Luxury Versace Head Opposes Government, Urges to Stop Oppression of Sexual Minorities

"Individuals have the right to live as they wish
The Italian government tries to take that away
We must fight for freedom"

Recently, as the Italian government has been introducing measures to restrict the rights of sexual minorities one after another, Donatella Versace (68), the head of the Italian luxury brand Versace, said, "We must fight for freedom."

According to Italy's leading newspaper La Repubblica, Versace received the Humanitarian Award for equity and inclusion at the 'Italian National Fashion Association (CNMI) Sustainable Fashion Awards 2023' held during Milan Fashion Week on the night of the 24th (local time).

Donatella Versace. [Image source=Instagram]

Upon receiving the award, Versace said, "In Italy, it has become more important than ever to advocate for the voices of minorities. Our government is trying to take away the right of individuals to live as they wish," adding, "We all must fight for freedom."

Versace also recalled when her late brother Gianni Versace came out to her as gay, saying, "Nothing has changed. I loved my brother, and I didn't care who he loved," and "My brother's love and encouragement made me who I am today."

The world-renowned luxury brand Versace was founded in 1978 by Gianni Versace, known for its vibrant colors and bold patterns. However, since Gianni's death in 1997, his younger sister Donatella Versace has served as the group's vice chairwoman and chief designer.

Meloni Government's Anti-LGBTQ+ Policies... Growing Voices of Opposition

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Photo by EPA Yonhap News

Since Giorgia Meloni became prime minister in October last year, the Italian government has introduced a series of measures restricting the rights of sexual minorities. Prime Minister Meloni is a far-right politician who emphasizes traditional family values.

For example, in March, the government ordered the city of Milan to halt the automatic registration of same-sex couples as spouses. If this procedure is stopped, homosexual individuals must go through a complicated adoption process that takes years to gain parental rights over their partner's biological children. This sparked strong opposition from LGBTQ+ human rights groups.

Additionally, in June, the government pushed a bill to penalize overseas births through surrogacy, which provoked backlash from human rights organizations and opposition parties.

"Transgender People Still Face Horrific Violence... We Must Be More Accepting of Each Other"

Regarding this, Versace said, "In Italy, children of same-sex couples are not considered children," and "Transgender people still suffer horrific violence."

She mentioned Alessandro Zan, an Italian left-wing politician and LGBTQ+ advocate who was also present, saying, "Your voices are very important in our world, and I am here to support everything you fight for." Versace emphasized that she is called a "queer icon" and is "very proud" of it.

Furthermore, she said, "My friends and my team are defined not by race, religion, age, gender, or sexual orientation, but by creativity, openness, joy, and kindness," and questioned, "How wonderful would the world be if we all accepted and understood each other more?"

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.