Monica Romano Explained

Monica J. Romano is an Italian activist, writer and politician. She was the first transgender municipal councilor in Milan.^{[1] [2]}

Biography

Romano was born in 1979 in Milan, Italy. She came from a working-class family. Her mother is from La Spezia and her father is from Sicily. In 1997, she graduated from high school (classical lyceum). In 1998, she came out as a trans woman, choosing the name Monica.^[3]

In the same year she began her activism in associations and Italian LGBT movements, fascinated by her mentor Deborah Lambillotte. Her best-known activism is for transgender people's right to work.

Her activism has been going on for more than twenty years.^[4]

In 2006 the Italian State, by judgment of the court, recognised the name Monica as her legal name. The "J" in her middle name is the first letter of her birth name. She has kept this "to highlight a political positioning of rejection of binary logic, passing logic and normalizazion that have always oppressed transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming people and communities".

In 2007, she graduated in Political Science.

In 2008, she wrote her first book "Transsexuality as Object of Discrimination", essay about discrimination of transgender people in contemporary society.^{[5] [6]}

In 2015 she wrote "Stories of XY girls", a bildungsroman based on the story of her life^[7] and in 2017 she wrote "Gender (R) Evolution", memoir about her activism. Both books were published by Ugo Mursia.^[8]

In 2021, she ran for municipal elections in Milan for the Democratic Party, taking 938 votes. She won the election and became the first transgender woman municipal councilor in the history of Milan.^{[9] [10] [11] [12] [13]}

In 2023 she published the book Indietro non si torna. Il lungo cammino dei diritti civili delle persone LGBT+ in Italia. Una storia personale, una battaglia politica with a preface by Alessandro Zan, published by .^{[14] [15]}

Notes and References

1. Article of Italy 24 News "Monica Romano first transgender councilor in Milanhttps://www.italy24news.com/local/217338.html
2. Interview for Euronews "How a bill to fight homophobia has polarised Italy and sparked a culture war"https://www.euronews.com/2021/08/09/how-a-bill-to-fight-homophobia-has-polarised-italy-and-sparked-a-culture-war
3. Web site: Monica J. Romano . Monica J. Romano . it-IT.
4. Web site: Chi siamo – ACET. Who we are – ACET . ACET - Associazione per la cultura e l'etica transgenere . it-IT.
5. http://www.arcigay.it/diurna Presentation of the book "Transsexuality as Object of Discrimination" of Arcigay national association
6. http://www.donnamoderna.com/salute/Eros-psiche/viaggio-nel-mondo-trans Interview for magazine "Donna Moderna": "A travel in transgender world"
7. http://www.mursia.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=282:romano&catid=85:in-evidenza "Stories of XY girls", 2015, Ugo Mursia's Editions
8. Interview of "L'indice dei libri del mese": "Monica Romano: the potentials of LGBT publishinghttps://www.lindiceonline.com/osservatorio/cultura-e-societa/monica-romano-gender-revolution-editoria-lgbt/
9. News: Guglielmini . Fabrizio . Monica Romano, prima transgender eletta a Milano: «Mi ha chiamato Zan, lotto per le donne uccise dall'odio». Monica Romano, first transgender elected in Milan: "Zan called me, I fight for women killed by hate" . . 10 October 2021 . it-IT.
10. News: Carlo . Andrea . LGBT anger after Italian bill to fight homophobia is rejected . 2 February 2024 . euronews . 2 November 2021.
11. News: Gallione . Alessia . Il Consiglio comunale dei diritti di Milano: da Monica Romano, la prima transgender a Palazzo Marino, a Mazzei animatore di Massa Marmocchi. Milan's Municipal Council of Rights: from Monica Romano, the first transgender in Palazzo Marino, to Mazzei animator of Massa Marmocchi . . 12 October 2021 . it.
12. News: Baldi . Chiara . La consigliera transgender: "Spazzata via la destra, Milano è diventata davvero la capitale dei diritti". The transgender councilor: "With the right swept away, Milan has truly become the capital of rights" . . 10 October 2021 . it.
13. News: Zanini . Di Chiara . Chi sono e cosa pensano le attiviste trans elette alle elezioni amministrative . Who are the trans women activists elected in local elections and what do they think? . 5 November 2021 . it-IT.
14. Nast . Omobitransfobia, Monica J.Romano: «Sono transgender e sono felice». Homobitransphobia, Monica J.Romano: 'I am transgender and I am happy' . . 17 May 2023 . it-IT.
15. News: Ligato . Maria Grazia . Monica Romano: «Volevo solo diventare me». Monica J. Romano: 'I just wanted to become me' . . 14 May 2023 . it-IT.