Category Archives: Milan, Italy

Rocco, Stylist, Milan, Italy

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

Rocco, in his own words:“*Cosa significa per te essere Gay?

-Poter avere la possibilità di essere ciò che sono, di credere in quel che credo. Mi da la possibilità di avere il libero arbitrio nella gestione delle mie emozioni.

*Quali sfide e successi hai dovuto affrontare nella vita?

-Di fronte a questa domanda sorrido, e realizzo di non essermela mai posta. Credo che la sfida più grande per me sia stata quella di affrontare mio padre e acquisire la mia indipendenza da lui e dalla mia famiglia, lui è un uomo del Sud Italia nato nel 54• con una mentalità molto ristretta. Primogenito di tre figli, sono stato da subito amato, se non altro a modo loro ci hanno provato. Nel corso del tempo i “segni” della mia “diversità” (mi vien da sorridere nell’adoperare questa parola) a cui non si voleva badare d’apprima, diventavano più evidenti. Lui ha iniziato a staccarsi da me col tempo, fino al giorno in cui ho dichiarato la mia sessualità. Nel tempo siamo arrivati ad odiarci, l’ho denunciato per percosse e sequestro di persona e ho dovuto affrontare un processo. Sono passati dieci lunghissimi e bellissimi anni. Il successo arriva poco per volta, forse per chi sa aspettare o per chi sa affrontare! Oggi vivo a Milano e posso dirmi una persona felice a tratti: non credo nella felicità assoluta. Lui (mio padre) ogni tanto mi chiama, nelle nostre telefonate si parla di molte cose, ma più d’ogni altra cosa inavvertitamente mi racconta che i ruoli della vita si sono capovolti. Oggi lui è quel bambino desideroso d’amore, ed io quell’uomo severo che teneramente comprende la totalità dell’amore.

*Qual’è la tua storia, come hai fatto coming out?!

-La mia vita è un continuo intrecciarsi di storie, ogni giorno. Il mio coming out l’ho trovato abbastanza buffo, avevo 16 anni e vivevo a Milano (con mia zia e la sua famiglia) in un pomeriggio di Gennaio a tavola i miei familiari e mia madre si facevano delle domande sulla mia sessualità mettendo me in difficoltà, in quel momento capii che il problema non era il mio, ma il loro. Decisi di raccontare quello che era il mio sentire, il mio essere! Ad ogni modo la mia storia personale è quella di un ragazzo che è sempre stato alla ricerca di una famiglia, e che nel tempo ha imparato a trovarla nelle persone che ama.

*Com’è la comunità LGBT a Milano?!

-Io personalmente non tendo a ghettizzarmi, preferisco avere a che fare con comunità eterogenee. Se mi devo basare sulla comunità LGBT Milanese con cui ho avuto a che fare inevitabilmente nel corso degli anni, posso dire di aver avuto a che fare con tanti generi contrapposti… Ho incontrato persone senza scrupoli che pur di ottenere quello a cui aspiravano avrebbero fatto carte false, a volte ho conosciuto persone con scarsa personalità che spesso e volentieri si adeguano alla massa perché insicure, altre volte mi sono imbattuto in personalità frivole il cui unico scopo dell’essere è vivere costantemente in una festa senza fine, ed ho anche conosciuto persone meravigliose che mi accompagnano nel corso del mio tempo ancora adesso. Non amo dire la mia su quel che riguarda la comunità LGBT, il problema non sono le comunità o le “razze” il problema sono gli individui singoli. Di bestie ne ho conosciute di tutte le razze e di tutte le categorie, nessuna esclusa!

*Quale consiglio daresti tu ad un giovane?!

-La vita è un viaggio meraviglioso, anche quando non ne cogliamo il senso. Qualsiasi essa sia, vale la pena di essere vissuta! Non fatevi scoraggiare da nulla, amate la vostra pelle, amate i vostri panni, è la vostra storia. Siate voi stessi, sempre… Nella vostra diversità. Non abbiate timore.”

Rocco, in his own words: “Being gay means having the opportunity to be I am, to believe in what I believe. It gives me the opportunity to have free will in the management of my emotions.

What are the challenges and successes you’ve had to face in life?

Addressing this question makes me smile, because I realize it’s a question I have never asked. I think the biggest challenge for me has been to deal with my father and gain my independence from him and my family, he is a man born in Southern Italy, 54 with a very narrow-mind. Being the eldest of three children, I was immediately loved, if only in their own way. Over time the “signs” of my “diversity” (it makes me smile in saying this word) became more evident. He started to break away from me over time, until the day I declared my sexuality. It’s been ten long and beautiful years. Success comes gradually, perhaps to those who wait, or for those who can cope! Today I live in Milan and I can tell a happy person at times I do not believe in absolute happiness. He (my father) sometimes calls me, in our phone calls we talk about many things, but more than anything else inadvertently tells me that the life roles have reversed. Today he is eager to love his child, and I tenderly am stern that that includes the totality of love.

My Life is a continuous interweaving of stories every day. My coming out I found quite funny, I was 16 and I was living in Milan (with my aunt and her family) in a January afternoon at the table, my family and my mother were asking about my sexuality, putting me in a difficult situation, that’s when I realized that the problem was not mine, but theirs. I decided to tell them what I was feeling, my being! However my personal story is that of a boy who was always looking for a family, and that in time he learned to find the people he loves.

I personally do not tend to ghettizzarmi, I prefer to deal with heterogeneous communities. If I have to rely on the LGBT community in Milan with whom I had to deal inevitably over the years, I can say I had to deal with so many genres … I met people opposing unscrupulously to get what they aspired–those who would make false papers, sometimes I met people with little personality that often adapt to the mass because of insecurity, sometimes I came across frivolous personalities whose sole purpose of being is to live constantly in an endless party, and I also I met wonderful people who accompany me during my time even now. I do say this only concerns the LGBT community, the problem is not the communities or the “races” the problem is the individuals. Of beasts I have known of all races and of all categories, without exception!

(Advice to my younger self) Life is a wonderful journey, even when you do not grasp the meaning. Whatever it is, it is worth living! Do not be put off by anything, love your skin, love your shoes, it’s your story. Be yourself, always … In your diversity. Do not be afraid.”

Alessio and Matto, Social Media Manager/Personal Assistant and Showroom Back Office/Seller, Milan, Italy

photo by Kevin Truong, Alessio (left) and Matto (right)

photo by Kevin Truong, Alessio (left) and Matto (right)

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong, Alessio (left) and Matto (right)

Alessio, in his own words: ” Being gay means to be my self, as a free person who can have sentimental decisions without any pressure by anyone.

Sometimes it made me feel very proud of myself… A little bit lucky as a guy man I could be brave and love who I want. But sometimes I said to myself: “it is normal and easy” and at the same time I say, there are and there were many people who cannot be themselves and cannot be free to love who they want.

One day I said to my parents: “Mamma, Papà, io sono innamorato di Francesco”. And the rest was not so easy and joyful to tell you…

Sometimes it is really nice the opportunity that a huge city like Milan can offer to you but sometimes it can be really ugly and cruel in general.

For me since I came from a very little country this LGBT community is often strange.

(Advice to my younger self) Be brave.”

Matto, in his own words: ” Bein’ gay for me, it’s to be free feeling always myself, with everybody and in every situation of my life.

I don’t know exactly, but my idea of success is to basically and consciously choose to have positive feelings.

When I realized that I fell in love with my first boy-friend I needed to talk to my mom but she told me “I know”, then she cried for my secret: I was 22 years-old.

Milan’s a crossroads of many kind of gay people, so the community is numerous and well integrated to the rest of the citizens. Being the city of the fashion, it answers to the rules of the fashion-system. I am not a very worldly person, I prefer to be with the people that I love.

(Advice to my younger self) be always honest with yourself, first, and don’t be afraid to be free.”