Madelaine Gray
Hundreds have taken to the streets of Milan to protest after Italy’s right-wing government instructed the city council to cease the registration of same-sex parents’ children.
Gay Rights and Same-Sex Parents
Italy legalised same-sex civil unions in 2016, but the decision was fiercely opposed by Catholic and conservative groups.
“The mayor of Milan, amongst some other cities, have also registered surrogate births to same-sex couples”
The 2016 move did not cement explicit adoption rights for same-sex couples, fearing that this would encourage illegal surrogate pregnancies. In the absence of clear legislation on the topic, some courts have ruled in favour of allowing same-sex couples to adopt each others’ children. Like other cities in the country, Milan also allows the registration of oversees surrogate births to same-sex couples.
In June of 2022, an Ipsos poll showed that 63% of people in Italy supported gay marriage, with 59% in favour of same-sex adoption rights.
The Rise of Italy’s Right-wing Government
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni rose to power on a nationalist platform of “traditional Christian values”, pushing back against “gender ideology” and “the LGBT lobby”. This move alarmed the LGBTQ community and allies across the political spectrum.
“We feel under attack”
Meloni opposed gay parenting rights from the beginning of her campaign, claiming that children up for adoption “deserve the best”.
“Yes to natural families, no to the LGBT lobby!” she said in a speech back in 2022.
The Prime Minister has denied claims that her conservative outlook will lead her to abolish existing rights for LGBTQ individuals, such as same-sex partnerships, stating that “what is there, stays there.”
Public Outcry
On Saturday 18th March, hundreds of people took to the streets of Milan to protest the government’s move. Amongst them was the newly elected leader of the centre-left Democratic Party, Elly Schlein, who stated that her message to the prime minister was “not to discriminate against the daughters and sons of these wonderful families.”
“We feel under attack,” said Angela Diomede, who was planning to take part in the rally with her wife and six-year-old daughter.
What does this mean for same-sex parents in Italy?
While the Italian government’s move is detrimental to LGBTQ+ individuals in a symbolic sense, there is a bigger issue at play.
The way things now stand, only one parent can be registered officially. For the parent who is not legally recognised, there can be enormous bureaucratic problems. Among these are the risk of custody loss in the case of the registered parent’s death, or the relationship breaks down.
Following the decision, Milan’s centre-left mayor Giuseppe Sala stated that he would respect the order. However, he has vowed to continue the political fight to guarantee the right of recognition to same-sex couples and their children.
Featured image courtesy of Vox España via Flickr. Image licence found here. No changes were made to this image.
Madelaine Gray
LLB Law with Politics student at Royal Holloway, University of London. Editor in Chief of RHUL's The Orbital.