Government rejects bill protecting gays from hate crimes

Italy: Despite a recent increase in Anti-gay violence the Italian government yesterday abandoned a bill aimed at protecting gay people from hate crimes.

The proposal was forwarded in response to a wave of gay-related attacks that have taken place primarily in the capital, Rome. Parliament however rejected the measure on the grounds that it would 'violate' the country's national constitution.

Last month a 30,000 strong crowd, including politicians from all the main political parties, marched through the capital in protest over the attacks.

In a statement issued yesterday Arcigay, Italy's largest gay civil rights organization, condemned the government's response.

'We are outraged and appalled at the wave of homophobia we are seeing growing every day, and at the increasing number of hate crimes being committed against people because of their sexual orientation, both in Italy and abroad.

'The Italian Parliament's justification for throwing out the bill ' which would have raised penalties against acts of violence motivated by homophobia ' was simply absurd: they said that it would give 'unequal protection' to gays compared to other groups, violating the principle of equality.'

Arcigay claims a number of MPs motivated the decision by classifying the term 'sexual orientation' as 'ambiguous', arguing that the expression could therefore include paedophilia, zoophilia, necrophilia and incest.

'This is delirious and insulting for our own dignity of Italians, but also for the dignity of every gay, lesbian, bisexual and transsexual person living anywhere in Europe and in the world.' Said Arcigay

Following the bill rejection, the United Nation High Commissioner for Human Rights said that the Italian Parliament's stance is a 'step backward for human rights in Italy'.

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