Through this manifesto, the Associazione FVG Pride ODV, with the support of and in collaboration with different groups across the region, announces the sixth Friuli Venezia Giulia Pride. On the 3rd October 2026, this year’s Pride will culminate with a final march in Udine.

The political manifesto that accompanies the demonstration is the result of a collective path, built on listening and participation: the Associazione FVG Pride has chosen to update its manifesto through a series of public assemblies held throughout the Friulian territory. It is through this democratic, bottom-up process that the Friuli Venezia Giulia LGBTQIAPK+ community has found a voice, writing a text that wants to be the current and radical mirror of our daily battles.

Returning to Udine, nine years after the first historical regional Pride of 2017, is not simply a memory exercise, but an act of political and emotional reappropriation. We return to the city where we were born, and where we first measured our collective strength in this region, to reaffirm that, despite the climate of restoration that we breathe, our roots are deep and our voice has not quieted. 

Our multilingual motto “Affrontando il clima ostile” – Brut timp, ma cumbinin! – Soočanje s sovražno klimo – (Facing the hostile climate), is not only a proof of climate adversities, but a declaration of resistance: weathering the storms unbowed, fighting the violence of repression with care for our bodies. In this way, the choice of the 3rd of October date is our first political statement. In an age scarred by a climate emergency which is no longer a future threat but a violent reality, protesting at the beginning of October is an act of collective and radical care – despite giving up Pride Month’s summer setting. We refuse to expose our community’s bodies to temperatures which, in the past few years, have not only constituted statistical data, but real architectural barriers that prevent participation of aged, disabled, and otherwise fragile people. We reject the logic of “performance-at-all-costs”, and we choose to take care of our space’s accessibility, convinced that it is not only the seasonal aesthetics that fill squares, but the strength of a political manifesto that prioritises care for all.

The “climate” we inhabit is that of a world on the edge of an abyss, where the strategies of global war and the repression of dissent feed each other in an unprecedented spiral of violence. On an international level, the military escalation between the United States, Israel and Iran is setting the Middle East on fire, hitting political buildings and civil infrastructure, threatening a worldwide energy blockade. Whilst this is going on, we are horrified witnesses to the normalisation of death as a diplomatic instrument, and to the consolidation of regimes that use women’s and queer bodies as ideological battlefields. In this doomsday scenario, we forcefully denounce the instrumental use of our existence: whilst waving rainbow flags on Gaza’s rubble and encroaching on Lebanon, Israel’s pink and queerwashing are cynical attempts to legitimise colonial oppression through an apparent superiority of civil rights. No pride is possible under bombings, and no queer liberation can exist without people’s freedom and an end to all apartheid.

This military push is reflected in internal politics, where border control and so-called “public order” become chances to attack fundamental freedoms. The approval of the Decreto Sicurezza (security bill) is a despicable example of this, introducing preventive detentions and discretional surveillance, and transforming whoever manifests dissent into a police target. It is a direct attack on democracy, which is intertwined with a global ideological crusade on our existence: from the removal of the Stonewall symbols and the erasure of the words “transgender” and “non binary” from the US scientific databases, up to the European attempts to lock down the concept of family via referendums, or to defend violent conversion therapies in the name of a distorted freedom of expression. In Hungary antifascist dissent and non-binary identities are literally in chains, as in the case of our comrade Maja T. To this, we answer by vindicating our invisibility as a shock wave. 

In our region, the Fedriga government keeps distinguishing itself as a silent, but pervasive hostility. From the persistent refusal to support our initiatives, that are considered “divisive”, to the lack of funds for our activities aimed at preventing LGBTQIAPK+ -phobic bullying, regional institutions are willing to ignore that we are also their citizens.

In this landscape full of discrimination, hate and restrictions to our freedoms, FVG Pride ODV feels the need to radicalise its own intersectional approach: we reiterate that the proliferation of these authoritarian, racist and LGBTQIAPK+ -phobic trends are not mistakes by the system. They are the proof of the “good work” of a late stage, imperialist capitalism that survives dividing its subordinates and arranging into hierarchies those marginalised. By definition, capitalism is found upon accumulation and expropriation of wealth; the exploitation of human and natural capital is the soil on which hate against minorities sprouts. Forcing bodies within the social constructs of “natural desirable” and “different monstrous” only serves the preservation of control and guarantees that the 1% keeps half of the world’s wealth, whilst the rest of the population struggles for survival. That is why intersectionality and anti-capitalism are our key values: we proudly adopt the LGBTQIAPK+ acronym, including polyamorous subjectivities and kind/BDSM communities, as any desire subtracted by the norm is an act of sabotage. We want every letter to be a space for visibility, and a claim to dignity against any form of stigma.

We will be back in Udine to transform our concerns into collective action. Against international, national and regional politics that systematically ignores our demands, we answer with the physical presence of our non-conforming bodies. We want structural changes: schools that are free from prejudice, a healthcare system that does not pathologise trans* identities, protection for all families and an end to the exploitation of our bodies and lands. We will take to the streets because we are a community that never ceases to lay

claim to our prismatic beauty and anger, convinced that we grow our best flowers from the discouragement and aridity they would like to condemn us to.

For an equal, antifascist, decolonial and ever more fiercely queer world, FVG Pride demands:

Time and again trans* anger

Recognising and safeguarding self-determination, fighting against discrimination and guaranteeing the rights of the most marginalised subjects is essential to building a just society.

We demand the full recognition of the right to self-determination of trans* people, untangling the amendment of personal records from the need of a court room decision. We refuse the idea that a person’s identity should be subject to a process or the validation of a judge to be legitimised: we want the amendment to be based on self-determination and on a person’s lived history. We demand that identification documents are updated to reflect gender instead of sex, introducing a third, non-binary, option and ending the constant violation of privacy that the current system imposes on people.

We denounce the lack of appropriate public structures and we demand the coverage of the costs of affirmation processes, alongside specific training of medical personnel. Every Public Agency, including universities, should also guarantee the identity alias for their personnel and their students through simple and accessible procedures, without the need for a diagnosis or medical certification, so that the right to the chosen name is immediate and non-pathological.

The full recognition of identity can also be measured through the access to civil rights: the abolition of queues separated by sex at voting polls was an important achievement against forced outings. It is still necessary to guarantee that every person can exercise their right to vote with documents coherent with their identity, making the overcoming of today’s bureaucratic barriers easier.

Finally, despite the removal of “transgenderism” from the list of mental disorders (ICD-11), we see that many mental health professionals have yet to let go of pathological approaches. We demand a radical change of mental health practices following the example of the World Health Organization: it is time to adopt an affirmative model that gives value to free and conscious self-determination, without having personal choices be dictated by external authorisations or evaluations.

Speaking of all, speaking to all

The respect and inclusion of identities can also be seen in language, a powerful instrument to oppose patriarchy, inequalities and discrimination. We ask institutions to adopt an inclusive language in documents and official communications.

It is necessary to promote educational courses in schools with the end goal of using inclusive communication that can prevent hatred based on nationality, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation and disability.

In Friuli Venezia Giulia this effort goes hand-in-hand with the safeguarding of the linguistic plurality present on our territory: bi-multilinguism is not only a normative duty, but an essential principle. Therefore, the Slovenian and Friulian languages need to be incentivised and protected from all forms of intolerance.

On our bodies, our will be done

We claim the right to full self-determination of our bodies, and to the material circumstances that grant them dignity, health and freedom. We maintain that the liberation of our bodies also happens through the overcoming of beauty standards and oppressive social constructs that produce exclusions and hierarchies.

For fat people, we lay claim to the right to healthcare free from prejudices and equal work opportunities, calling out fatphobia and fat negativity as forms of intersectional oppression, intertwined with racist, classist and ableist dynamics. We refuse body models imposed on us that associate thinness to social value and propagate a dominating white and occidental aesthetic, and we reject any form of speculation that capitalises on insecurities.

We ask for the free access to menstrual products in learning environments and on job sites, the total abolition of IVA on such products and the institution of menstrual leave, as a part of a larger effort for menstrual justice. It is necessary to invest in the education of healthcare workers and in the research of the health conditions of menstruating bodies, as it is promoting informative campaigns and educational paths that allow to de-stigmatise menstruation.

Hands off our families

We recognise and lay claim to the plurality of families, relationships, and parenthood; we demand the acknowledgement of same-sex families’ rights at birth, the intended parents’ right to adopt, as we look forward to a more inclusive adoption law reform, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or status.

It is necessary to overcome any juridical distinction between couples and to guarantee the full transcription of abroad-incurred, same-sex marriages. It is also necessary to adopt new reforms that establish any kind of marriage as equal as an integral part of our Civil Rights Code, including polyamorous and non-monogamous relationships.

Furthermore, we ask for structural policies supporting LGBTQIAPK+ families, accessible educational services for all kinds of families, and equal parental leave. We demand educational and school personnel to be trained on different types of families, as well as a fair representation of multiple family models. 

Self-determination regarding reproductive rights is our goal and, as we oppose the criminalisation of families via surrogacy, we staunchly support their respectful, regulated, and dignified recognition. At the same time, we ask that free and regulated access to medically assisted reproduction be guaranteed to all people. 

Tired of being patient(s)

We demand the right to physical, emotional, and mental health as a fundamental part of our collective well-being, without discrimination, as systemic strategies aimed at guaranteeing free access to universal healthcare – based on informed consent and the depathologisation of gender identity – is strongly required.

We urge the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region to fund the Sexually Transmissible Infections Department (IST) while recognising Gorizia’s MST Centre as a strategic operational head centre for professionals and local associations. We demand that our Government guarantees free and widespread distribution for barrier protection, PrEP and PEP, whilst promoting community-based testing campaigns (CBVCT) for the most vulnerable, including MSM, injecting-drugs users, sex workers and immigrants.

We demand free HPV vaccines for the entire population and the reinforcement of damage-reducing policies directed at overcoming any blame-related approach, in favour of collective health. Contextually, we denounce all obstacles to accessing voluntary termination of pregnancy (IVG) and we demand the full application of the 194/78 Law, free access to IVG procedures, the reinforcement of family counselling clinics, a limit to conscientious objection, the presence of trained professionals untethered from external restraint, and a proper education on LGBTQIAPK+ issues, in order to fully guarantee reproductive rights to anyone, including individuals seeking gender affirmation.

We lay claim to the introduction of laws meant to block any corrective surgery practice or non-essential medical intervention on people born with VCS, so that the physical integrity of minors can be protected from random binarisms.

We demand trans and non-binary people to have free and easy access to gender-affirming procedures, putting an end to institutional violence and stigma, while ensuring that hormone therapies and surgeries are being treated with the same respect and care as other kinds of medical practices.

We also demand that our Healthcare Services provide mandatory, intersectional, and depathologising training with respect to LGBTQIAPK+ patients, with the assistance of professional bodies and associations, in a coordinated effort aimed at eradicating methodical prejudice in Healthcare settings. This training must also include dignified aging journeys, ensuring that access to nursing facilities and hospices respects gender identities and personal histories, in opposition to our elderly’s loneliness and invisibility.

What kind of Education?

We worryingly denounce the lack of mandatory Comprehensive Relationship and Sexual Educational programmes in our schools, made effective by the Valditara legislation, which limits further knowledge on the matter, as it necessitates a strict and formal consent from families to be given, making up for broken and disharmonious educational paths. We ask that every public school be provided with a real educational programme on matters such as sexuality, gender, relationships, consent and personal differences in the PTOF (the Three-Year Educational Offer Plan), brought together by professional figures, and an updated training for school employees and teachers.

We would like to remind our local government about the A Scuola per Conoscerci project, as a perfect example of the aforementioned practices: we ask for it to be funded again, with better access to resources and with wider distribution across our region. We also demand a permanent and well-structured psychological service in every school replacing the occasional windows present at the moment.

Sex work is work

Sex work must be decriminalised and policies contrasting the stigma are required. We ask for a structural review of the Merlin Law: we oppose how ‘aiding and abetting’ is considered a crime and used against those who are seeking self-maintenance, help, and sharing safe spaces, leading to the isolation of sex workers and preventing a safe and secure working environment. 

It is necessary to help migrant sex workers access both justice and documentation, as well as protection. The rights to parenting / parenthood and healthcare services access – especially STI/MTS prevention, PrEP, and hormone therapy – are also fundamental.

Finally, we highlight how the job placement of trans* people is still marked by severe discrimination: the case of Cloe Bianco is a sad example of this. Those who suffer the worst consequences are trans* sex workers and migrant sex workers, who face further degrees of marginalisation.

Straight to the point

We demand a legislative and institutional framework that guarantees full equality, dignity, protection and self-determination for the LGBTQIAPK+ people and demand concrete action against violence and discrimination. We condemn the so-called “reparative” or conversion therapies and we demand their explicit ban.

We demand a fully secular State: the removal of religious symbols from public spaces and a reform of the 8×1000 tax return that allocates the unpaid portions exclusively to the State to support public services.

Rights must find a concrete application in all institutional spheres. In the prison system this means respect for gender identity, access to health and psychological support, real reintegration paths, mandatory staff training and discrimination prevention.

Gender-based violence must be addressed with structural policies: education, prevention and cultural transformation. We ask for support for victims and the local communities, the gathering of accessible data, and full equal access to employment, healthcare and education, rejecting any heteropatriarchal imposition.

We denounce the contradictions of the Italian asylum system, which hinders the recognition of international protection and exposes LGBTQIAPK+ people to forced repatriation and exploitation. We demand specialised reception services, compliance with international guidelines in the Territorial Commissions, adequate facilities and funding for widespread reception and operational freedom for NGOs in relief efforts. We demand the abolition of CPRs (Detention Centres), starting with the one in Gradisca d’Isonzo, and the restoration of dignity and protection of detainees.

We demand protection for LGBTQIAPK+ seniors, people with disabilities and neurodivergent individuals ensuring universal accessibility and adequate services. We defend the right to affection and sexuality, against all forms of infantilisation.

We declare the right to self-determination at the end of life, demanding access to assisted suicide, without therapeutic obstinacy or imposed judicial processes.

Hands off! 

We acknowledge that different forms of gender oppression and violence all originate from our patriarchal and misogynistic culture. We demand better support and more stable financing for the networks of domestic violence centres, shelters, and anti-discrimination services, mindful of the needs of LGBTQIAPK+ individuals. Furthermore, it is crucial to ensure adequate training for public officials handling cases of violence, to better equip them to carry out their jobs with competence, sensitivity, and respect. 

Climate change? Change the system 

We demand concrete action and the implementation of efficient policies geared towards tackling climate change, from institutions and businesses at all levels. It is paramount that the ecological transition be a just transition, integrating environmental objectives with the principles of social justice.  

Freedom for all

We believe all sentient beings are equal, and as such we are working together with other organisations in order to make Pride as vegan, anti-speciesist, and inclusive as possible. We take a stand against all forms of animal imprisonment, torture, exploitation, consumption, and extermination. We firmly reject the privilege that comes with the perception of human beings as superior to other species and nature as a whole.  

The resistance fights on

FVG Pride condemns and repudiates war as an instrument of oppression. We support the cause of the Palestinian people and their right to self-determination, thereby condemning the genocide that is being carried out by the Zionist entity. We demand that the administrations of Regione FVG, universities, and local authorities and organisations rescind their contracts of collaboration with the institutions and businesses linked to the Zionist entity. We believe our duty is to condemn all kinds of war and imperialist violence, of which the Iran conflict is only the latest example. We denounce the growing repression of dissent and the disproportionate use of force (the latest instances being the events of Udine on 14 October 2025, and the more recent events in Turin and Milan). We demand the implementation of identification numbers for all members of law enforcement, the end of the militarisation of public spaces, and the elimination of regulatory bureaucracy that targets and hinders people’s right to protest. 

Trieste, 20 April 2026 

FVG Pride ODV