Italy celebrates LGBTQI+ History Month

Italy is celebrating its second LGBTQI+ History Month with a series of events and seminars throughout the coming weeks.

The initiative aims to shed light on the queer community's past and present, as the community continues to struggle for acceptance. The initiative was launched in 2021 by a group of Italian academics who published a call for event proposals, resulting in 150 events being organised.

LGBTQI+ History Month traces its roots to the US Midwest, where high school teacher Rodney Wilson noted the lack of queer references in his history textbook, eventually leading to the creation of the initiative celebrated in October.

Despite the success of Italy's LGBTQI+ History Month, there are concerns that the country's new far-right government may threaten its future. Nonetheless, Wilson, the heart and engine of the initiative, remains hopeful, stating that "what the [Italian team] is doing is amazing."