Italy moves to legalize same-sex civil unions
/Courtesy of Twitter
By Lee Jin-a
Italy has finally made the decision to recognize civil unions for same-sex couples, after years of effort by gay rights advocates to overcome Catholic Church opposition.
According to the New York Times, the Italian Parliament on Wednesday evening (local time) gave final approval to the same-sex union bill, voting 372 to 51, with 99 abstentions.
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi praised the decision as "writing another important page for the Italy that we love."
He wrote on Facebook: "Today is a day of celebration for so many, for those who finally feel recognized."
The law will grant gay couples almost the same rights as married couples, covering inheritance, hospital visitation, medical decision-making and the possibility of having the same last name. But it does not allow gay couples to adopt children.
“This law is born as an old law that should have been voted 20 years ago,” Michela Marzano of the Democratic Party told the New York Times. “Italy remains a culturally backward country where the only possible family is still the traditional one.”