ILGA-Europe’s 2022 Rainbow Map & Index ranks Italy at 25%, when 100% signifies “Respect of Human Rights, Full Equality.” This is far behind all other founding EU members and in the bottom third for LGBTQIA+ equality and protections. Tied with Georgia, Italy ranks lower than countries often considered less tolerant of the LGBTQIA+ community, such as Hungary.
While Italy enjoys the perception of being an open and modern society, the facts paint a very different picture for LGBTQIA+ rights.
LGBTQIA+ Legislation
Italy has a history of slow walking and failing to advance LGBTQIA+ legal protections. Attempts to add legal protections for LGBTQIA+ people have consistently failed for decades. Italy only recognized same sex civil unions in 2016 after a ruling by the ECtHR and lags behind other EU countries in anti-homophobic measures.
This trend continued in 2021 with the Senate effectively killing the Zan bill by blocking debate. The legislation would have added violence against LGBTQIA+ people – and others – to existing hate crime law. Both the political right and Vatican vocally opposed it. The current law, known as the Mancino law, only explicitly mentions “racial, ethnic, national or religious” motives when outlawing hate crimes and discrimination.
Opponents claimed the legislation would lead to the indoctrination of children and erode rights to speech, a tactic utilized worldwide to attack equality efforts. The rhetoric and refusal to pass the Zan bill were particularly painful against the backdrop of recent high-profile attacks against LGBTQIA+ people.
Discrimination & Perception by The Numbers
Eurobarometer on Discrimination: The social acceptance of LGBTI people in the EU, shows Italy well below the EU average for acceptance of LGBTQIA+ individuals. Italians also overwhelmingly believe that discrimination against LGBTQIA+ people is widespread in their country. Italians’ perception of discrimination against transgender and intersex people is the highest in the EU.
Additionally, Istat and UNAR surveyed people in civil unions within Italy and published Labour Discrimination Towards LGBTQ+ People in 2022. Respondents reported experiences of discrimination and harassment impacting their professional and public lives at high levels.
Of those surveyed, 71.8% believe that gay and lesbian people are significantly discriminated against and 91.1% believe that transgender and non-binary people are significantly discriminated against in Italy.
So, it’s not surprising that they reported significant self-censorship in everything from holding hands to what jobs they apply for. Equally unsurprising, respondents strongly support initiatives to foster inclusion, like national legislation against homo-bi-transphobia, greater protections in the workplace, and expanding marriage and adoption rights.
Hope For the Future of LGBTQIA+ Rights in Italy?
Italy has far to go toward true equality and protection for the LGBTQIA+ community, but at least some Italians recognize that the rights afforded by the state should not be subject to the personal beliefs of individuals.
While only 59% of Italians said there is “nothing wrong” with same sex relationships, 68% said gay, lesbian, and bi-sexual people should have the same rights as heterosexuals.
If it proceeds democratically, Italy may yet live up to the ideals professed by the union it founded.