Milan, September 9, 2023 – “Taylor Swift, in the song “Antihero” he tells us how sometimes we can be our own enemies. It is an extremely subtle and complex song, despite its cheerful and pleasant rhythm, which can be misleading to those who do not know the deeper meaning. Two years ago I turned into my own anti-hero, and this led me to deep depression. I felt lost. This fall seemed endless until the announcement of Taylor Swift’s date in Italy came: the world had opened up for me, perhaps I still had something to hope for and something to fight for. Taylor literally saved my life.”
Silvia Stoyanova he is 35 years old and has filed a petitionwhich has reached a reference point beyond 37 thousand signaturesask for more accessible seats for the concert, which will take place in San Siro on July 13 and 14, 2024. The target is 110 – out of 60 thousand – and many have been excluded (and will not be able to gain access even if they bought a ticket to the VIP area, like she did).
“Sylvia is not number 111, she is not even a disability advocate or someone who is harassing Taylor Swift. Beyond all this, there is a story: I would like to be Sylvia again, without losing sight of this battle, which is what I believe in,” he admits to us, speaking to himself with an open heart.
“Since childhood, I lived through my situation without problems, I never felt disabled. I was a child sitting in a wheelchair. My mother, who is also a registered nurse, always took me anywhere, anywhere, without restrictions. He knew about my passion for concerts and events and supported me by introducing me to famous people.” From Laura Pausini To Five, A British boy band that was all the rage in the late nineties. Remember the feat to communicate with Amber Angiolini behind the scenes: “I learned Italian thanks to Non è la Rai,” smiles Silvia, “I moved to Vaprio d’Adda from Bulgaria at the age of seven.”
With the advent of social media, she created her own “comfort zone,” she continues: “A place where I could talk to anyone and do anything without being labeled, a neutral space.” Then everything collapsed. “Two years ago I was hospitalized with pulmonary embolism, my mother saved me because they didn’t notice it at first,” she recalls, “they gave me oxygen. And my descent began, with attacks of panic and depression. disability for the first time. And how can you tell your only parent, because I haven’t had a dad for four years now, that you don’t want to live anymore? I lost interest in everything. Until one day he was declared disabled. It became known about the date of Taylor Swift, who disappeared in Italy for 13 years and whom I have never seen. I was clinging to my old life that I wanted back.” With the rush for tickets, disappointment and the thought that other stories like his – not the numbers – would have been left behind the gate.
“Thanks to this story, I also met four more friends who are my strength, I broke my comfort zone,” he emphasizes, “even if it was not easy at all. To get to Taylor, I had to expose myself, tell the world who I was. And it’s risky, for better or worse. I didn’t think that my petition would reach more than 37 thousand people, Italian media and American newspapers. Now I hope to finally reach her, Taylor, who fights for the rights of all minorities and injustices also with her music.” He also turns to Italian artists, from Fedez To Elodie: “Take a stand on these issues, stand with your fans.”
“I am a girl sitting in a wheelchair, I found something to strive for. For me and for others – Sylvia emphasizes. Because for some a concert may seem banal, for others it is life. And if something happens, even on a national level, so be it. But what a rage to know that this is no longer the case, after the battles of other girls before me.” You can see the table announced by the Minister for Disabled People, Alessandra Locatelli, to trade associations and which “will be installed at the end of the month,” they assure from Rome. The debate continues.
“We fill our mouths with words “Inclusion”, talking about equal opportunities in access to culture. And then? The organizers didn’t even call me, although they have my number and the number of my lawyer. Sometimes all it takes is a word or a comparison to be treated as human beings rather than brushed off with a copy-paste email,” Sylvia concludes. I tell my story and what I feel for the first time, even if it is difficult for me. But I want to remind those who organize events that when you exclude someone, you leave them with all their baggage, dreams and pain.”