Courtesy of our friend Linda Giovanna Zambanini, a translated article from Italy:
The news is bouncing all over the websites, which like ours, have at their heart a Queer theme. Also in Italy- and one might say “even in Italy” since we are bringing up the rear in Europe and throughout the world – starting Tuesday, Parliament will begin to discuss Civil Unions and Gay marriage. The Senate Justice Commission will address the issue and will consider several bills already filed in the matter.
Well known activist, as well as President of Arcigay [Italy's leading LGBT organization] and the first signer of Bill 15 entitled “rules against marriage discrimination”, Senator Sergio Lo Giudice (PD) explains:
“Lagging behind Europe, rebuked by the Constitutional Court and, above all, a fundamental right denied. I hope that the Parliamentary debate comes alongside a true debate in the country, because one should confront these issues with rational discussions and not on the basis of taboos and prejudices.”
The Senators of the Commission will have to find a harmonious agreement between very different proposals. The Deputy of the Pd [center-left party] Ivan Scalfarotto, [who is also Vice President of Pd , and is Gay], recently succeeded in widening the Parliament’s health insurance benefits not only to married couples and heterosexual domestic partners, but also to Gay partners. Now the Deputy, is a signatory, together with a large team – Irene Tinagli (Scelta Civica – left-wing), Alessandro Zan (SEL -left-wing) and Silvia Chimienti (M5S – left-wing) – to a bill to fight homophobia and transphobia, presented on Thursday May 16th in the Chamber of Deputies. The bill was drafted by the attorneys at Rete Lenford ["Network Lenford" - the #1 legal organization in Italy fighting for LGBT rights including Marriage Equality. Their legal team is on the Bernaroli case, for example.].
Most notably are the proposals of Alberto Orellana, of the Movimento 5 Stelle /M5S ["5 Star Movement" - left-wing] and Loredana De Petris, of Sel / Sinistra Ecologia Liberta` ["Left Ecology Freedom" - left-wing, whose President is Nichi Vendola, a Gay man who is also President of the Region of Puglia. He was also one of the founders of Archigay]: the first proposal asks for Marriage Equality for homosexual couples; the second [asks for Marriage Equality and] also extends the right to the possibility to become parents. The Secretary of Sel, Nichi Vendola, who left his seat in the Chamber of Deputies to dedicate himself full-time to the Presidency of the Region of Puglia, brought together in a single bill, the bill introduced the first day of the term.
The proposals all come from the left, even though the urgency of legislation is beginning to be felt even by the centre-right: recently the Pdl [Berlusconi's center-right party] have expressed themselves in favour of gay marriage – Giancarlo Galan, who filed a bill, “Gay and Lesbian Partnership” [or "Unioni Omoaffettivi] and Sandro Bondi, who was among the signatories. [Bondi was also the first in the Pdl to speak up for Civil Unions, immediately after the letter from Davide Tanredi that shocked Parliament and il Bel Paese into action on same-sex unions. Galan immediately followed him with his Civil Unions bill. And several other Pdl members have also come on board. Galan has said Berlusconi, amazingly, has even ok'd the bill.]
Find more articles and gay wedding resources in Italy.