Italian sources said Premier Giorgia
Meloni had been "surprised' by the concern expressed by Canadian
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the start of their bilateral
meeting about the position Italy is adopting on LGBTQ rights
under her government.
The issue had not been on the agenda for the meeting prepared by
the two diplomacies, the sources said.
They also reiterated that Meloni told Trudeau that nothing has
changed and that there is no cause for concern, adding that the
two leaders then quickly moved on to other topics.
The Canadian government said in a statement issued after the
bilateral talks Meloni and Trudeau had "exchanged views on the
importance of protecting and defending human rights, including
the rights of LGBTQI+ people.
"Meloni responded that her government is following court
decisions and is not deviating from previous administrations,"
the statement said.
Canadian media reported that Trudeau had expressed concern about
the positions Italy is adopting on gay rights under Meloni's
government.
The Italian interior ministry, via Italy's prefects, has told
city councils to stop using a procedure that had been adopted by
many to register both members of a same-sex couple as the
parents of a child.
The procedure was based on the transcription into Italian civic
registers of the foreign birth certificates of children
conceived via surrogacy, which is illegal in Italy, or assisted
fertility, which is only available to heterosexual couples here.
This had led to concern that same-sex parent families will face
multiple practical and legal problems, with only the member of
the couple who is the biological parent of the child registered
as its legal parent.
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