First Italian Woman to Publically Come Out Dies, Age 83
Mariasilvia Spolato, the first woman to publically come out in Italy, has died aged 83.
Spolato was one of the first gay activists in the country, which cost her her family, her home, and her job. In 1972, she marched in Rome for women’s rights, but draw attention because she was carrying a placard that said: Homosexual liberation. Her picture was published in several magazines, as a result she was fired from her job as a university lecturer, became estranged from her family, and became homeless.
“I slept at friends’ houses, because I could no longer pay my rent. I roamed here and there, from city to city. My home had become the trains. Conductors and engineers from half of Europe knew me. I laid my head wherever I was. I ate whatever I could get,” she said.
She was homeless for many years before gangreneset in one of her legs. She was eventually taken into the care of a homeless shelter.
As Spolato is no longer in contact with her family, her funeral will be arranged by the town council.
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