HISTORY
From 1978 to 2011.
Il Cassero was born in Bologna in 1978, with the name of Circolo Omosessuale or Cultural circle for homosexuals. This formation was born from years of struggle for civil rights and gay liberation.
In June 1982, Il Cassero received the location of Porta Saragozza from the city of Bologna. This marked the first time a municipal administration publicly recognized the importance and development of a gay and lesbian association. The allocation of Porta Saragozza demonstrated the transformation of that time period in which Il Cassero became a recognized symbol of gay liberation on a national level in Italy.
In 1990, the municipal administration commemorated a plaque in memory of the homosexual victims from the Holocaust. Now, every 25th of April a commemoration is celebrated in the presence of authorities and partisan associations. Since 2002, this date is part of the official celebrations of the city of Bologna.
In 1995, Il Cassero organized the first Gay Pride event in Bologna, in which more than 10,000 people participated in. Then in the year 2000, Il Cassero led more than 1,000 people to Rome with a goal to create a national association of Arcigay. Today, there are more than one hundred active Arcigay circles in Italy.
Franco Grillini and Titti De Simone, the first openly gay people elected to Parliament, initiated their political careers with Il Cassero. Their professional and political success represents a triumph in many ways for the Italian LGBT Community.
On March 2, 2002 Il Cassero received by the City of Bologna a new home, the Salara, located inside the Arts Factory, a crossroads of the experiences of theFilm Library of Bologna, the Departments of Music and Performing Arts and Communication Sciences, the University of Bologna, and Mambo, the Museum of Modern Art of Bologna.
In 2008, Il Cassero placed a bid to host the Italian National Gay Pride event in the city of Bologna. On June 28th, Il Cassero hosted the National Gay Pride and coordinated for more than 80,000 participants. From 1978 to 2011.
English Translation by Alejandro Gòngora