Renzi calls confidence vote on gay unions bill

The Italian government called a confidence vote on 24 February 2016 over a contested legislation on gay civil unions after Prime Minister Matteo Renzi watered down the bill to reach an accord in his ruling coalition.

The Senate approved the watered-down proposal, which would later be presented at the lower chamber of the parliament.

Italy was by then the only major Western country that had not yet recognised civil unions for same-sex or heterosexual couples, continuing to withhold from them legal protections such as inheritance rights.

Thousands of LGBTI activists rallied in Rome on the 5 March 2016 to protest at the plans to water down the civil union bill, which no longer envisaged adoption rights for homosexual couples.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Thousands march in Italy for gay rights http://www.europeansources.info/record/thousands-march-in-italy-for-gay-rights/

The Local.it, 25.02.16: Italy's gay unions bill makes kids 'second class citizens' http://www.thelocal.it/20160225/anger-as-italy-cooks-gay-civil-unions-bill-making-children-second-class-citizens

The Local.it, 24.02.16: Italy ready to scrap stepchild adoption from gay unions bill http://www.thelocal.it/20160224/italy-to-scrap-stepchild-adoption-from-gay-unions-bill

The Local.it, 24.02.16: Italian adoption ruling deals blow to gay civil union camp http://www.thelocal.it/20160224/italian-adoption-ruling-deals-blow-to-gay-civil-union-camp

The Guardian, 24.02.16: 'It’s discrimination, plain and simple': Italians on the civil unions vote http://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/feb/24/its-discrimination-plain-and-simple-italians-on-the-civil-unions-vote

Washington Post, 23.02.16: Italian PM Renzi won’t fight for limited gay adoptions https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/italian-pm-renzi-wont-fight-for-limited-gay-adoptions/2016/02/23/53b7ae2c-da5d-11e5-8210-f0bd8de915f6_story.html

The Guardian, 21.02.16: Italian PM warns he may call confidence vote over same-sex unions http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/21/italian-pm-matteo-renzi-warns-call-confidence-vote-same-sex-unions

The New York Times, 17.02.16: Italian Senate Puts Off Vote on Civil Unions Bill http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/18/world/europe/italian-senate-puts-off-vote-on-civil-unions-bill.html

EUObserver, 26.02.16: Limited breakthrough for Italian gay rights https://euobserver.com/lgbti/132463

Politico, 25.02.16: Matteo Renzi wins same-sex union vote http://www.politico.eu/article/matteo-renzi-wins-same-sex-union-vote/

Deutsche Welle, 05.03.16: Italian gay rights activists rally for universal marriage and adoption rights http://dw.com/p/1I7zX

The Local.it, 06.03.16: Italy gay rights activists rally for adoption rights http://www.thelocal.it/20160306/italy-gay-rights-activists-rally-for-adoption-rights

The Local.it, 05.05.16: Italy's long-awaited gay unions bill ready for final vote http://www.thelocal.it/20160505/italys-long-awaited-gay-unions-bill-final-vote-lower-house-law

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