For those who live outside Italy and haven't heard of San Remo it is a huge music festival held each year in, you've guessed it, San Remo on the Italian Riviera. It is a massive event aired live on Italy's conservative RAI 1 tv and radio channels. Roberto Benigni, the multi award winning Italian director/actor/writer, took to the stage tasked with providing a comic interlude. In his usual inimitable style - passionate, eloquent, intelligent - Benigni made several jokes (including advising Berlusconi that the only way he can become truly legendary is to disappear, never to be seen again) before becoming more serious. He spoke of homosexuality as something to be considered normal. He spoke of the disgraceful, shameful treatment of homosexuals, of the discrimination that is particularly present in Italy today. Gay rights are virtually non-existent in Italy partly due to the Vatican's continual preaching of homosexuality as a sin. Benigni's response to this: "Homosexuality is not a sin, stupidity is" - a comment which was met with a standing ovation from much of the audience. He continued by saying that fundamentally anyone who descriminates against homosexuality is descriminating against love. If someone is in love, what does it matter if the beloved is of the same or opposite sex? He finished by reciting a letter from Oscar Wilde's De Profundis, written by Wilde while he was incarcerated and dedicated to his young lover. The strength and profundity of the love between two people is all that matters. For those of you who speak Italian, Benigni's speech can be found here: http://www.musiczone.it/festival-concerti/roberto-benigni-sanremo-video.html
Italy lags far behind its European neighbours, but it seems that homosexuality and bisexuality are not the taboo subjects they once were. A recent daytime tv talk show introduced the topic of married women falling for other women, but in true Italian style the programme ended with panellists deciding that these are "temporary infatuations" and that women will always put their men and family first. Italy still has a long way to go, but it looks like change may be in the air...
I wouldn't use the word 'stupidity', but yes, ignorance should be considered a sin. So many things, if people would just understand, be informed, would be so different.
