The Final saw four drag queens on the mainstage who were very different from each other but full of personality: the second place was the trans Melissa Bianchini, the explosive Silvana Della Magliana. Sheeva is, in fact, Lina Galore who told FqMagazine about herself
Kind, creative and affable. Lina Galore it’s the new one The next Italian drag superstar of the third edition of “Drag Race Italy”, available on Fundamental+. An edition that certainly raised the bar compared to the previous ones – aired on Discovery – with good casting. Even from a technical point of view, from the assembly to the lights, everything went much better. So the Final was seen on the mainstage four drag queens very different from each other but full of personality: the second place is the trans Melissa Bianchinithe explosive Silvana Della Magliana, The Sheeva and, precisely, Lina Galore. The winner’s real name is Giovanni Montuori34 year old, from Avellino who lives and works in Milan and is a communication strategy consultant and digital producer.
Have you defined yours as a political victory why?
In me there is a deliberate activist and political awareness in my performance, especially in Italy, where even simple homosexuality is becoming a problem again. Performing in non-gender conforming costumes is an act of revolution, as was also my final costume at Drag Race Italia.
In 2022, there were over 21 thousand calls to the toll-free number for assistance to the LGBTQ+ community: 41.6% suffer homotransphobic violence in the family after coming out. What do you need to do to get out of it?
In order for the worrying curve of homophobia in our country to go down, it is important that the media reflect and represent all genders and realities, in order to overcome the now outdated concept of heteronormative society. We need to overcome the idea that there are exceptions and go beyond the conception of a ‘natural’ reality, i.e. the one conceived congenitally. I think about trans people and how important it is to finally see them in normal contexts in society and in the world of work.
Is this why it is important that there are programs like “Drag Race Italia”?
It’s important to show all the multifaceted realities of our community in a mainstream program and if we’ve reached someone who doesn’t feel accepted or understood at home, it’s a small step forward.
For the first time, the cast included trans Melissa Bianchini and Lightning Aurora…
They personified exactly the difficulties that a trans person had in integrating into society with great difficulty. I am very happy to have reached the final with Melissa and I believe that her presence also had a much stronger impact than mine. I was truly honored to have been by her side.
Senator Mennuni of Fratelli d’Italia stated that the highest aspiration for a woman should be to have children. Does a representation of women in these terms still make sense?
Absolutely no. I would also add that patriarchy is the parent of homotransphobia. This is a vision that puts the straight cis man at the center who can decide the fate of society and the figure of women. This genre is the image of a male who works and earns and who dominates the woman who, instead, must put the family at the centre. We are talking about extremely weak axioms and a worrying regression in terms of equality.
What does Lina Galore envy about Giovanni Montuori and vice versa?
Basically nothing because they both achieved their goals, went to high school and graduated (laughs, ed.). Lina is certainly more strong-willed and determined than Giovanni. I believe that for Giovanni, Lina is a source of inspiration.
How do you manage to reconcile your work and drag art?
All in all, one is the other’s son. I decided to dedicate myself to drag art at the end of 2019, then there was the pandemic and the lockdown, without therefore having the opportunity to perform live. Little by little I tried to make myself aware of Lina’s power and, thanks also to social media, I built what I felt inside me. However, it wasn’t difficult to reconcile the two activities, as a very humble VAT number, I always found people who supported me, leaving me margins to ‘cultivate’ Lina Galore.
You said “I am a champion of people who do not want to be slaves to the judgment linked to their desire to wear feminine and masculine clothes”…
I have never felt so comfortable with my masculinity, since I embraced my femininity and I also demonstrated it with my final catwalk at Drag Race Italia. It all depends on gender which is a social construct. To return to the previous theme, a trans woman is a woman regardless of approval by institutions and documents. If a man goes with a trans woman, it doesn’t mean that she is necessarily homosexual. So there are the constructs that society imposes on sexuality, simply based on what history has taught us in the past.
Is there any mistake that you blame yourself for?
The fact that I didn’t focus on my happiness immediately to necessarily satisfy the external expectations that were placed on me. I moved away from the provincial context, where I lived, and from a certain closed-mindedness to find myself in a mechanism that was crushing me.
In what sense?
I had enrolled in Law at Bocconi. Having reached more than halfway, I understood that it was not the path I wanted to take and that I had found myself there to satisfy the expectations of others and sugarcoat the pill for my departure from my native shore. So I understood that by focusing on myself and my path I would not only live happier but I would also make those around me happy.
2023-12-30 16:40:20
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