Italy's LGTBQ+ community accuses the government of discriminatory practices despite having weak protections for same-sex couples.
Recent moves to restrict same-sex parental rights have led to protests, with Milan being forced to limit parental rights to the biological parent by the government.
Italy also recently voted against a European Commission regulation for cross-border recognition of same-sex parents.
This has caused outrage within the community, as well as accusations of discrimination and anti-gay propaganda against the government.
The Italian government, led by the right-wing Brothers of Italy party, has recently been accused of discriminatory practices against the country's LGBTQ+ community.
Although same-sex civil unions were legalized in 2016, the Catholic Church's opposition has prevented gay couples from having the right to adopt.
Decisions about same-sex parenting have been made on a case-by-case basis by the courts or local authorities, leading to a lack of uniform protections across the country.
Mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, had taken a progressive stance by registering children of same-sex couples, but the recent government crackdown has limited parental rights to the biological parent.
The ruling party also voted against a European Commission regulation for cross-border recognition of same-sex parents, citing concerns about surrogate pregnancy.
Activists and politicians, like Elly Schlein of the Democratic Party, have organized demonstrations and called for legislative changes to protect same-sex parenting rights.