(ANSA) - Rome, March 27 - ISTAT President Giancarlo
Blangiardo on Wednesday pulled out of the world congress of
families in Verona this weekend after a row over its anti-gay,
anti-abortion and anti-feminist agenda.
The head of the statistics agency pulled out after Italy's
biggest and most leftwing trade union, CGIL, asked him not to
attend and ISTAT women's group Femministat protested.
Blangiardo said his decision to be a speaker at the event had
been "wholly personal" and did not reflect on ISTAT.
ISTAT chief pulls out of families congress amid row
Wholly personal decision to attend