Meloni has her sights, and inclusion restrictions set on Milan

Many in Italy had reservations when Giorgia Meloni ascended to power, and what it would mean for anyone who didn’t fit into the ‘traditional family’ framework according to Fratelli d’Italia ideology.  

And those reservations have now turned into cold, hard (regressive) facts. One step forward and how many steps back seems to be the name of the game.

Milan’s Mayor Giuseppe Sala confirmed via Reuters that he received a letter of instruction on March 13th from the Home Affairs Ministry which demanded the city of Milan to “stop registering birth certificates of children who have two mothers or two fathers” said Emily Maskell.

According to her, the government order specifically referenced a “2004 law that bans non-heterosexual couples from accessing fertility treatments and prohibits surrogacy in Italy”. 

Understandably this direct move has raised additional concerns over Meloni’s right-wing agenda. And further confirms Italy’s already insufficient policies LGBTQIA+ inclusion-wise:

“Same-sex civil unions were legalised in 2016 but Italy still has no formal protections for same-sex parents. Italy also has not granted adoption rights due to worry it would encourage surrogate pregnancies, which remain illegal” stated Maskell for the digital magazine “Attitude”.

As a local arm of the Home Affairs Ministry, the Milan prefecture has argued that parents could obtain “legal recognition with a court’s explicit approval of adoption. However, this process to establish parental rights can take years” according to her.

If other individual offices had the same level of progressive policy consideration for their constituents – a ‘strength in numbers’ style statement could act as a direct message to Rome.

Thankfully, some community spokespeople are communicating their unrest. Gabriele Piazzoni, the General Secretary of Italy’s largest LGBT+ rights group, Arcigay, confirmed “The ban is one of the most concrete manifestations of the fury that the right-wing majority is unleashing against LGBTI people”.

The President of Rainbow Families, Alessia Crocini also stated: “This government is the maximum expression of homophobia”.

“The mayor of Milan had to give in to the pressure of the Meloni government and in the end came to a decision that is painful and unjust”.

“Meloni says that for a child to grow up well, they need a mother and father, even if decades of research say otherwise. It is insulting to hundreds of thousands of families with two same-sex parents”.

Meloni came into power in 2022 – primarily on a manifesto of policies to garner support from the conservative, right-wing end of the political spectrum.

And though she’s the first woman to hold the office – her rhetoric isn’t coming from a place of inclusivity, as confirmed below: 

“Yes to the natural family, no to the LGBT lobby. Yes to sexual identity, no to gender ideology. No to Islamist violence, yes to secure borders, no to mass migration. No to big international finance, no to the bureaucrats of Brussels!”

So mostly NOs…and YESes that reinforce exclusion. If the Fratelli d’Italia isn’t your voice, then speak up. Together we’re stronger than alone. Coraggio Italia! 

And if you find yourself at the hand of any unfair treatment that constitutes discrimination know that Gay Lawyers are here for you. Let’s fight the good fight together!