The Italian Senate yesterday approved legislation permitting civil unions for same-sex couples—but in order to push the bill through, the government left out a provision to allow these couples to adopt each other’s children. LGBTQ advocates are saying they’ll oppose the bill without it.
Prime Minister Matteo Renzi of the Democratic Party (PD) struck a deal with its coalition partner, the New Center Right (NCD), for a “maxi-amendment” that allows civil unions but leaves out stepparent (or second-parent) adoptions. They also left out a provision that called for civil union partners to be faithful—which seems a puzzling move, but Italian news agency ANSA explains, “The latter came too close to equating civil unions with traditional marriage.”
Famiglie Arcobaleno (“Rainbow Families”), the leading organization for LGBTQ families in Italy, asserted its “absolute opposition” to the legislation as it stands.  They called it “the amendment of Herod, the amendment which takes away our children in the name of political realism that is not realism, but cynicism and homophobia that we can not accept.”
A coalition of LGBTQ organizations, Il Movimento LGBTQ, is organizing a protest on March 5 in Rome. “Pontius Pilate could not have done better,” they said in a statement. The legislation “completely ignores the existence and the needs of the sons and daughters of homosexual couples.”
ANSA reports that “PD Senate Whip Luigi Zanda said a separate bill on stepchild adoptions by partners in civil unions — including gay ones — will be on ‘a fast track’ and must be approved by the end of the current legislative term in 2018.” Personally, I’m doubtful about its chances, but then again, LGBTQ families and our allies have done amazing things before. I wouldn’t give up on this yet.
The civil union legislation now goes to the Italian House, where it is expected to pass.