Italy —
Italy's first transgender parliamentary candidate is
about to enter the political scene as the campaign season
officially gets underway.
Parliamentary elections
are scheduled for early April with hopefuls from across
the political spectrum competing for the spotlight as
they prepare for polling day.
The two frontrunners are
Premier Silvio Berlusconi and Romano Prodi, a former
premier and European commission president.
But another candidate
named Vladimir Luxuria is also attracting
attention.
Born Vladimiro Guadagno,
Luxuria is the first transgender candidate to run for the
Italian parliament, and refers to herself as a
'she'.
"Some people feel
scandalized by the fact that the first transgender
candidate is going to enter into parliament, and I say
the parliament is now going to be an institution that
represents the society in all its forms, even
transgenders."
