June 25, 2020
At The City Next Door we are very passionate about Abruzzo and we truly believe that the region is a hidden Italian gem that deserves to be discovered and responsibly explored. However if you are a tourist that belongs to the LGBTQ+ community you might be wondering: is it safe to travel to this small and traditional region of the Italian countryside? How open is Abruzzo to accepting and welcoming tourists from all sexual orientations?
As most of you might be aware, June is now widely known for being “Pride Month” so we wanted to take this opportunity to interview some LGBTQ+ members and ask them about their experiences when travelling within Abruzzo and Italy in general.
LGBTQ+ tourism in Abruzzo
Picture by @prideabruzzo
We had the pleasure to interview the official Abruzzo Pride (AP) team based in Pescara, they took the lead and are doing an amazing job to make Abruzzo a Pride region, as well as strong and kind.
“Thanks to the support of associations and private entities, who participated in different crowdfunding campaigns, we managed to rent a place right in the centre of Pescara, where we regularly hold meetings plus two permanent exhibitions”
TCND: What does it mean to finally organise the first Pride Week in Abruzzo?
AP: Celebrating the first pride in Abruzzo is certainly a great joy to all of us. For several years we tried to organize it but, it wasn’t until the following four movements: Arcigay Chieti Sylvia Rivera, Jonathan Diritti in Movimento, La Formica Viola and Mazi Pescara decided to join forces and form the ‘Coordinamento Abruzzo Pride’, with the aim to bring the first pride ever to the region. Thanks to the support of associations and private entities, who participated in different crowdfunding campaigns, we managed to rent a place right in the center of Pescara, where we regularly hold meetings plus two permanent exhibitions.
TCND: How complex was to organize an event like this?
AP: Getting everything ready for what would have been the parade on the 27th of June required a lot of work. Permits, crowdfunding, meeting with associations and volunteers and much more.
“Is hard to tell how our community is perceived in Abruzzo. That will depend on the area, the most receptive one is the City of Pescara”
TCND: How do you consider the experience of the LGBTQ+ tourists when they visit Abruzzo?
AP: Abruzzo is strong, gentle and ‘proud-pride’. We’d like to use the word pride, so every single person that visits the region can feel free to express himself / herself. There are also plenty of LGBTQ+ friendly places to visit in Abruzzo, in addition to all the amazing things this region has to offer.
“Abruzzo is strong, gentle and proud-pride”
TCND: In your opinion, how is the LGBTQ+ community perceived in Abruzzo? Have you noticed any kind of rejections?
AP: Is hard to tell how our community is perceived in Abruzzo. That will depend on the area, the most receptive one is the City of Pescara. Sadly we’ve had some negative episodes but at the same time, many members of the LGBTQ+ find in Abruzzo a welcoming place, where they can express themselves freely.
Picture by @prideabruzzo
“Nature doesn’t discriminate, so, for the sea lovers we highly recommend the Trabocchi Coast, Fossacesia, Le Morge, San Vito, Ortona, Pescara, Torre di Cerrano and Pineto”
TCND: Can you recommend your favourite LGBTQ+ places in Abruzzo?
AP: Nature doesn’t discriminate, so, for the sea lovers we highly recommend the Trabocchi Coast, Fossacesia, San Vito, Ortona, Pescara, Torre di Cerrano and Pineto. On the other hand, for the mountain lovers, all the hikes available within the parks of Gran Sasso and La Maiella are a must, the Calascio Castle, Campo Imperatore, the historical centre of Chieti, the Orfento Valley and the town of Caramanico. Abruzzo offers fantastic places to visit for all tastes: sea, mountains, cities, villages and lots of culture! And of course, for those who come to Abruzzo on vacation, they can come and visit us whenever they want!
LGBTQ+ tourism in Italy
We also had the pleasure to interview two members of the LGBTQ+ community, Fernando Cobelo (FC) and Rodrigo Gomes (RG). Fernando currently lives in Turin and Rodrigo lived in Milan and has also travelled to Italy as a Tourist.
“I do consider Turin an inclusive city when it comes to the LGBTQ+ community, with active associations and alliances that protect and watch over the rights of such communities”
TCND: Being a member of the LGBTQ+ community, how has been your experience living in Italy so far? Do you consider Turin an inclusive and safe city for the LGBTQ+ community?
FC: Living in Italy helped me a lot to accept myself and be comfortable with who I am. Since I moved to Turin in 2010, I had the opportunity to meet so many people who literally didn’t care about my sexual orientations, which was like getting fresh air for the first time in a long time. I do consider Turin an inclusive city when it comes to the LGBTQ+ community, with active associations and alliances that protect and watch over the rights of such communities.
“I’ve travelled a lot across Italy in the last few years and I have never encountered any problem or had the impression I had to hide my homosexuality in front of others”
TCND: Do you consider that in general LGBTQ+ tourists have a positive experience in Italy? Have you witnessed (or, unfortunately, been the aim) of any homophobic situation?
FC: I do know that the north is considered a little bit more inclusive when compared to the south. This being said, I’ve travelled a lot across Italy in the last few years and I have never encountered any problem or had the impression I had to hide my homosexuality in front of others.
TCND: Do you consider that religion and the traditional way of thinking in Italy interferes with accepting each other regardless of sexual orientation?
FC: Unfortunately, in some cases, religious views do interfere with acceptance and inclusion of others and I believe it happens mostly with elder people, but I’m glad to say there are lots of exceptions. I don’t think this problem happens a lot among young people, which is very positive! New generations are proving to be more inclusive regardless of their own beliefs.
TCND: How was your experience in Italy? Did you ever feel some type of rejection or fear living there?
RG: I experienced Italy as a resident and as a tourist. I lived in a small city close to Milan called Bergamo, and I’ve never felt rejected. Since day one I was very active inside the community: I went to school, I tried to help in some activities within the church, and overall I tried to understand the culture. Even older people, contrary as some people would think about the older generation, always were very respectful and friendly to me. The respect was mutual.
London Pride 2018
“Even older people, contrary as some people would think about the older generation, always were very respectful and friendly to me”.
There’s a specific vision about Italy not being gay friendly because it’s very religious, but my experience was always really positive, I always felt respected. My sexuality was never a problem, even for me that, let’s say, it’s very visible that I’m gay.
“My sexuality was never a problem, even for me that, let’s say, it’s very visible that I’m gay”.
TCND: Do you travel regularly to Italy? Did your perspective change over time?
I don’t live in Italy anymore, but often I come back to visit my best friend. At least once a year. He lives in Milan, which is close to Bergamo, where I used to live, and I always felt really welcomed and safe there. It’s also important to point out that Milan is known for being really open-minded, modern, full of fashion and culture, so the experience may be different from other areas more “traditional” in Italy. But again, my experience in Italy have been always really positive.
TCND: Do you believe the experience for a member of the community can vary if you live in a place or if you are just a tourist?
RG: 100% yes. I always felt that in general, and not talking just about Italy, your experience as a tourist can be different and probably more positive. Normally when you are visiting a place, locals see the tourists as an opportunity because they’re bringing money to the country, they’re contributing to the culture, the local economy and so on. In my opinion, somehow, this gave us some type of “immunity” when we are travelling, which is good in a way because it makes you feel a bit safer.
We want to thank Abruzzo Pride (@prideabruzzo), Fernando Cobelo and Rodrigo Gomes for sharing with us their testimonies and contribute with this post! Thanks, Fernando for providing the amazing illustration that we have used as a featured image for this post (@fernandocobelo).