The campain

I Am, I Vote is a national campaign promoted by Italian organizations that deal with the recognition of the rights of transgender people, to obtain accessible, inclusive and respectful polling stations for Trans* identities. We appeal to the Ministry of the Interior and the Presidency of the Council of Ministers to change the voting procedures provided byart. 5 of Presidential Decree No. 223, dated March 20th 1967 which represents a limitation of the exercise to vote for thousands of transgender and non-binary people. This law forces them to violates the individuals personal dignity and privacy, forcing them to “come out” in front of an audience that they have not chosen. This violates their personal sense of self.

Art. 5 of the Presidential Decree March 20, 1967, n. 223.

Law 7 October 1947, n. 1058, art. 4, paragraphs 1 and 2, and law 22 January 1966, n. 1, art. 4, paragraphs 1 and 2

“The electoral lists, distinguished for men and women, are compiled in alphabetical order in duplicate, and indicate for each member:

 

a) the surname and first name and, for married or widowed women, also the surname of the husband;

b) the place and date of birth;

c) the number, part and series of the birth certificate;

d) ((LETTER DELETED BY LEGISLATIVE DECREE 30 JUNE 2003, N.196));

e) ((LETTER DELETED BY LEGISLATIVE DECREE 30 JUNE 2003, N.196));

f) the house.

 

They must be authenticated, by signature, by the electoral officer. In the event that the electoral officer is the municipal electoral commission, the electoral lists must be authenticated, by signature, by the president of the same commission and by the secretary. ”

This presents a real barrier in accessing the vote.

The current procedures for accessing polling stations do not take into account the complexity of the lives of transgender people. Thousands of people entitled to vote at this time in Italy are not in possession of documents that conform to their identity. This is due to the law number 164 of 1982 in Italy, which is now obsolete because as it does regulate the process to rectify personal identity documents, it still requires an extensive bureaucratic process in the Italian courts in order to obtain the necessary document which recognizes their identity.

This law forces transgender* people to be placed on a list, row or register separate for men and women, which depends merely on their personal sex at birth, indicated on the document. Transgender* people are in fact forced to violate their privacy in public contexts facing people who are not prepared to welcome them. This compromises their democratic participation in public life.

According to data from TMM Trans Murder Monitoring di TGEU – Transgender European Network Italy has been for years, among the top countries in Europe, on the same par with Turkey, for the number of hate crimes against transgender people. In addition, the latest report by ILGA Europe – International Lesbian Gay Association confirms that Italy has slipped to the 35th place in the Rainbow Map, which traces episodes of homo-lesbo-bi-transnegativity.

Therefore, by the trans community is forced to be outed by communities who do not welcome them, means ultimately exposing them to hostile, discriminatory environments, exposing them to more volatile and violent situations, instead of accepting by virtue their gender identity as is.