Giuseppe Seminario, pro LGBTI+ crusader in Bologna

Exclusively for Promenade.. 

Would you please provide a brief description of your activity and its impact on the territory

The Cassero LGBTI+ Center, where I have been engaged in social activism for more than ten years, is technically a social promotion association, a year-round political and cultural laboratory that promotes the rights of people from the LGBTQIAP+ community and their well-being through personal services, social groups, artistic, cultural and recreational activities, advocacy and training.

Tomorrow's Bologna: what do you expect and what do you wish to find?

I wish tomorrow's Bologna to have fewer social inequalities, as they continue to persist despite being perceived as almost overcome; to achieve this, people living in the city every day must be actively involved, without chasing after decorum of fighting moral decay through slogans

Are there any curious anecdotes that have emerged from this experience?

Let me relate a recurring anecdote that underlines the importance of Cassero in the city and its role as catalyst. On many different occasions, from tax offices to supermarkets, every time I made reference to Cassero, the people I was talking to would spontaneously share a memory of Porta Saragozza, the Salara, or of the many events organised by our association, and they did that with great affection. 

Your favourite places off the beaten track?

The gardens of villa Cassarini, with their pink triangle-shaped plaque commemorating the victims of Nazi-Fascism, unmissable stop of every 25th April celebration and preferred setting of a number of pride parades of which I bear a strong bond.  And, of course, the Salara, best visited during the day with the Flavia Madaschi Documentation Centre or in the evening during a dance party. 

Plus, if I have to think about places where I feel at home, I cannot but mention two nightclubs, Barattolo and Moustache, ideal spots for a drink with friends, as well as Libreria Igor and Senape Vivaio Urbano, where I regularly buy books and plants in a friendly, welcoming atmosphere.

What's your favourite Bolognese word and why?

Busone, the Bolognese slur for homosexuals. 

It may sound curious, but, as an activist, I have learned to ironically and proudly re-appropriate the words used to insult me and the community I belong to. 

And then, the first time I came across that word was on the banner displayed when the Cassero di Porta Saragozza was occupied, which read 'L'è mei un fiol leder che un fiol buson' (A thief son is better than a faggot son) 

Disclosing Bologna is a Promenade column

Present-day Bologna, the result of behind-the-scenes work, commitment to social and territorial promotion, excellence, local and adopted citizens.