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LA STAMPA

The Sort-Of Italian Job: Fake Nation Rocked By Online Coup

An upstart from Savoy has challenged the royal authority of Marcello I, prince of the unofficially unrecognized so-called Principality of Seborga.

The past is alive on the walls of Seborga
The past is alive on the walls of Seborga
Giulio Gavino

TURIN— A coup d'état has rocked the so-called Principality of Seborga, an unofficial state in the hinterlands of Italy"s Liguria region that insists it is an independent entity because a 1729 sales agreement with the Kingdom of Sardinia was never officially transcribed.

Four years ago, Seborga citizens elected Marcello Menegatto, or Marcello I, as their prince. But recently, a Frenchman named Nicolas Mutte, from lower Savoy, issued an online proclamation asserting his leadership over the principality and detailing plans for the fantasy state's development and economic welfare. Mutte, for the record, calls himself Nicolas I.

The coup came about quietly. But it did prompt a reaction from Marcello I, who ordered Mutte and his supporters not to use the principality's symbols or coat of arms, and above all, to shut down the website on which the proclamation appears.

He also stripped Marcel Mentil — an established Seborga historian and former royal consultant whose relatives manage the offending website — of his citizenship in the principality.

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Welcome to the "principality of Seborga" — Photo: Gminguzzi

Marcello I, back from a trip to Dubai, where he met with Sheikh Muhammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum to strengthen diplomatic ties, has made his position abundantly clear to his "subjects," and has found ample support against the conspirators.

"The prince of Seborga is elected by the citizens by law, and I am the elected prince," he thundered.

Clearly, Italy does not recognize the principality, and the town does have an actual mayor and city hall. Nevertheless, the tourism industry around this fantasyland has flourished, giving a boost to local artisans. Visitors get to see the "Luigini," coins made in the principality and said to have a value equal to the U.S. dollar.

It's also true that without the protection of the prince's guards, local history and lore would have attracted far less attention, and the town wouldn't be nearly so well off.

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LGBTQ Plus

My Wife, My Boyfriend — And Grandkids: A Careful Coming Out For China's Gay Seniors

A series of interviews in Wuhan with aging gay men — all currently or formerly married to women — reveals a hidden story of how Chinese LGBTQ culture is gradually emerging from the shadows.

Image of two senior men playing chinese Checkers.

A friendly game of Checkers in Dongcheng, Beijing, China.

Wang Er

WUHAN — " What do you think of that guy sitting there, across from us? He's good looking."

" Then you should go and talk to him."

“ Too bad that I am old..."

Grandpa Shen was born in 1933. He says that for the past 40 years, he's been "repackaged," a Chinese expression for having come out as gay. Before his wife died when he was 50, Grandpa Shen says he was was a "standard" straight Chinese man. After serving in the army, he began working in a factory, and dated many women and evenutually got married.

"Becoming gay is nothing special, I found it very natural." Grandpa Shen says he discovered his homosexuality at the Martyrs' Square in Wuhan, a well-known gay men's gathering place.

✉️ You can receive our LGBTQ+ International roundup every week directly in your inbox. Subscribe here.

Wuhan used to have different such ways for LGBTQ+ to meet: newspaper columns, riversides, public toilets, bridges and baths to name but a few. With urbanization, many of these locations have disappeared. The transformation of Martyrs' Square into a park has gradually become a place frequented by middle-aged and older gay people in Wuhan, where they play cards and chat and make friends. There are also "comrades" (Chinese slang for gay) from outside the city who come to visit.

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