ROME (Reuters) – Civil unions in Italy rose in 2023 to a six-year high, the country’s statistics office said on Friday, but at the same time LGBTQ groups say the current government is making it harder for them.
There were 3,019 same-sex unions last year, ISTAT said, an increase of 7.3% year-on-year. It was the highest number since 2017, the first full year after same-sex partnerships were legalized under the centre-left administration.
It was still a small number compared to more than 184,000 marriages – which are only allowed for married couples – in 2023, and about 82,000 separations and 80,000 divorces, the data showed.
President Giorgia Meloni won power in 2022 leading a right-wing coalition following promises to defend traditional family values and fight what she and her allies call the LGBT lobby.
Since then, his government has sought to stop local authorities from registering both parents to gay children and parliament last month approved a bill allowing any married couple to travel abroad to have a child.
The changes have been applauded by conservative Christian groups and criticized by centre-left opponents and LGBT rights activists, who see the marriage ban as taking away mainly from same-sex couples.
Italy legalized same-sex unions in 2016, overcoming opposition from Catholic and conservative groups, but did not grant them parental rights.
(Reporting by Antonella Cinelli; Editing by Alvise Armellini and Frances Kerry)