Protests erupt in Italy as govt restricts same-sex parent rights

ROME: Massive protests broke out in Italy as the country's new far-right government led by Giorgia Meloni has restricted the rights of same-sex parents, Al Jazeera reported. Hundreds of people have taken to the streets in Milan to protest against the move. The protestors waved rainbow flags across the city to demonstrate their angst over the decision.

In court cases brought by parents, decisions have been handled on a case-by-case basis, despite the fact that some local administrations have chosen to act unilaterally.

Moreover, Milan had been registering children of same-sex couples born abroad via surrogacy, which is forbidden in Italy, or medically assisted reproduction, which is exclusively open to heterosexual couples, Al Jazeera reported. Despite legalising same-sex unions in 2016, Italy refrained from allowing homosexual couples to adopt due to Catholic Church objections. The protestors called the move unjust and rallied across Milan, waving flags and placards.

"You explain to my son that I'm not his mother," read one sign held up in a sea of rainbow flags that filled one of the northern city's central squares on Saturday. Elly Schlein, the recently elected head of the centre-left Democratic Party, was one of the opposition politicians present at the protest on Saturday, where many protesters vented their anger at the newly elected federal administration, Al Jazeera reported.