Nicola "Nichi" Vendola is an Italian left-wing politician and LGBT activist who was a Member of the Chamber of Deputies from Apulia from 1992 to 2005 and President of Apulia from 2005 to 2015. He is one of the first openly LGBT Italian politicians and the first openly LGBT heads of a regional government in Italy.
Vendola during a SEL meeting
Nichi Vendola participates at the Padua Pride 2002 with Imma Battaglia and Marco Cappato
Nichi Vendola in Bari in 2009
Communist Refoundation Party
The Communist Refoundation Party is a communist political party in Italy that emerged from a split of the Italian Communist Party (PCI) in 1991. The party's secretary is Maurizio Acerbo, who replaced Paolo Ferrero in 2017. Armando Cossutta was the party's founder, while Fausto Bertinotti its longest-serving leader (1994–2008). The latter transformed the PRC from a traditional communist party into a collection of radical social movements.
PRC's first congress in 1991
PRC's long-time leader Fausto Bertinotti at a party congress in 1999
A PRC rally in Rome, 2007
PRC headquarters in Castello, Venice