OMG! We’ve got the best news! Anti-gay fascism’s alive and well in Rome. Super, right! It’s all the rage with the ever-trendy, Mussolini-praising, Holocaust-loving teenaged hooligan masses. And, no, they weren’t being ironic:
Right-wing extremists shouting pro-fascist slogans ransacked a gay cultural association in Rome.
A statement from the association, the Mario Mieli Homosexual Cultural Circle, said a large group of youths had burst into the club Thursday evening and trashed the premises. After club members intervened, the vandals ran off, shouting slogans praising Holocaust-era death camps and Benito Mussolini.
Locals blame a tense pre-election climate for the invasion. We blame bad parenting.
M Shane
Bad parenting would be a handy excuse, however, there are still right wing elements in Europe. Fortunately the left wing is more dominent and I was just reading that they have had strong protests against Bush, because they see the resemblance to Hitler and Mussolini.
jules
You know, when children misbehave, just ignore them. Isn’t that universal?
John
I think many gays have a love-hate relationship with Italy. It’s absolutely gorgeous physically, rich in history, and there’s an undeniable artistic legacy So, there’s a lot of touristic appeal.
At the same time, it is one of the most right-wing countries in Europe at the moment. In terms of obnoxious anti-gay politicians and clergy, it’s probably second only to Poland. And the southern part of the country, particularly Sicily, is virulently (and sometimes violently) homophobic.
It’s certainly no Spain when it comes to tolerance.