INFO:

Dozens of lesbian couples bringing up children in Italy have been sent to court accused of breaking new restrictions on same-sex parenting put in place by PM Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government. 33 families in Padua, northern Italy, risk seeing the partner in each couple who did not give birth to their child or children being denied the status of “mother”. Italy has legalised same-sex unions for queer couples, but it doesn’t have legislation in place allowing gay couples to register their children with both same-sex parents. In some cities, including Padua, mayors have filled this legal vacuum by registering both mothers or fathers. However, after coming to power last year with promises to defend the “traditional family”, Meloni has sought to out an end to the practice and her government has ordered local officials to stop registering both members of same-sex couples as the legal parents of a child - meaning only the biological parent is recognised. Without a tie to the child, non-biological parents cannot make medical decisions for their children, among other challenges. Arguing the need to protect women’s rights and traditional Catholic values, Meloni’s government is now also pushing for a ban on surrogacy performed abroad that could lead up to €1 million fines for those couples who have a child via a surrogate mother - a move that LGBTQ+ activists say will mostly impact gay couples.