Måneskin’s Victoria De Angelis has opened up about the challenges she faced as an openly queer person in Italy.
Since their fiery debut on the Italian edition of The X Factor, the beloved four-piece band has made waves in the pop culture sphere for their unapologetic music and artistry.
The band – which is made up of lead vocalist Damino David, guitarist Thomas Raggi, openly queer drummer Ethan Torchio and De Angelis – have also received praise from LGBTQ+ music listeners for using their platform to champion the queer community.
While Måneskin continues to be lauded for their LGBTQ representation and allyship, De Angelis has revealed that living her authentic queer life in Italy is not as positive.
When speaking to Big Issue magazine, the former GAY TIMES cover star said that her home country has made her feel “uncomfortable” for her LGBTQ+ identity.
“I remember when I first started dating girls, I felt people really staring. These things can really make you uncomfortable, even if it’s not such a big deal compared to what other people deal with,” she explained.
“But I still just wish it could be completely normal. It’s very conservative still, in Italy. It’s a very Catholic country, and many, many people still believe, because of that, that it’s a sin to be homosexual.”
De Angelis went on to express her hopes for the younger generation to “open” the older generation’s minds, despite their religious affiliations.
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“They can learn to be more respectful and tolerant towards people that just have their own sexuality. I think that’s a step that is starting now in Italy but it’s still gonna need time.”
Towards the end of her interview, De Angelis opened up about Måneskin’s message of freedom and the importance of inclusivity.
“So we would really just like to live in a more respectful world, where everyone can be safe and allowed to be who they are, without having to deal with any racism, homophobia, misogyny, or violence of any kind,” she said.
“We want to spread the message of believing in yourself and finding the courage to be who you are. But also… like, the f***ing idiots should stop being such dicks, you know?”
Over the last few years, Italy has ranked as one of the worst Western European countries to be openly LGBTQ+.
The country has also seen an increase in anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric due to the recently elected prime minister Giorgia Meloni and her far-right government party Brothers of Italy – who have used their platform to spew hateful viewpoints.
Before Italy’s 2022 election, Meloni publicly condemned the LGBTQ+ community during a speech in Marbella, Spain, stating: “Yes to the natural family, no to the LGBT lobby, yes to sexual identity, no to gender ideology.”
In March, Meloni and her conservative government took their anti-LGBTQ+ hate a step forward when they asked city halls to limit recognition of parental rights to the biological parent in LGBTQ+ families.
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