Homophobia in Italy? You don't talk about it anymore!

Reflections by Massimo Battaglio for the project homophobia.org

I would like to write an update on the episodes of homophobia in recent months but they are in difficulty. It seems that the numbers are falling but I have the impression that the problem is another: it is not talking about it anymore.

The victims seem few compared to the other years (95 from the beginning of 2024 while 138 had been at the end of September 2023, 121 in the book 2022 and 159 between January and September 2021). Is the phenomenon down? I can't believe it.

I cannot first believe for the "quality" of the episodes that emerged: this year we have recorded 24 victims of physical aggression to individuals, another 33 in groups or couples, a murder, two suicides and a lower number of victims of non -physical acts. Among the latter we have 9 stalking victims with death threats that, in some cases, led the protagonists to have to change the house or close commercial activities.
7 people follow who have seen refuse a rental contract, 3 cases of damage to things (cars, productive activities). Two boys were removed from the family. A trans person has undergone a discrimination dismissal. Five are the victims of insults in the institutional political field. Seven episodes not resulted in violence thanks to the intervention of third parties or the escape of the victims.

In total, 63% of the victims detected suffered physical violence with always rather serious wounds (while, in previous years, the attacks slightly exceeded 50%). The others have been the subject of non -physical discriminatory acts but bearers of very heavy consequences.

In short: if the phenomenon seems to be down from a quantitative point of view, an increase in the severity of the registered cases is evident. Which makes you suspect that there are many other cases escaped our research because they are not reported or passed in silence. It is possible to intercept the news of a case of homophobia only when it is so striking that it cannot be hidden.

On the other hand, also in other “sectors of hate"It seems that things do not improve even if they are no longer talking about it. We think about feminicides: they are in dramatic increase. Since January, 65 were recorded while 43 had been 2023 and 52 in the previous year (Viminale source). But how many times have we had news? Identically, migrants died at sea are 1452 from the beginning of the year. The data is completely comparable to that of the previous two years, which had ended with 2271 and 2405 victims respectively. But they no longer make news.

Also of the deaths at work, we hear less: these days, they have already passed those of last year (680 against 657). It seems that the news on the worst social plagues are no longer interested.

In part, this is certainly due to the fact that a large part of the information must measure themselves with the various wars in progress. And the newspapers have limited pages. But the feeling that a veil on our themes has deliberately spread and generally on the themes of hatred is strong. On the other hand, "Tele Meloni"It's not just TV. It has now issued its metastases in printed paper and in the network information. And we know how uncomfortable it is, for the current Italian government, admit that in Italy we die at sea, women are killed, homosexual people are discriminated and discriminated against.

The question is therefore political, in every sense. It is political because, when the deformation of information follows the marriage of government, democracy is involved. It is still political because the lack of information and data is the best excuse to not face the problems in the right locations, which are precisely the political ones. And finally it is political because silence on a social plague is the safe prelude to its expanding. Do not speak of homophobia is equivalent to legitimizing it, to leave the homophobic free field.

Speaking of legitimacy, in recent months it has also been worse. Since he is no longer talked about, General Vannacci feels free to advertise himself through his absurd, annoying, stupid homophobic statements. Then he says it is not true, that we have misunderstood it because we are biased. And so, other countless pubic characters follow him.
The TV takes his own: the "Big Brother" never fails the homophobic screenplay. These are things that maybe do not affect some particular person and therefore do not constitute a crime. But they throw hatred and spread the idea that insulting LGBT+ people is normal if not appreciable. And from there to true violence and discrimination, it is a amen.

We invite anyone who is aware of homophobic facts, to write to homophobia.org . If, on a media level, you don't talk about it anymore, We must think about us on our own. It's urgent.