Pride preparations overshadowed by Keshet controversy, sparking appeal for Rome mayor to intervene.Roma Pride 2026 is scheduled for Saturday 20 June, but in the weeks leading up to the parade the event has been embroiled in a controversy over the exclusion of Keshet Italia, the association representing Jewish LGBTQ people in Italy.Rome Pride organisers communicated their decision on social media last week following a meeting with representatives of Keshet Italia and Keshet Europe. According to the organisers, Keshet Italia bore "the responsibility of not having taken, and not intending to take, distance from the ongoing genocide in Gaza", and on this basis concluded that no conditions existed for the participation of their float in the parade, while specifying that Pride is "an open and free" event. Keshet responds Keshet Italia responded by accusing organisers of establishing a discriminatory "political exam" and applying a dangerous double standard. The association stated that Italian Jewish people were being asked to distance themselves from a foreign government for which they hold no responsibility, describing this as a demand to "dissociate" and "repent" - a pattern it characterised as a familiar antisemitic mechanism. The controversy was compounded by events at last year's parade. The decision by Rome Pride to bar Keshet Italia's float followed serious incidents at the 2025 edition, during which members of Keshet Italia faced such hostility that police intervention was required. Open letter Signatories of an open letter to Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri on Friday warned that allowing the association to march only on foot - rather than on a float - would not provide adequate safety standards. That letter gathered more than 1,000 signatures from civil society figures, veteran LGBTQ+ activists, politicians, journalists, intellectuals, artists, scientists, former ambassadors and association presidents. Among the politicians who signed the appeal were Mara Carfagna, Piero Fassino, Emanuele Fiano and Ivan Scalfarotto. Signatories underscored what they described as a fundamental democratic principle: that the participation of a Jewish Italian association in the rights movement cannot in any way be made conditional on geopolitical positions or on the actions of foreign governments entirely unrelated to the association's mission. "This matter transcends the confines of a single organisation or specific event: it directly affects the values ​​of civil coexistence, inclusion, and the democratic stability of our community" - the letter states - "The goal is to identify concrete solutions that guarantee Keshet Italia full participation in conditions of complete safety and equality, confirming Rome as an open and democratic city". Exclusion The Union of Italian Jewish Communities stated that demanding certificates of legitimacy or adherence to specific readings of international geopolitical contexts as a condition of participation betrayed the history of the LGBTQIA+ movement, arguing that "Prides were born to include, not to exclude." Roma Pride organisers have attempted to separate the political dimension from any targeting of the Jewish community as such, but the distinction has not been sufficient to forestall the exclusion of the float itself. Calls have been made for UNAR, the national anti-discrimination office, and Roma Capitale to examine whether the decision constitutes discrimination against Jewish citizens. Roma Pride 2026 Rome will see a return of the Roma Pride parade through the streets of the Italian capital on Saturday 20 June, with dozens of floats and around 30,000 people expected. The meeting point is at 14.30 at Piazza della Repubblica from where the parade will make its way past the Colosseum to Viale delle Terme di Caracalla. The colourful parade celebrating the LGBTQ+ community has the support of the city of Rome and has been organised by gay rights association Mario Mieli every year since the first edition in 1994. Rome's centre-left mayor Gualtieri will lead the parade, as he has done since taking office in 2021, the city has confirmed.

Roma Pride 2026 is scheduled for Saturday 20 June, but in the weeks leading up to the parade the event has been embroiled in a , the association representing Jewish LGBTQ people in Italy. Rome Pride organisers  on social media last week following a meeting with representatives of Keshet Italia and Keshet Europe. According to the organisers, Keshet Italia bore "the responsibility of not having taken, and not intending to take, distance from the ongoing genocide in Gaza", and on this basis concluded that no conditions existed for the participation of their float in the parade, while specifying that Pride is "an open and free" event. Keshet Italia responded by accusing organisers of establishing a discriminatory "political exam" and applying a dangerous double standard. The association stated that Italian Jewish people were being asked to distance themselves from a foreign government for which they hold no responsibility, describing this as a demand to "dissociate" and "repent" - a pattern it characterised as a familiar antisemitic mechanism. The controversy was compounded by events at last year's parade. The decision by Rome Pride to bar Keshet Italia's float followed serious incidents at the 2025 edition, during which members of Keshet Italia faced such hostility that police intervention was required. Signatories of an open letter to Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri on Friday warned that allowing the association to march only on foot - rather than on a float - would not provide adequate safety standards. That letter gathered more than 1,000 signatures from civil society figures, veteran LGBTQ+ activists, politicians, journalists, intellectuals, artists, scientists, former ambassadors and association presidents. Among the politicians who signed the appeal were Mara Carfagna, Piero Fassino, Emanuele Fiano and Ivan Scalfarotto. Signatories underscored what they described as a fundamental democratic principle: that the participation of a Jewish Italian association in the rights movement cannot in any way be made conditional on geopolitical positions or on the actions of foreign governments entirely unrelated to the association's mission. "This matter transcends the confines of a single organisation or specific event: it directly affects the values ​​of civil coexistence, inclusion, and the democratic stability of our community" - the letter states - "The goal is to identify concrete solutions that guarantee Keshet Italia full participation in conditions of complete safety and equality, confirming Rome as an open and democratic city". The Union of Italian Jewish Communities stated that demanding certificates of legitimacy or adherence to specific readings of international geopolitical contexts as a condition of participation betrayed the history of the LGBTQIA+ movement, arguing that "Prides were born to include, not to exclude." Roma Pride organisers have attempted to separate the political dimension from any targeting of the Jewish community as such, but the distinction has not been sufficient to forestall the exclusion of the float itself. Calls have been made for UNAR, the national anti-discrimination office, and Roma Capitale to examine whether the decision constitutes discrimination against Jewish citizens. Rome will see a return of the Roma Pride parade through the streets of the Italian capital on Saturday 20 June, with dozens of floats and around 30,000 people expected. The meeting point is at 14.30 at Piazza della Repubblica from where the parade will make its way past the Colosseum to Viale delle Terme di Caracalla. The colourful parade celebrating the LGBTQ+ community has the support of the city of Rome and has been organised by gay rights association Mario Mieli every year since the first edition in 1994. Rome's centre-left mayor Gualtieri will lead the parade, as he has done since taking office in 2021, .