This news falls square into the category of “look how far we have come, America.”
Italy remains one of the very few Western countries that does not recognize marriage equality for same-sex couples. All that may be about to change. But then again maybe not.
On Thursday, January 28, “after months of delays and political jousting,” according to a January 25 New York Times piece today, the Italian Senate is taking up legislation that would legalize civil unions (note: not “same-sex marriage”). This follows a similar effort that failed just a few years ago.
“The outcome remains uncertain,” reports the Times article, “as lawmakers confront an issue that has challenged traditional social mores, jumbled ideological lines and is being debated as the politics of the Catholic Church are in upheaval.”
States the Times piece:
[A]n ideological clash is probably unavoidable. Advocates and critics of the legislation are planning competing rallies in the coming days. Critics have attacked the bill on different grounds, with some arguing it would violate the Italian Constitution by equating civil unions to marriage, while others have opposed a so-called stepchild adoption provision. This allows a gay couple to adopt a child as long as one of the partners is the biological parent of the child.
Advocates of the provision say it would remedy glaring legal problems facing many gay couples, especially those who became parents through surrogacy. Italian law now only recognizes the spouse with biological ties to a child as a legal parent. This also means that the children have no legal rights to property and other benefits from the other parent.
“There are major injustices coming from this, all toward the kids,” Mr. Rubera said. “We are dreaming to be recognized as we are—as a family.”
