Rome holds LGBTQ+ Pride parade amid backdrop of Meloni government crackdown on surrogate births

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The LGBTQ+ Pride parade, an annual spectacle of color and celebration in Rome, proceeded on Saturday, serving as a defiant contrast to the government’s restrictive measures against surrogate pregnancies and recognition of same-sex parents.

Roughly thirty-six vibrant floats participated in the event, with one particularly highlighting what is referred to by LGBTQ+ activists as “rainbow families” – same-sex couples raising children.

This year, under the rule of the far-right Premier Giorgia Meloni, local officials were directed to record only the biological parent on birth certificates, excluding the non-biological parent in same-sex couples.

Despite this directive, Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri, a noteworthy member of the opposition Democratic Party, attended the parade just a day after he emotionally affirmed his support for same-sex parents by registering birth certificates of children born abroad to such couples.

Gualtieri declared that he had registered the birth certificates of two children: a boy born in France to an Italian and a French woman, and a girl born in England to a couple of Italian-English women.

According to Gualtieri’s Facebook post, this act ensures both the child’s recognition of Italian citizenship, including all associated rights, and the full parental responsibilities of the mothers.

Registration of this kind permits the non-biological parent to execute parental responsibilities, such as authorizing medical treatments for the child or picking them up from school without requiring additional approval.

The Meloni government, enjoying a robust majority in Parliament, recently gave preliminary approval to a bill that would criminalize surrogacy for Italians, even if conducted abroad. The bill is expected to be discussed in Parliament later this month, though no exact date for a vote has been scheduled yet.

Italy recognizes same-sex civil unions but not marriages. Single individuals are also not allowed to adopt children.

Among the Pride attendees was Emma Ascoli, a 30-year-old musician, who noted that while some countries permit surrogate births for heterosexual individuals, it only became controversial when linked to LGBTQ+ rights.

Also present at the Pride event was Sen. Alessandra Maiorino from the populist 5-Star Movement. Maiorino insisted on showing visible support to the LGBT community under what she referred to as an ‘attack’, according to an Italian news agency report.

Pride celebrations are typically organized to honor the lives, experiences, and civil rights victories of the LGBTQ+ community, and to protest against assaults on these accomplishments.

There have been instances where Italian courts have mandated local officials to acknowledge both same-sex parents on birth certificates for children born overseas. Courts have also recurrently appealed to lawmakers to modernize legislation in accordance with shifting societal norms.

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This report includes contributions from Rebecca Preciutti.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Rome LGBTQ+ Pride Parade

More about Rome LGBTQ+ Pride Parade

• LGBTQ+ Rights in Italy
• Surrogacy Laws in Different Countries
• Pride Parades Around the World
• Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri’s Stance on LGBTQ+ Rights
• Italy’s 5-Star Movement