The Italian Senate on Wednesday blocked a bill to better protect the LGBTI community in the country. The senators have Italian media decided not to discuss the private member’s bill. The proposal could previously count on a majority in the Italian House of Representatives, the other of the two chambers in the Italian parliament.
Among other things, the law focuses on tackling discrimination and violence against sexual orientation or identity. The proposal has been met with considerable resistance in recent months. Also in the Senate, which decided on Wednesday not to discuss the private member’s bill further. Opponents of the law then start a round of applause.
The Italian Constitution does not criminalize discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender. Also, incitement to violence based on those characteristics is not separately included in Italian criminal law. The proposal aims to tackle homophobia and transphobia, as the petitioners believe should be punished as severely as racial discrimination. The Vatican stated that the private member’s bill was not clear enough and the Italian House of Representatives also criticized the law of the progressive Democratic Party (PD).
Critics believe that the law comes at the expense of freedom of expression. The Vatican was also concerned about the religious freedom of the Catholic Church. On Wednesday, a minority of 131 of 315 senators voted to advance a debate to consider the bill. Conservative parties proclaimed that the law would no longer tolerate dissent on LGBTI issues. A senator from the PD had to fight Reuters news agency conclude that “the bill is dead”.
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