Why this pic of two girls kissing next to Salvini is the manifesto generation Z needed
A week ago, the selfie of two girls kissing next to Salvini went viral. One of the many pranks pulled on Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, along with the boy who did a selfie while saying pro-migrant slogans and the girl who insulted him. But this is not just a prank or a subtle message. The two girls did that to protest against Mr Salvini’s position on LGBTQ+ rights, whom according to him shouldn’t be recognised as proper families in Italy.
This selfie has become a #lovechallenge, a manifesto shared by generation Z on social media and set up to be the next challenge against far-right politicians.
That’s what Gaia and Matilde, the two girls behind the picture wanted in the first place, to spread a message of love against hate. A message, that almost ended in an assault, when one of Salvini’s aides tried to rip them apart, taking Gaia’s face in his hand and violently pulling her away from Matilde.
The brutal force of censorship that almost destroyed one of the most symbolic picture of this digital generation. A generation that fight hate and discrimination with the only media that allows them to be as powerful as far-right politicians like Salvini: Social Media.
This is the manifesto of a generation that is showing us how one kiss can be more threatening to these far-right leaders than any other public attack.
Read the interview I did with Gaia for Dazed Magazine here: https://www.dazeddigital.com/politics/article/44258/1/women-kissing-viral-photo-italian-politician-matteo-salvini
