Sardinia is uniting for an LGBT pride parade on the beach which will teach the island about gay families and transphobia.

The announcement of the event's details comes after the first pride, last year, was attacked by right-wing politicians who declared the Mediterranean island doesn't need the event.

The ‘Queeresima’ – 40 days of events – will culminate in the final parade on the beach on 29 June. But there’s more to the festival than music and drag queens.

The Italian Camera dei Deputati (the lower chamber of the Parliament) has approved a new rule which extends its politician's health benefits to their gay partners.

Now LGBT ‘deputati’, or members of the parliament (MPs), who pay for their insurance, can have their rights extended to the men or the women they live with.

The move was pushed for by gay deputati Ivan Scalfarotto who wanted his own partner protected.

A local court in Milan has recognized a British civil partnership – the first time Italy has legally recognized a gay union from abroad.

Now the civil union between Cristian, a biologist, and Federico, an IT specialist, will be added to the Milan’s Registro delle Unioni Civili, a list of same-sex couples put in place by left-wing mayor Giuliano Pisapia.

The decision of the tribunal does not mean that Cristian and Federico’s civil partnership is now recognized by Italy.

Religious Italians are celebrating International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) on 17 May by connecting churches of all faith in a prayer vigil.

For the first time since the vigils began, seven years ago, Catholic churches will host events.

Italy has chosen a woman who opposes gay marriage and doesn’t respect transgender people who don’t go through full gender confirmation surgery as their new Under-Secretary of State for Equal Opportunities.

Michaela Biancofiore was appointed to the role a few hours ago (3 May).

She is previously best known for her transphobic attitudes, her rejection of same-sex marriage equality and her almost devotion to former Italian President Silvio Berlusconi.

Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi’s hometown has introduced an official register for its same-sex couples.

The small town of Arcore, near Milan, northern Italy, is where Berlusconi lives most of the year.

In the sprawling villa, surrounded by enormous grounds, he allegedly organized his ‘bunga-bunga’ parties.

The register was voted in by the left-wing majority of the council, but the mayor, Rosalba Colombo, refused to intervene or comment.

Two gay men from Prato, near Florence, Italy, have launched a website with suggestions and tips for gay Italians wanting to marry abroad.

Following their marriage in New York two days ago, Stefano and Stefano posted online the video of their wedding and asked friends and relatives to share their ‘wonderful day’.

Most of the website is a list of tips on how to get married in New York. ‘You need a valid passport and that’s it’, they write, ‘and New York City does not ask you to be a permanent resident.’

An Italian scientist and journalist is making the headlines in Italy for claiming that vaccines cause homosexuality.

Gay Star News met 70 year-old Gian Paolo Vanoli, who’s now a celebrity in the Mediterranean country.

He told GSN: ‘Being gay is a disease, but we have to love everyone, gays included, because it’s not their fault. The vaccines they had made them homosexuals.’

Italy’s leading students’ association has called for ‘the end of gay hate on Facebook. We need a law against discrimination on social networks.’

Rete degli Studenti Medi’s spokesman Daniele Lanni said: ‘We have to stop gay hate, we can not allow stupid people to comment and insult LGBT students.’

Lanni’s statement came after an episode of discrimination at the Liceo Classico Asproni high school in Nuoro, on the Italian island of Sardinia.

An Italian presenter is being blasted for saying straight families are better than gay families on live TV.

Rita Dalla Chiesa said on her show 'Forum', an Italian version of Jerry Springer where people can air their personal lives and argue for entertainment, gay people 'must be tolerated for what they are'.

On the show, it featured a story of a gay teen suing his father who did not want to give him any money.

Commenting on the boy's life, Dalla Chiesa said: 'Being openly gay is not always right, because some people don't like it.

Don Andrea Gallo, a religious LGBT advocate in Italy, has said a homosexual pope would be ‘wonderful’.

‘A homosexual pope would be a wonderful thing,’ he told Italy’s Radio 24. ‘There is equality of the children of God. It is the essence of the Gospel, we are all sons and daughters of God.’

Gallo added: ‘A homosexual priest should be free to express his or her identity and her sexuality, otherwise it represses and becomes pedophilia.’

A teenager from Padua, northern Italy, has sued his parents for libel and defamation after having been mocked for months for being gay.

The city’s prosecutions office, Procura della Repubblica, is now investigating on the case.

The boy, who’s now jobless and looking for an occupation, decided to come out last year, but his choice was derided by his parents.

Coming from a middle class family, the teenager, who can not be named for legal reasons, according to his lawyer ‘was at the center of a persecution.'