L'Aquila
From Massimo Consoli
Subj: Ulrichs
Date: 8/31/00 2:09:37 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: diama@tin.it (Archivio Massimo Consoli)
[select the Italian flag for the original Italian version]
The celebration of the anniversary of the birth of Ulrichs, which took place again this year on August 28, was the most successful one ever.
Almost all of the participants were journalists, writers, and booksellers.
The grave stone of our precursor was covered like never before with flowers and some of his books and booklets. One thing about the ceremony was extraordinary and touching: one American writer cried for well over 15 minutes, all the while clasping the grave stone with his hands. Several stated that this visit was a crowning event in their life. Publisher Roberto Massari was touched and happy that he had participated in a truly unusual event: a truly original way of remembering a person who was so important to many other people.
For your information, I am attaching articles from the Abruzzo daily newspapers.
Il Centro: Cronache dell'Aquila, August 29, 2000 (Tuesday)
Gay Writer Remembered
Homosexuals Criticize Mayor of Chieti
L'AQUILA. About fifty Gay Movement activists from Germany, the United States, and other countries, yesterday morning commemorated the German writer Karl Heinrich Ulrichs in the L'Aquila cemetery. Ulrichs is considered to be the "founder of the modern Gay Movement."
The event was to celebrate the occasion of the 175th birthday anniversary of Ulrichs. Yesterday, in particular, Gay writer Massimo Consoli criticized Nicola Cucullo, the Mayor of Chieti, author of initiatives against the Gay Movement.
Flowers, the Gay flag, books, and booklets on the homosexual movement were placed on Ulrichs' grave.
The commemoration was organized again this year by Consoli, who, since 1988, the year he singled out Ulrichs' grave in L'Aquila, has made "a pilgrimage to contribute to the advancement of this important figure." Ulrichs' grave would have remained unknown except that Consoli made the effort to rediscover its location.
In his statement, Consoli said that "Today in L'Aquila, two diverse, diametrically opposed worlds were present just a few hundred meters from each other: that of the Gays, which valued truth, justice, nature, and love; and that of Nicola Cucullo, the mayor of Chieti, who participated in the christian 'Day of Pardon'. Cucullo's last name," Consoli concluded, "was a punishment from God" [cullo in Italian means ass/bottom/arse/bum/butt].*
During yesterday's event, Michael Lombardi and Paul Nash, two American writers, as well as Wolfram Setz, from Germany, and Franco Di Matteo, the movie director, also commemorated Ulrichs.
The event concluded in the late afternoon with an appointment for next year.
Il Messaggero [Messenger], August 29, 2000 (Tuesday)
Gay Movement
"Cucullo: A Last Name That's A Punishment In Itself"
"Today in L'Aquila, two diverse, diametrically opposed worlds are present just a few hundred meters from each other: that of the Gays, which values truth, justice, nature, and love; and that of Cucullo, the mayor of Chieti, who is participating in the christian 'Day of Pardon,' whose values are synthesized very well by his last name, the platform of its line of action.
"Concullo, with that last name, is a punishment from God." These statements were made yesterday morning by writer Massimo Consoli, who severly criticized Nicola Cucullo, the mayor of Chieti, during the traditional event to commemorate Karl Heinrich Ulrichs.
Ulrichs, a German writer, considered to be the "founder" of the modern homosexual movement, is in fact buried in the cemetery in L'Aquila. Together with about 50 activists of the Gay Movement, Consoli placed flowers, flags, and booklets on homosexuality on Ulrichs' grave.
_______________
*Cucullo criticized the mayor of Rome for participating in the Rome World Gay Pride 2000. Cucullo said that if the mayor of Rome ever went to Chieti, they would sodomize him, without the use of lubricant. -- M. Lombardi-Nash
|
