EU parliament slams Italy for not registering children of same-sex parents

European Parliament on Friday condemned Italy’s conservative government after it asked the council to stop registering the children of same-sex parents. EU derided Italy’s conservative government for its move that it slammed as "discriminatory". It restricts the rights of LGBTQ+ people, European Parliament MEPs said, according to the Guardian newspaper. The Milan city council had been transcribing children of same-sex couples born via surrogacy or IVF overseas into its civil register which Italy has objected to. European Parliament slammed Italy for what it said was a "broader attack against the LGBTQI+ community in Italy”.

Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala this week made a trip to Brussels to form an alliance and seek support from the opposition parties against the ruling Italian government. He warned that with such orders, the Italian ruling administration is violating the rights of same-sex-parent families. EU MEPs are now urging Italy to “immediately rescind its decision". Such an act "will inevitably lead to discrimination against not only same-sex couples but also primarily their children," they argued, according to an amendment to a 2022 report compiled by liberal and centrist Renew Europe. MEPs noted that such a decision by the government of Giorgia Meloni was “a direct breach of children’s rights” under a UN convention. Surrogacy is illegal in Italy while IVF is only available for heterosexual couples.

US passes bill to protect LGBTQ+ same-sex marriage

Last year, in December, the US passed historic legislation the 'Respect for Marriage Act' to federally protect same-sex and interracial marriages and instate the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. Bill was sent to President Joe Biden's desk for his signature and later became the law, signifying the decades-long shift in how gay marriages. The draft bill won bipartisan support in the Democratic-led House. The lower chamber passed the bill successfully this summer with backing from over 47 Republicans. It got the final approval by 258 to 169. As many as thirty-nine GOP lawmakers supported the Democrats in passing the legislation. Biden noted that the new law will relieve the LGBTQI+ and interracial couples who will now be guaranteed federal protections should they decide to marry and start a family.