Femmeniell’ is a word that has echoed through the streets of Naples for centuries. It referred to a person with a fluid gender identity long before Italy even existed, at a time when gender studies were unheard of. This term has shaped an identity and has become part of the cultural and social vocabulary of Neapolitan life.
In the third episode of the ‘Off the Trails’ series, we visited southern Italy’s largest city to observe the evolution of the ante-litteram queer community over time. We participated in the pilgrimage that the femmeniell – and today the Neapolitan LGBTQI+ community – make every year to the Sanctuary of the Madonna of Montevergine, who has always been their protector.
For @erebmedia Alexandra Tyan and Marco Carlone went to Naples to understand how much this tradition still influences the community today.
