Lombardy Region once again denies sponsorship to Milano Pride 2026 The center-right majority continues to reject institutional support for the June 27 rally
Also this year, the Lombardy Region has denied its patronage to the Milan Pride, scheduled for June 27. The decision came through a majority vote by the Bureau of the Regional Council: the center-right representatives voted against it, while the two representatives from the Democratic Party voted in favor. It is by now a familiar script at the Pirellone. On one side, the opposition supports institutional recognition of Pride; on the other, the regional majority once again refuses it, confirming in this legislative term its short-sighted political stance on civil rights issues.
The Bureau vote
Voting against the patronage were Federico Romani of Brothers of Italy, president of the Regional Council, vice president Giacomo Cosentino of Lombardia Ideale, and Alessandra Cappellari of the League. In favor were Emilio Del Bono and Jacopo Scandella of the Democratic Party. The final result was clear: three votes against and two in favor. Regional patronage for Milan Pride 2026 has therefore been rejected for yet another consecutive year. In past years, members of the majority justified their opposition by calling the event “divisive” and “provocative.” A position that continues to highlight the political distance between the Lombard center-right and the associations organizing the Pride.
The political significance of patronage
The issue goes beyond the formal value of patronage itself. For the organizers and much of the LGBTQIA+ associative world, institutional support represents a public stance against discrimination and inequality. Pride events originated as demonstrations demanding equal rights, protections, and social recognition. Every year they ask institutions to support the principles of inclusion and equality, especially at a historical moment in which the debate over LGBTQIA+ rights remains highly polarized. For this reason, the lack of patronage is interpreted as a precise political signal. Luca Paladini, regional councilor for Patto Civico and founder of Sentinelli di Milano, openly spoke of “ostracism toward the LGBTQIA+ community,” criticizing the absence of regional initiatives on inclusion and discrimination issues.
The distance between the City and the Region
This year again confirms the difference in position between the Lombardy Region and the City of Milan. Palazzo Marino, in fact, is expected to once again sponsor the Pride, as it has done in previous editions. It is a political divide that reflects two different visions regarding civil rights and institutional representation. Milan continues to present itself as an open and inclusive city, while the Region maintains a more conservative line on a symbolic and political level.
An increasingly attended event
The lack of regional patronage, however, does not change the scale of the event. More than 350,000 people are expected on June 27. The parade will start from Via Pisani and end at the Arco della Pace, concluding a month of Pride-related events. In recent years, Milan Pride has grown into one of the city’s most attended public events, involving associations, activists, families, students, and cultural organizations. According to the organizers, the event continues to represent a fundamental political and social space for claiming freedom, visibility, and equality. And it is precisely this public importance that makes the Region’s lack of support an issue destined to reignite political clashes every year.
