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February 26, 2013
Italian parliament turns rainbow again

Four gay politicians are elected in the two chambers. A gay candidate, Sergio Lo Giudice, enters the Italian Senato for the first time in the last decade

Four gay Italian politicians have become members of parliament in the last general election (24 and 25 February).

Sergio Lo Giudice, Alessandro Zan, Nichi Vendola and Ivan Scalfarotto have now a seat in one of the two chambers of the Italian parliament.

Lesbian politician Anna Paola Concia, who was the only LGBT representative in the last parliament, has not been elected.

Former Arcigay’s president and local councillor with Partito Democratico Sergio Lo Giudice has been elected in the Italian Senato, the higher chamber.

January 13, 2013
Italian Catholic Church likens gay parenting to selling children

The Catholic hierarchy and the right-wing parties said that 'a child should have a father and a mother, not two gay parents'. The high court said that gay parents are 'as good as straight ones'

The Catholic Church and the right-wing parties in Italy have reacted angrily to the decision of the Italian high court stating that gay parents are as good as straight ones.

CEI, Conferenza Episcopale Italiana, the Catholic bishops’ conference, wrote on the Avvenire: ‘This sentence is ambiguous and it goes against the common sense and the common knowledge on children’s welfare.’

January 1, 2013
Italy's Berlusconi makes anti-gay jibe during campaign

Italy's candidate for Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, makes an anti-gay jibe during his campaign -saying gays 'are funny'

Berlusconi, the 76 year-old tycoon and Italy's Prime Ministerial candidate, said during an interview on Radio Capital that ‘the left accuses me of everything except being gay and stealing money from Italians.

‘But I have a lot of gay friends. They're friendly and funny’,he said on 31 December, 2012 according to AFP.

November 15, 2012
Gay slur Italian politician wants to lead Berlusconi's party

Andrea Di Pietro, local councillor in Vigevano, is now running for the primaries of Silvio Berlusconi's PDL party

An Italian local councillor, who made headlines for a gay slur last week, has decided to run for the primaries of PDL, former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi’s party.

Andrea di Pietro, councillor for Popolo delle Libertà in Vigevano, in the northern region of Lombardy, attacked Puglia’s governor Nichi Vendola, one of the few openly gay Italian politicians.

‘Vendola is as unctuous as the lubricant he uses,’ Di Pietro tweeted, launching a debate on the homophobia of the right-wing Italian politicians.

October 31, 2012
Berlusconi ally calls for gay adoption in Italy

Former minister and regional governor Giancarlo Galan says that 'two fathers or mothers are better than none'

A right-wing Italian politician and ally of former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has defended LGBT people’s right to adoption.

Giancarlo Galan from PDL, Popolo delle Libertà, Berlusconi’s party, said: ‘After having seen orphanages in Ukraine and Venezuela, full of children without hope and care, I can say that two fathers or mothers are better than none.’

Interviewed by La7 broadcasting channel, Galan added: ‘I’ll try to make the liberal virus spread over my party.

October 30, 2012
Sicily welcomes its first openly gay governor

Rosario Crocetta from Partito Democratico became the first openly gay governor of Sicily when he won last Sunday's election

Rosario Crocetta, an openly gay politician from the Italian Partito Democratico party, has become the first openly gay governor of Sicily.

He won last Sunday’s election on the Italian island with more than 30% of the votes, winning over the right-wing PDL (Popolo delle Libertà), which has governed in Sicily for last decade.

Crocetta is Italy's second openly gay governor, after Puglia’s Nichi Vendola, who now is running for the leadership of the entire left parties.

September 28, 2012
Italian right-wing attacks Milan's mayor on gay rights

Giuliano Pisapia started a new era by launching the Registro delle Unioni Civili and defending the same-sex couples' right to adopt children

Right-wing parties in Italy have attacked Milan’s mayor Giuliano Pisapia for recognizing gay couples and supporting their right to adoption.

His new Registro delle Unioni Civili is a sort of civil partnership, valid only locally.

Mario Mantovani, regional councillor for PDL party, former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi’s movement, said: ‘Milan’s mayor is not caring about the real problems of this city.

July 11, 2012
'Gay soldiers should sleep in different rooms'

Italian Member of Parliament Carlo Giovanardi says that the American 'don't ask don't tell' rule was a good one and that gay soldiers should not come out

‘Gay soldiers should sleep in different rooms’ to avoid ‘corrupting’ the straight ones, an Italian politican has said.

Member of Parliament Carlo Giovanardi made the statement, the latest in a series of provocations to the LGBT community, two days ago when interviewed by a radio journalist.

He added: ‘Gay soldiers should not come out and the American "don’t ask don’t tell rule" was a good one.’

The US military dropped 'don't ask, don't tell' last September with no negative impact on morale.

April 18, 2012
Italian politician: 'Gays are ill and can't procreate'

Romano La Russa, Lombardy's secretary of security, attacked LGBT citizens but the Milan assembly refused to censor him

An Italian politician has launched an unprecedented attack against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens of the Mediterranean country.

Romano La Russa, the secretary of security for the Lombardy region, said: ‘Gays are ill. If everyone becomes gay, our society will disappear. We need couples made of men and women: only straight couples can procreate.’

La Russa is also the brother of the former national defense secretary Ignazio La Russa. Both are in the PDL party, the movement founded by the former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi.