Meet the Italian meme queen taking over the Internet

The gays were obsessed with Francesco Nozzolino at first sight — and that was before they even knew he was Italian.

Nozzolino’s recent wave of internet stardom began with a gif, showing him (then an unidentified yet undeniably fabulous figure) rocking a full face of makeup and a pink Palm Springs T-shirt, effortlessly facilitating a conversation between two other people.

The gif was immediately everywhere, with one user even calling the it “literally the perfect example of how to hold a conversation.” Folks related Nozzolino’s animated energy to their own social situations, favorite media, and hot topics in queer culture.

Culture, unfiltered

Twice a week, our newsletter will bring you the pulse of queer culture, from the tastemakers to the groundbreakers.

But all that meme-ing still left one glaring question: who was the person in the gif? It didn’t take much sleuthing to deduce it was influencer Francesco Nozzolino, and when the full video of his now famous conversation hit the timeline, it only made folks more curious. 

Why’d I find it lol pic.twitter.com/RfwAC5UXGL

— cj- (@cjnieI) June 26, 2024

For one thing, the full video made it crystal clear that Nozzolino is Italian, a fact that, for whatever reason, took folks by surprise. Though Nozzolino may be unfamiliar to American gays, he’s already a popular influencer in Italy with more than 600,000 followers on TikTok and 270,000 followers on Instagram. And to top it all off, Nozzolino’s full video is actually an advertisement for a sex toy company. The more you know!

Upon hearing Nozzolino in action, the desire to queen out with him became insurmountable.

Folks also went back through Nozzolino’s social media to find more of his iconic moments, including a cheeky vape session and an eye-catching orange outfit.

After becoming a meme, Nozzolino is a certified gay icon. The only question now is when he’s coming to the states to bless us with his presence.

Related:

A classic Vine video from ten years ago goes viral but with a trans twist

Tristan Simmonds recreated the beloved video — but it’s the last time he’ll do so.

The queerest non-queer characters, according to the internet

From “Luca” to “Bridgerton” to “Parks and Recreation,” there’s no shortage of characters that are too queer-coded to ignore.

Don't forget to share: