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Vatican is 'meddling' in Italy's LGBTQ2S+ rights law: activists

FILE - People march to protest the World Congress of Families, in Verona, Italy, Saturday, March 30, 2019. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni) FILE - People march to protest the World Congress of Families, in Verona, Italy, Saturday, March 30, 2019. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
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MILAN -

The Vatican has formally opposed a proposed Italian law expanding anti-discrimination protections to the LGBTQ2S+ community, a leading Italian newspaper reported Tuesday. Activists immediately denounced the move as 鈥渦nprecedented鈥 Vatican meddling in Italy's legislative process.

The Vatican foreign minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, sent a letter last week to the Italian ambassador to the Holy See saying the proposed law violates Italy's diplomatic agreement with the Vatican and seeking changes, the Milan-based daily Corriere della Sera reported.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni confirmed that a diplomatic communication had been sent on June 17 but did not elaborate.

According to Corriere, the Vatican's objections include parts of the law that would require schools as well as Catholic schools to organize activities on a day designated nationally to fight homophobia and transphobia.

Italian politicians and advocacy groups reacted strongly to what they saw as an attempt to derail the Zan Law, named for the Democratic Party lawmaker and gay rights activist Alessandro Zan. In the past, the Vatican has objected to Italian laws legalizing abortion and divorce and backed unsuccessful referendums after the fact to try to repeal them.

The proposed law adds women and people who are gay, transgender or have disabilities to the classes of those protected under a law banning discrimination and punishing hate crimes. It was approved by the lower house last November, but remains stalled in a Senate commission by objections from Italy's right wing.

鈥淲e support the Zan law, and naturally we are open to dialogue,鈥 on any legal issues, Democratic Party leader Enrico Letta told RAI state radio Tuesday. But he said his party wants to see the law enacted, calling it 鈥渁 law of civilization.鈥

An atheist group in Italy protested the Vatican's actions, saying they 鈥渧iolated the independence and the sovereignty of the Republic.鈥

鈥淭he government has the political and moral obligation to not only just resist pressure but to unilaterally denounce this unprecedented interference in state affairs,鈥 the secretary of the Union of Atheists and Agnostic Rationalists, Roberto Grendene, said in a statement.

A gay-rights group, Gay Party for LGBT+ Rights, called on Premier Mario Draghi's government to reject the Vatican's interference 鈥渁nd improve the law so that it truly has, at its heart, the fight against homophobia and transphobia.鈥

鈥淲e find worrying the Vatican meddling in the law against homophobia,鈥 said the group's spokesman, Fabrizio Marrazzo.

Marrazzo said Gay Pride Parades in Milan and Rome on Saturday would send a clear message from the streets on the topic 鈥渁nd defend the laicity of the state.鈥

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