PRESS RELEASE - Lesbians Take the Italian Senate for the First Time

PRESS RELEASE – Lesbians Take the Italian Senate for the First Time

A Historic Step for Dyke Visibility and Rights

Rome, April 3, 2025 —

The word “lesbian” breaks into the Italian institutions. Today the Italian Senate (Sala Caduti di Nassirya) became the stage for a groundbreaking moment in Lesbian Herstory: the official presentation of the IV European Lesbian* Conference (April 23–26, 2025) in Rome and the announcement of the first-ever Italian Dyke March, set to take place on April 26th to mark International Lesbian Visibility Day.

Organized by EL*C – EuroCentralAsian Lesbian* Community in collaboration with over 50 Italian lesbian, transfeminist collectives and allies, these events mark a historic moment for lesbian visibility and political resistance in Italy and Europe.

Confronting Backlash: Why Rome, Why Now?

At a time when the Italian Government is intensifying its attacks on the rights of LGBTIQ+ individuals, lesbian mothers, and women’s autonomy, the presence of these initiatives in the capital stands as a powerful affirmation of collective dignity, rights, and intersectional solidarity.

“We chose Rome for this fourth edition of our Conference because it is a frontline city for lesbian rights in Europe today,” remarked Ilaria Todde, Advocacy Director of EL*C. “Our visibility is revolutionary. Through the Conference, we will build lesbian networks, advocacy strategies for justice, and solidarity across borders to resist backlash and advance our collective power. Dykes rise against fascism”.

“At the end of April, the EL*C Conference will bring to Rome the most outstanding lesbian activists from across Europe and Central Asia—fearless leaders who continue to fight in an increasingly dangerous and unpredictable world, defending women, LGBTI people, and civil society at large.” said Silvia Casalino, Executive Co-Director of EL*C.

Speakers at the press conference included representatives from Italian political parties and institutions, such as Marta Bonafoni (Partito Democratico), Alessandra Maiorino (Movimento 5 Stelle), Benedetta Scuderi (MEP, Verdi), Marilena Grassadonia (Sinistra Italiana), Francesca Druetti (Possibile), and Riccardo Magi (+Europa).

The First Dyke March in Italy: Taking the Streets

The event also introduced the first Dyke March in Italian history, organized on the 30th anniversary of the first Dyke March led by the Lesbian Avengers in Washington in 1993.

“We march as lesbians, in all our identities and intersections, to reclaim space, power, and voice in a country that has long rendered us invisible,” said Natascia Maesi, on behalf of the organizing committee. “This is not just a march, it is an antifascist, anti-racist, transfeminist, and climate-just movement calling for rights, recognition, and justice for all”.

The Dyke March will begin at 3:30 pm on April 26 , the International Day of Lesbian Visibility, from Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, moving through central Rome to Via dei Fori Imperiali.

These initiatives arrive in response to the current government’s systematic attempts to attack lesbian rights and erase our families.

About EL*C

The EuroCentralAsian Lesbian* Community is a feminist and intersectional network of lesbian-led organizations working to advance the rights, visibility, and wellbeing of lesbian, bisexual, trans and non-binary people. EL*C combines advocacy, research, communication, and community-building to challenge lesbophobia and create safer, freer societies across Europe and Central Asia.