Riccardo Simonetti fights passionately for equality at all levels. "Being different is not a weakness," he emphasizes in the interview.
Model, entertainer, author – Riccardo Simonetti (27) is a real all-rounder. But it is precisely this versatility that often attracts envious people. The 27-year-old meets prejudice and discrimination with his honest and self-deprecating manner. He explains how he did that as part of Colgate's "Our smile is our strength" campaign, which campaigns for people who suffer from prejudice or discrimination . In addition, 20,000 euros will be donated to DKMS LIFE, which can be topped up to a total of 35,000 euros by posting on Instagram.
In the interview Riccardo Simonetti talks about bullying, how he deals with negative comments on social media and about tolerance in our society.
You were badly bullied and hostile in your youth. How did you learn to approach hatred and prejudice with a positive attitude?
Riccardo Simonetti: The most important thing is that you don't let yourself be taken away from what defines you. In my case, humor helped me not to let anyone take my smile away from me. We live in a society in which one is immediately assessed as worse if one is regarded as different. With what I do, I hope to be able to convince people otherwise. That's why I'm part of Colgate's "Our smiles are our strengths" campaign. They support people who do not lose their optimism and who choose to smile. I think that's great because, as the ambassador of DKMS LIFE, I know how urgently support is needed in a year like this.
Do you still think back to that bad time today?
Simonetti: Of course, I think anyone who has been bullied will have to admit that all these experiences make you the personality you are today. I don't particularly enjoy thinking back to this time and talking about it, but I do it because I believe that this is the only way you can contribute to motivating people to be more sensitive to one another and to show those affected that they are not alone.
How important is it for you to actively support the LGBTQ community and equality at all levels?
Simonetti: As a gay man, I fight for this topic on all levels possible. Many people believe that homophobia and transphobia are no longer current topics, but that is not the truth. Especially in our neighboring countries, the rights for the LGBTQ + community are going completely wrong and hardly anyone is talking about it. As part of this community, this topic is of course very important to me. But intolerance and discrimination go much further in our society – people with different body shapes or different skin colors can also tell a song about that. For me, the main thing is that there is no longer any place for discrimination in general in our society – no matter in what way.
How tolerant is our society today?
Simonetti: We have created an awareness in which you can see where tolerance is still missing. Now we have to work actively to be genuinely tolerant in order to lay the foundations for a society in which the individual and his needs are valued as much as those of the general public. We would all benefit from such a society, including people who are not part of marginalized groups. Because at the latest when you get older, everyone will experience what it is like to be perceived by society as less valuable. And that should be everyone's business.
Many celebrities still keep a secret about their sexual orientation, can you understand that?
Simonetti: This is how it is exemplified. You grow up in a society without any alternative figures of identification and that is why it still takes a lot of courage today to be open to who you are. Many do not feel ready to be this figure of identification – but that is incredibly important. Something will only change when you see that it's okay to be a member of the LGBTQ + community everywhere. Not only in the apparently tolerant fashion world, but also in professional sports and television.
Are negative comments bouncing off you now?
Simonetti: It would be a lie if I said that it can't affect you too. The thing about self-esteem is that it is not a state that you reach and then never lose. Something like that can change in a matter of seconds, and it doesn't matter how many people like what you're doing. Some days you don't care and smile at it, others it hurts you enormously. Either way, one should try not to base one's well-being on the opinion of others. That's a little thing I still have to work on myself.
What advice can you give to people who suffer from prejudice or discrimination?
Simonetti: The opinion of others should have nothing to do with how you feel about yourself.
Insulting posts on your own pin board, embarrassing photos and much more – how should you react to cyberbullying?
Simonetti: I think people should be pointed out to the fact that the consequences of such behavior can often go far beyond the internet – for both the perpetrator and the victim.
What would you say to your younger self today?
Simonetti: Don't be afraid of coming out! Everything that comes after that is so worth experiencing. And don't be afraid to be different in any way. Being different is not a weakness, it makes us special. And last but not least – together we can make a difference!