monicaromano.it

Civil rights

This page outlines my work on civil rights over more than twenty years: from grassroots activism to institutional roles, from writing to political action.

I consider civil rights a key indicator of the quality of a democracy and of the ability of public institutions to ensure equality, freedom and dignity for all.

My commitment in this field has always been grounded in a broad, responsible approach, focused on dialogue, institutional responsibility and the pursuit of concrete solutions.

Associational life

I have been committed to civil rights since the late 1990s, a period in which, very young, I came into contact with LGBTQIA+ associations through those who would become my two mentors and political mothers: Deborah Lambillotte (Arcitrans) and, later, Mirella Izzo (Crisalide Azione Trans onlus).

In the period 1998–2007, I held roles of increasing responsibility, up to a national presidency within the association Crisalide Azione Trans onlus. My commitment within associations continues to this day. I am a founding member of the Association for Transgender Culture and Ethics (ACET).

I have conceived and organized four editions of the Trans Lives Matter March in Milan.
These initiatives have had a significant impact on civil society and have contributed to advancing public reflection on the issues of gender identity and equality.

Publications

I have written and published four books that address the challenges and achievements of the battles for civil rights in Italy:

  • Diurna. La transessualità come oggetto di discriminazione (Daytime. Transsexuality as an Object of Discrimination) (Costa & Nolan, 2008);
  • Trans. Storie di ragazze XY (Trans. Stories of XY Girls) (Mursia, 2015);
  • Gender (R)Evolution (Gender (R)Evolution) (Mursia, 2017);
  • Indietro non si torna. Il lungo cammino dei diritti civili delle persone LGBT+ in Italia (No Turning Back. The Long Journey of Civil Rights for LGBT+ People in Italy) (TEA, 2023), with a preface by Alessandro Zan.

Commitment to Civil Rights in the Milan City Council

Over the years, I have promoted initiatives, approved by the Milan City Council, such as the activation of the alias career for employees of the Municipality of Milan and the alias name for public transport subscriptions provided by ATM (Milan Transport Company).

Awards and Recognitions


In 2021 I received an award from the Coordinamento Torino Pride, in collaboration with the University and the Polytechnic of Turin, for my contribution to activism and the promotion of human rights.
At every stage of this more than twenty-year path, I have always chosen to maintain an approach attentive to dialogue and capable of building transversal alliances.

To learn more about my institutional and political journey: