https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2675-9344
![Sample our Politics & International Relations journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5947/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Politics-International-Relations.jpg"})
ABSTRACT
LGBT+ issues and marriage equality have for long been taboo in predominantly Catholic Italy, although since the 2000s they had been the subject of public debate. This might partly explain why in 2016 the country was the last western European state to approve a law legalizing same-sex partnerships, although the literature has also focused on the influence of the Catholic Church on the Italian political system, and on the influence of ʻmorality politicsʼ on Italian public discussion. This paper will take into account this most recent wave of discussion, specifically revolving around the Cirinnà bill approved by the Italian parliament in 2016, seeking to analyse the main phases of the debate, the actors involved, and their choices of frames and arguments. The article aims at understanding the changes taking place – in terms of actors’ behaviour and frames – throughout the different phases of the debate on the Cirinnà bill, as well as in comparison with the previous waves of debate on LGBT+ rights in the 2000s and 2010s. The concluding remarks will argue that final approval of the law was made possible by a mix of different factors, particularly: a change in actors’ perceptions, with wider recognition of LGBT+ rights as human rights, even among opponents of the law; the different modalities of involvement of the Catholic Church, which also implied a change in choice of frames; and the ultimate determination of the Renzi cabinet to pass the law, whose approval had become increasingly crucial for the Government’s image.
Acknowledgments
The author would like to thank the two anonymous reviewers for their precious comments, as well as Alberta Giorgi, and Luca Trappolin, who read and commented on a previous version of this paper (whose early drafts were presented at the 2016 ECPR conference in Prague, the 2016 SISP conference in Milan, and the 2017 ECPG conference in Lausanne).
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Notes
1. This paper conventionally adopts the acronym LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) – with a plus to signify awareness of the existence of other types of gender identity – as an umbrella concept commonly used in reference to the issues dealt with in this article. However, in the case of Italy, the debate has mostly been limited to gay and lesbian rights, with very occasional references to bisexual and transgender identities (for example when, in the 2000s, Vladimir Luxuria, a well known transgender TV entertainer, became a member of Parliament) (Ozzano and Giorgi Citation2016).
2. In the phase of the Italian debate analysed in this paper, the term ‘stepchild adoption’ (in English, and usually without providing an Italian translation) became widely used when referring to ‘the possibility for one partner in a same-sex couple to adopt the other partner’s biological children’ (Lasio et al. Citation2019, 504). Therefore, the concept is used in this article in reference to this meaning. For a wider review of this issue, and the different legislative frameworks related to it around the world, see Guizzardi (Citation2017).
3. Il Giornale, 25 March 2015.
Il Giornale, 25 March 2015.
4. Il Manifesto, 24 October 2014.
Il Manifesto, 24 October 2014.
5. la Repubblica, 16 October 2016. In the end, the bill approved by Parliament included indeed a second section dealing with heterosexual partnerships, regulated separately from same-sex unions. However, this article will not deal with the subject.
la Repubblica, 16 October 2016. In the end, the bill approved by Parliament included indeed a second section dealing with heterosexual partnerships, regulated separately from same-sex unions. However, this article will not deal with the subject.
6. According to a number of Catholic clerics and activists, this is an ideology allegedly imposed by LGBT+ lobbies and/or the EU institutions in the fields of civil rights and education, with the aim of mainstreaming the idea that gender is not given, but is a cultural construction (which would imply the freedom for each individual to choose their own identity, notwithstanding their biological sex) (Garbagnoli and Prearo Citation2017; Kuhar and Paternotte Citation2017; Prearo Citation2017; Lasio et al. Citation2019; Bellè, Peroni, and Rapetti Citation2018).
According to a number of Catholic clerics and activists, this is an ideology allegedly imposed by LGBT+ lobbies and/or the EU institutions in the fields of civil rights and education, with the aim of mainstreaming the idea that gender is not given, but is a cultural construction (which would imply the freedom for each individual to choose their own identity, notwithstanding their biological sex) (Garbagnoli and Prearo Citation2017; Kuhar and Paternotte Citation2017; Prearo Citation2017; Lasio et al. Citation2019; Bellè, Peroni, and Rapetti Citation2018).
7. L’Espresso, 9 October 2014; Prearo (Citation2017).
L’Espresso, 9 October 2014; Prearo (Citation2017).
8. la Repubblica, 27 March 2015.
la Repubblica, 27 March 2015.
9. Il Giornale, 27 March 2015; la Repubblica, 27 March 2015.
Il Giornale, 27 March 2015; la Repubblica, 27 March 2015.
10. la Repubblica and Il Giornale, 23 May 2015.
la Repubblica and Il Giornale, 23 May 2015.
11. Il Giornale, 24 May 2015; la Repubblica, 25 May 2015.
Il Giornale, 24 May 2015; la Repubblica, 25 May 2015.
12. la Repubblica and Il Manifesto, 27 May 2015.
la Repubblica and Il Manifesto, 27 May 2015.
13. Il Giornale, 22 September 2015.
Il Giornale, 22 September 2015.
14. Il Giornale, 16 September 2015.
Il Giornale, 16 September 2015.
15. See, for example, la Repubblica, 22 June 2016.
See, for example, la Repubblica, 22 June 2016.
16. la Repubblica, 25 June and 1 October 2015.
la Repubblica, 25 June and 1 October 2015.
17. See, for example, Il Manifesto, 22 July 2015 and 1 September 2015.
See, for example, Il Manifesto, 22 July 2015 and 1 September 2015.
18. https://www.senato.it/documenti/repository/istituzione/costituzione_inglese.pdf.
https://www.senato.it/documenti/repository/istituzione/costituzione_inglese.pdf.
19. Avvenire, 24 August 2015.
Avvenire, 24 August 2015.
20. See, for example, Il Giornale, 23 August 2015; and Avvenire, 14 July 2015.
See, for example, Il Giornale, 23 August 2015; and Avvenire, 14 July 2015.
21. la Repubblica, 31 August 2015; Il Manifesto, 1 September 2015; la Repubblica, 1 September 2015.
la Repubblica, 31 August 2015; Il Manifesto, 1 September 2015; la Repubblica, 1 September 2015.
22. http://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-156265andsa=Xandved=0CDUQ9QEwD2oVChMIwICr1bn2xgIVI75yCh186Qh-#{%22itemid%22:[%22001-156265%22]} (accessed 21 July 2016).
http://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-156265andsa=Xandved=0CDUQ9QEwD2oVChMIwICr1bn2xgIVI75yCh186Qh-#{%22itemid%22:[%22001-156265%22]} (accessed 21 July 2016).
23. la Repubblica, Il Manifesto, Il Giornale and Avvenire, 22 July 2016; Avvenire, 24 July 2016.
la Repubblica, Il Manifesto, Il Giornale and Avvenire, 22 July 2016; Avvenire, 24 July 2016.
24. Il Giornale, 13 October 2015.
Il Giornale, 13 October 2015.
25. la Repubblica, 3 January 2019 September and 1 October 2015.
la Repubblica, 3 January 2019 September and 1 October 2015.
26. Avvenire, 20 October 2015.
Avvenire, 20 October 2015.
27. Avvenire, Il Giornale and la Repubblica, 27 October 2015; Avvenire and Il Manifesto, 28 October 2015.
Avvenire, Il Giornale and la Repubblica, 27 October 2015; Avvenire and Il Manifesto, 28 October 2015.
28. Avvenire, 29 October and 4, 5, 8, 11, 13, 19, 26 November 2015.
Avvenire, 29 October and 4, 5, 8, 11, 13, 19, 26 November 2015.
29. Il Manifesto, 5 November 2015.
Il Manifesto, 5 November 2015.
30. See, for example, la Repubblica, 10 January 2016.
See, for example, la Repubblica, 10 January 2016.
31. la Repubblica and Il Giornale, 15 January.
la Repubblica and Il Giornale, 15 January.
32. Avvenire, 11 January 2016.
Avvenire, 11 January 2016.
33. Avvenire and Il Giornale, 13 January 2016.
Avvenire and Il Giornale, 13 January 2016.
34. la Repubblica, 17 January 2016.
la Repubblica, 17 January 2016.
35. See, for example, Avvenire and Il Manifesto, 13 January 2016; and la Repubblica, 12 January 2016.
See, for example, Avvenire and Il Manifesto, 13 January 2016; and la Repubblica, 12 January 2016.
36. la Repubblica, 19 January 2016.
la Repubblica, 19 January 2016.
37. Il Giornale and la Repubblica, 13 January 2016.
Il Giornale and la Repubblica, 13 January 2016.
38. la Repubblica, 22 January 2016; Il Manifesto, 23 January 2016.
la Repubblica, 22 January 2016; Il Manifesto, 23 January 2016.
39. la Repubblica, 6 February 2016.
la Repubblica, 6 February 2016.
40. See, for example, la Repubblica, 28 January 2016, and Il Manifesto, 2 February 2016.
See, for example, la Repubblica, 28 January 2016, and Il Manifesto, 2 February 2016.
41. 23 January also represents the peak in terms of newspaper articles included in the research’s database, with 36 items.
23 January also represents the peak in terms of newspaper articles included in the research’s database, with 36 items.
42. Il Manifesto, 12 February 2016.
Il Manifesto, 12 February 2016.
43. Avvenire, Il Giornale and la Repubblica, 30 January 2016. See also Garbagnoli (Citation2017).
Avvenire, Il Giornale and la Repubblica, 30 January 2016. See also Garbagnoli (Citation2017).
44. la Repubblica, Il Manifesto and Il Giornale, 25 February 2016.
la Repubblica, Il Manifesto and Il Giornale, 25 February 2016.
45. la Repubblica and Il Manifesto, 26 February 2016.
la Repubblica and Il Manifesto, 26 February 2016.
46. In this case, the share of votes in favour of the law was slightly larger, with SEL voting for the law, as well as several MPs from the centre-right opposition. The law was approved by the Chamber with 372 votes out of 629. la Repubblica, 25 February 2016; https://parlamento17.openpolis.it/votazione/camera/ddl-unioni-civili-pdl-3634-voto-finale/30904.
In this case, the share of votes in favour of the law was slightly larger, with SEL voting for the law, as well as several MPs from the centre-right opposition. The law was approved by the Chamber with 372 votes out of 629. la Repubblica, 25 February 2016; https://parlamento17.openpolis.it/votazione/camera/ddl-unioni-civili-pdl-3634-voto-finale/30904.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Luca Ozzano
Luca Ozzano is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Turin, where he teaches ‘Political Science’ and ‘Politics and Religion’. He is Convenor of the ‘Religion and Politics’ standing group of the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) and Chair of the research committee on ‘Religion and Politics’ of the International Political Science Association (IPSA). He is also Associate Editor of the journal Political Research Exchange (Taylor and Francis/ECPR). He has published (with Alberta Giorgi) European Culture Wars and the Italian case: Which Side Are You On? (Routledge 2016) and edited (with Francesco Cavatorta) Religiously Oriented Parties and Democratization (Routledge 2014). He is currently working on the book, The Masks of the Political God. Religion and Political Parties in Contemporary Democracies, forthcoming in 2020 with ECPR Press/Rowman and Littlefield.