Il giardiniere, il giardino e le rose. L’omoerotismo in Rivolta Femminile e negli scritti di Carla Lonzi

The Gardener, the Garden and her Roses. Homoeroticism in Rivolta Femminile and in Carla Lonzi’s Writings
Our aim is to contribute to the history of Rivolta Femminile, a very influential feminist group of the Seventies, in order to find connections between some women of Rivolta and the lesbian & gay movement in Rome, Turin and Milan. We shall also take into account the writings of Carla Lonzi, one of the most famous Italian feminist thinkers and charismatic leader of Rivolta Femminile. “Like a gardener with her roses” (as she liked to be described) she trained the women in this movement through the practice of consciousness raising. Our analysis is focused first on her diary, Taci, anzi parla. Diario di una femminista (1978) to highlight the primary importance of her love relationships with other women, and in particular with “Sara”, key figure of her autobiography. Finally, we shall look at her well-known essay, La donna clitoridea e la donna vaginale (1970), to highlight both the originality of Lonzi’s thoughts on female sexuality and the existing proximities of her analysis with lesbian theories and concepts.