSE THE REVOLUTION IS NOT A BAD THING, IT IS NOT A VIOLENT THING. THE REVOLUTION IS USED TO OVERTURN THE STATUS QUO, WE MUST OVERTURN THE CURRENT STRUCTURES. WE MUST REAPPROPRIATE THEM, WE MUST RECREATE THEM ANEW.” |  “THE REVOLT IS FOR CERTAIN NOT AGAINST LOCAL INSTITUTIONS (IN BOLOGNA), THE REVOLT IS AGAINST THE STRUCTURAL RELATIONSHIP IN OUR COUNTRY REGARDING DISCRIMINATION”. |  “THOUSANDS OF DIVERSE PEOPLE HAVE PEACEFULLY INVADED THE STREETS FOR BOLOGNA RIVOLTA PRIDE” |
|---|---|---|
 "WE ARE HERE TO RESPOND TO THOSE THAT USE THE SPECTER OF GENDER TO ACTUALIZE OPPRESSIVE POLITICS IN THE WHOLE WORLD. TODAY, WE ARE TOGETHER TO STRONGLY PROCLAIM THIS. IT IS THE MOMENT TO MAKE HISTORY WITH “RIVOLTA PRIDE”. |  “AND THEREFORE IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY AND ALL LGBT ALLIES TO MOBILIZE DURING THIS DAY IN THE MONTH OF PRIDE TO PUSH INSTITUTIONS AND SOCIETY TO A GREATER ACHIEVEMENT OF LIBERTY FOR ALL”. |  “PRIDE IS A BIG PARTY WHERE ANYONE CAN BRING THEMSELVES, THEIR BODY, THEIR SPIRIT, EVERY PART OF THEM. EVERYONE DOES THIS IN THEIR OWN WAY. THIS IS CLEAR IN A CITY LIKE BOLOGNA, WHICH IS A CITY STRONGLY ATTENTIVE TO CIVIL RIGHTS, TO INCLUSION, TO AN ATTENTIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LGBT COMMUNITY.” |
 “IT IS A PRIDE OF REVOLT BECAUSE WE DECIDE TO REAPPROPRIATE THE TERM. THE FIRST PRIDE WAS A REVOLT AND THE MOMENT HAS ARRIVED TO REAPPROPRIATE EVEN FURTHER PUBLIC SPACES.” |  “THIS EVENT TODAY THEY CALL RIVOLTA PRIDE IS A REVOLT AGAINST FACISM, OF LIBERTY AGAINST DICTATORS, WE REPRESENT LIBERTY AGAINST AUTHORITARIAN REGIMES … THOSE WHO HAVE MADE DISCRIMINATORY LAWS”. |  “THEREFORE, IT IS CLEAR THAT THE PRINCIPAL BATTLE IS FOR DEMOCRACY AND LIBERTY. WE HERE TODAY ARE THE PARTISANS OF LIBERTY.” |
COMMUNITY IN ACTION: WHAT DOES PRIDE MEAN TO YOU?
PRIDE 2019
"WHAT DOES PRIDE MEAN TO YOU?" (Frames & Meaning)
Video Credits - Rareș Gheorghiu (interviews sections are from 3:57 - 10:40)
""BELLA CIAO - ITALIAN PARTISAN SONG"
TRANSLATED QUOTES FROM ACTIVISTS
 “FOR ME, IT’S ACTUALLY MAINLY .. A PARTY, BUT ALSO I THINK THERE IS MEANING … IT’S UHH I DON’T KNOW … A REVOLUTION? I MET THIS GAY GUY RECENTLY AND NOW I AM MORE IN TOUCH WITH THESE (LGBT) REALITIES AND IT’S NOT JUST A PARTY … THIS IS MY FIRST GAY PRIDE.” |  “I VIEW PRIDE AS A MOMEMT IN WHICH YOU FEEL THE FREEDOM TO BE WHATEVER THE F*CK YOU WANT TO BE WITHOUT SOCIETAL OPPRESSION. IT IS A DAY IN WHICH YOU OBVIOUSLY PARTY BECAUSE IT’S A FESTIVAL, BUT YOU CAN BE WHATEVER YOU WANT TO BE.” |  “FOR ME, PRIDE IS LOVE PLAIN AND SIMPLE … LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.” |
|---|---|---|
 “PRIDE IS A CALM PARTY WHERE YOU CAN SEE (LGBT) PEOPLE, THAT ARE PEOPLE AT THE END OF THE DAY .. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH LOVING SOMEONE OF THE OPPOSITE SEX .. THE POWER TO MARRY, TO ADOPT, TO LIVE PEACEFULLY WITHOUT VIOLENCE … BECAUSE IN THE END WE ARE PEOPLE. AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH LOVE.” |  “PRIDE MEANS COLOR. FOR ME, IT’S ALL ABOUT COLOR .. ALWAYS PASTELS. IT IS A WAY TO LIBERATE ONESELF. I FEEL GOOD AT THIS MOMENT.” |  “PEOPLE SAY EVERYONE ACCEPTS THE GAYS, BUT IT IS NOT TRUE. EVERYDAY WE WITNESS ACTS OF DISCRIMINATION … IT IS IMPORTANT TO OVERSTATE THIS (REALITY) BECAUSE IF WE DO NOT, THE PEOPLE WILL NOT UNDERSTAND.” |
 “IT’S A MOMENT OF FREEDOM WHERE YOU CAN JUST BE YOURSELF WITH YOUR FRIENDS.” |  “PRIDE MEANS TO ME FINALLY ACCEPTING WHO YOU ARE. BEING WHO ARE ARE, UNAPOLOGETICALLY. AFTER LOTS OF YEARS OF HIDING OR NOT BEING ABLE TO BE YOURSELF. NOT BEING ABLE TO EXPRESS YOURSELF … YOU CAN JUST SAY F*CK EVERYTHING. YOU KNOW? F*CK IT ALL. JUST BE WHO YOU ARE.” |  “PRIDE IS THE DAY OF THE YEAR, ACTUALLY THE MONTH OF THE YEAR, WHICH BASICALLY (MEANS) I CAN BE MYSELF. TRULY MYSELY. IT’S A DAY OF LIBERATION. OF FREEDOM. OF FREEDOM. OF LOVE, OF HAVING SEX. IT’S INDESCRIBABLE.” |
 “PRIDE IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE HERE I CAN FEEL FREE. BECAUSE PRIDE IS FREEDOM. PRIDE IS LOVE. AND IT’S REALLY HARD TO FEEL (LIKE) YOURSELF IN YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE … THIS IS WHO I AM. AND SO IT’S LIKE A PSYCHOLOGICAL THING .. IT’S LIKE GOING TO YOUR THERAPIST FOR A SESSION.” |  “IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT PRIDE IS NOT REALLY A PARTY, BUT IT’S A PROTEST. IT WAS BORN AS A RIOT. WE ARE HERE TO RIGHT FOR EQUAL RIGHTS.” |  “PRIDE IS A PLACE WHERE WE CAN BE VISIBLE BECAUSE DURING THE REST OF THE YEAR WE ARE CONSTANTLY HIDING … WE ARE ALWAYS SECOND GUESSING - ARE (OTHERS AROUND US) LGBT OR NOT? AND HERE WA CAN REALLY SEE THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE US.” |
 “PRIDE IS FREE LOVE FOR ALL. WITH WHOMEVER YOU WANT. WHENEVER YOU WANT. INDEPENDENT OF GENDER.” |
BELLA CIAO - ITALIAN RESISTANCE IN SONG
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Bella ciao"( "Goodbye beautiful") is an Italian protest folk song from the late 19th century, "originally sung by the Mondina workers in protest against the harsh working conditions in the paddy fields of northern Italy" (Marianna, 2019, 1)
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The song was modified and adopted as an anthem of the Italian resistance movement by the partisans who "opposed nazi-fascism between 1943 and 1945 during their fight against the occupying forces of Nazi Germany", who were allied to the fascist and collaborationist Italian Social Republic (Marianna, 2019, 1).
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Versions of "Bella ciao" continue to be sung worldwide as an anti-fascist hymn of freedom and resistance, including in LGBT protests and Pride (Marianna, 2019, 1).
Video Credits -Alessandra Brandano ( See Rome section for song description)
"BOLOGNA PRIDE 2015 OFFICIAL PARTY"
Video Credits -Il Cassero Bologna
Bolognese flag
Bella CiaoThe Maestro & The European Pop Orchestra
00:00 / 01:34
Roman Pride
Insert Interview findings here ...
Insert Interview findings here ...
Insert Interview findings here ...
ROMAN PRIDE - SI COLORA CON LA SFILATA
PRIDE 2021 - "HOW TO COLOR THE PRIDE PARADE"
TRANSLATED QUOTES FROM ACTIVISTS
Video Credits - Fanpage.it
"ROME PRIDE MARCH 2021 - WHY WE FIGHT"
Video Credits - EAN A Roma
 “WHAT STATE! WHAT GOD! I WILL DECIDE MY OWN RIGHTS”. |  "AT THIS MOMENT, IT IS RIGHT (TO PARTICIPATE IN PRIDE), WE HAD TO BE HERE FOR CERTAIN, THERE WAS NOT OTHER PATH." |  “IT WAS HARD TO DECIDE TO COME HERE TODAY BECAUSE WE SAW THE SITUATION (THE ZAN BILL) … BUT (PRIDE) IS THE ONLY MOMENT OF THE YEAR IN WHICH WE ARE TRULY LISTENED TO ... TO SHOW OUR UNITY. WE ARE (QUEER), AD WE ARE HERE.” |
|---|---|---|
 “PRIDE IS ALWAYS AN IMPORTANT DATE, BUT THIS YEAR IT IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANCE BECAUSE WE ARE HERE TO MAKE DEMANDS. TO DEMAND RESPECT. TO DEMAND OUR DIGNITY. TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT OUR RIGHTS ARE THE SAME AS EVERYONE ELSE IN THE CITY. THE SAME AS EVERYONE ELSE IN THIS COUNTRY.” |  “AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME, WE ARE FIGHTING AN IMPORTANT GAME. THE ZAN BILL IN THE ITALIAN SENATE WITH ALL THE INTERFERENCE OF THE VATICAN … IT IS CLEAR THAT OUR COUNTRY IS A DEMOCRATIC STATE, A CIVIL STATE, AND IT (THEN) MUST NECESSARILY BE AN INCLUSIVE STATE.” |  “IN 2021, WE ARE HARKENING BACK TO STATE STIPULATIONS MADE DURING THE TIME OF FACISM AND THEY ARE BEING USED TO INVADE THE RIGHTS OF ITALIANS, (USING) A POSITION OF AUTHORITY THAT DOES NOT MEAN ANYTHING, RELIGIOUS AUTHORITY. AND FOR THIS I REEVALUATE (THE CURRENT STATE OF THE COUNTRY), THIS IS A FOREIGN STATE.” |
 “THE INTERFERENCE (OF THE VATICAN) IS STILL STRONG. I TALK AS ONE WHO BELIEVES IN GOD. I AM A CHRISTIAN BUT THIS CANNOT BE A CHURCH IN A SECULAR STATE.” |  “IT IS NECESSARY TO SEE HOW MANY WE ARE (LGBT PEOPLE), TO PLACE OUR BODIES (IN PUBLIC). EVEN BODIES LIKE MINE. I WILL BE 77 YEARS OLD IN SEPTEMBER. I RISK HAVING A STROKE (TO PARTICIPATE IN PRIDE).” |  “OH PARTISAN, TAKE ME AWAY. OH GOODBYE BEAUTY. GOODBYE BEAUTY. GOODBYE, GOODBYE, GOODBYE. OH PARTISAN, TAKE ME AWAY. BECAUSE I FEEL DEATH APPROACHING.” (TRADITIONAL ITALIAN PROTEST SONG) |
"PRIDE AS THEATRE" ROMAN PRIDE AS COMMERCIALISM
PRIDE 2020
Video Credits - Roma Pride Official Instagram
City of Rome Flag
Seal of the Vatican
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