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Loading ...Italian gay cops to stage mass coming out
09.08.2008 3:44pm EDT
(Rome) Gay police officers throughout Italy who publicly have remained closeted are planning a mass coming out after the Milan force announced it was investigating a cop who had won a gay beauty contest.
Fabrizio Caiazza, 33, won the “Sex Factor” online contest organized by the British gay website Gaydarnation, beating out 46,000 contenders from 162 countries and winning a $20,000 prize.In his submission, Caiazza posed in his police uniform. A spokesperson for the Milan police said Caiazza did not seek permission to appear in the uniform or to enter the contest. The traffic cop is under investigation for bringing “discredit to the force.” If convicted, he could be sanctioned, fined or fired.
Milan’s deputy mayor, Riccardo De Corato, said Caiazza will likely receive a slap on the wrist.
But Caiazza says the entire investigation is tainted with homophobia and will result in gay officers staying in the closet out of fear.
“Many policemen don’t come out because of the enmity they would face from colleagues and the isolation they would be put in by superiors,” he told Britain’s Observer newspaper.
The investigation has prompted the formation of Italy’s first organization for LGBT cops, called Polis Aperta.
The group will hold its first meeting on Sept. 26 and organizer Nicola Cicchitti says dozens of gay cops will come out publicly at the meeting.
“We’re coming out against creeping discrimination,” Cicchitti told the Observer, adding that the organization already has about 200 members.
Cicchitti said the group will seek official recognition from the government.
The idea won the backing of Vladimir Luxuria, a transgender former member of the Italian parliament.
right on! we need more of that courage here in the US
We are no different here at home. People can lose their jobs for not only “posing in a uniform,” but just for being gay at all.
America has got to get on board with being more open…
Sadly, Italy is still pretty behind in gay rights terms in Europe. This simply would not be an issue in the UK, France, Germany or Spain, and not here in Ireland either where gay rights have advanced in the past 15 years with fantastic speed.
I applaud the gay Italian police for taking these steps – and sinceraly hope that it makes a big difference. Italy needs to wake up and move with the rest of Europe on LGBT rights and equality.
Good for them. It is high time that people (straights) come to understand that gays exist in all walks of life. As Patrick said it would not be an issue in other countries and for those in the US, they need only look north of the border to see that even in North America, freedom for gays and lesbians exists. Here’s hoping all goes well.
Suas le hEireann! Up with Ireland.
Beidh saoirse agus ceartais ag na daoine aeracha in Eirinn.
Gay people will have freedom and rights in Ireland.
Wouldn’t it be great if all the gays and lesbians in the US military would do this? Everybody “tell” on the same day. Problem is, our stupid conservative leaders would kick out all the ones stateside, keep quiet about those in battle zones until they come home…then kick them out.
I’ve seen the scene on TV when one guy with a gun holds off a whole mob. I’m thinking he can only shoot two or three at the most, and the mob will win. Why dont they charge him? It’s because, of course, no one wants to be in the two or three dead at the end.
That’s why this will never happen in the US military. Maybe if we elect a Democrat, it could happen then. A huge coordinated act of civil protest. Maybe, just maybe a Democratic president and a Democratic congress would be moved to action. Lord knows, it could be years before they get around to it if left to their own time table.