In a shocking turn of events, Italy had begun erasing the names of gay parents from their children’s birth certificates. Here’s the full story.
The Devastating Letter
Michela Leidi, a 38-year-old woman living on the outskirts of Bergamo, Italy, received a devastating letter in January.
The letter informed her that she was being officially canceled as the mother of her one-year-old daughter, Giulia, on the infant’s birth certificate.
The Controversial Move
This move was part of the Italian government’s attempt to crack down on same-sex parenting and surrogacy, imposing what they call “conservative moral values” in the country.
They Were Among the First
Michela, together with her 35-year-old wife Viola, found themselves among the first targets of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing coalition government.
Parenting Rights
The government disapproved of LGBT+ couples raising children together and claimed that the country’s laws did not allow children to have two mothers.
Birth Certificates of Children Were Being Altered
As a result, the birth certificates of children born to lesbian couples were being altered to remove one mother, leaving only the biological mother with parenting rights.
The Outrage Spread
This controversial move sparked outrage and debates across the nation. Michela and Viola’s daughter was one of the first three children affected, but scores more were being targeted across the country.
Critics Argued
The government defended its actions as an attempt to address legal gray areas, but critics argued that Meloni was using same-sex parents as scapegoats to divert attention from other pressing issues.
Ideological War Intensified
The situation intensified the ongoing ideological war in Italy’s political landscape.
“The LGBT Lobby” and “Gender Ideology”
Meloni, the country’s first female prime minister, campaigned against what she called “the LGBT lobby” and “gender ideology” during her rise to power.
Human Rights Violations?
However, her strong stance against same-sex parenting and support for traditional families brought her under scrutiny and criticism from human rights advocates.
The Church Didn’t Allow It
Italy legalized same-sex marriages in 2016, granting many rights to married LGBTQ+ couples. However, the law stopped short of permitting marriage and adoption, largely due to opposition from the powerful Catholic Church.
Reproductive Treatments Were Banned
Same-sex couples were also banned from accessing reproductive medical treatments such as IVF, forcing them to seek options abroad, like Spain or the US, if they wanted to have children.
Mayors’ Choice
The legal ambiguity surrounding same-sex couples being recognized as parents on official certification put the decision in the hands of local mayors, based on their personal views.
Such Arrangements Were Illegal
The government’s recent directive claimed that such arrangements were illegal, citing a Supreme Court ruling from the previous year.
There Were Split Views
In response, mayors in some cities, like Padua, chose to defy the government’s crackdown and continued issuing birth certificates that recognized both mothers for babies born to same-sex couples.
It Created Heart-Wrenching Uncertainty for LGBT+ Families
However, in cities like Milan, Florence, and Fiumicino, birth certificates were altered to remove one mother, focusing on children born after the new directive. The situation created heart-wrenching uncertainty for LGBT+ families.
The Shattered Families
Couples like Vanessa Finesso and Cristina Zambon faced the threat of having parental rights stripped away from one of the mothers, causing distress, fear, and potential disruptions to their children’s lives.
The Positive Views
Despite the government’s actions, polls showed that two-thirds of Italians held positive views on same-sex parenting and adoption.
Support for LGBTQ+ rights was on the rise, even though over half of Meloni’s supporters opposed adoption by same-sex couples.
The Government Is Moving Backwards?
Critics accused the government of engaging in a populist “witch-hunt,” betraying the global trend towards greater acceptance and equality for the LGBT+ community.
Many believed that Italy was moving backward on issues of social progress, rather than moving forward.
Social Media Users Shared Their Views
Several social media users expressed their thoughts on the incident. One Twitter user wrote, “My young neighbors are a lesbian married couple raising the most fantastic little girl. I can’t see the logic behind this.”
Another user wrote, “We should stop calling this “conservative.” It is abusive, moronic, and vicious behavior.”
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The post Gay Mothers’ Names Deleted From Children’s Birth Records – Human Rights Violation? first appeared on Fistful of Dollars.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Cookie Studio. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
Source: Daily Mail