Hatred, Homophobia, and Bigotry Are The WORST...Even In Italy

You hate and fear what you can't be bothered to understand

Italy’s senate has killed off a bill that would have made violence against LGBT people and disabled people, as well as misogyny, a hate crime.

The 315-member senate voted by 154 to 131 on Wednesday to block the debate on the law, named after the gay centre-left Democratic party (PD) legislator Alessandro Zan and previously approved by the lower house of parliament in the face of months of protests from far-right and Catholic groups.

Pina Picierno, a PD member of the European parliament, called the vote “one of the worst pages in the history of the Italian republic”.

According to the far-right parties that voted against the bill in the upper house, the law would have suppressed freedom of expression and promoted “homosexual propaganda” in schools.

This is a topic I might expect Stacey Keith to weigh in on, seeing as how she lives in Italy. Even so, I think I can carry enough water for both of us on this subject. I may not be an expert on Italy, but if there’s one thing- OK, TWO things- I hate, it’s state-sanctioned homophobia and hypocrisy in any shape, manner, or form.

It’s not as if the bill in question was particularly radical in any sense. It wasn’t about emasculating men or taking away any of their traditional/historical penis-centric rights. No, it was simply a bill that “would have made violence against LGBT people and disabled people, as well as misogyny, a hate crime.” Period. Uh, and that’s a threat to whom and for exactly WHAT reason??

How any of that is objectionable to even those on the Far-Right fairly boggles the mind. ‘Course, across the long night of Italy’s history, there’s not much to brag about in the way of fair play, equality, or equal opportunity for any non-Christian or anyone who happens not to be the proud owner of a penis.

Then again, why listen to me when you could take the word of Alessandro Zan, for whom the defeated bill was named.

ROMA – “I am not a believer, but I had a Catholic education and as a boy I was in Catholic Action and I read the Gospels in the Church. The fact of being gay and seeing that the Church did not accept me, pushed me away”. Alessandro Zan, dem deputy and lgbt activist, from which the law against homotransphobia takes its name, says he respects Catholic positions.

Zan may well be sincere when he says he respects Catholic positions, but the Vatican doesn’t return that respect. Surely the Catholic Church knows that it’s the self-appointed earthly representative of Jesus Christ, who was all about love, tolerance, inclusion, and acceptance?

The Church filed a formal complaint with the Italian government because they feared that Catholics could face legal repercussions for voting against the “DDL Zan,” as the bill is known.

The Italian Senate on Wednesday blocked a proposed amendment that sought to punish violent acts against members of the LGBTQ+ community through a secret vote, according to the Italian newspaper The Local.

The law, informally known as “DDL Zan” (disegno di legge Zan), named after the member of parliament that proposed it, was brought to debate in 2018 in response to what Alessandro Zan saw as an exponential increase in violence against gay, lesbian, and transgender people.

The law sought to expand the Mancino Law, which sanctions phrases, gestures, actions and slogans aimed at inciting hatred, violence, and discrimination for “racial, ethnic, religious or national reasons,” to include homosexual, transsexual, women and the physically disabled. Those that engaged in violence against members of the LGBTQ+ community, or otherwise engaged in gender-based violence, could be imprisoned for up to four years under the expanded language.

Right-leaning parties Fratelli D’Italia and Lega Nord introduced the motion to block the bill. The vote was held through secret ballot, meaning senate members could vote freely, across party lines if they wished. The motion passed 154-131. Zan expressed disdain with the result, saying in a tweet that a “political pact” meant to move Italy towards “civilization” was broken.

Because the vote occurred in secret, legislators could vote their “conscience” (since when do hatred and homophobia constitute a “conscience”) and even cross party lines if they wanted to. Because of the secrecy, Italians learned just how vicious and backward many of their elected representatives are.

The bill would’ve expanded the Mancino Law, which protects members of threatened classes. The secret vote on the DD Zan shows that any “political pact” Zan may have felt was in place to move Italy forward never really existed in the first place. Those who voted against the DD Zan must now somehow reconcile the reality that they voted against something intended to provide basic human rights protections to groups who already enjoy far too little of it.

I can’t speak to the minutiae of Italian politics because I’m not Italian, nor do I have a feel for Italian politics. However, I know that kindness and compassion aren’t signs of weakness or moral turpitude and that the Catholic Church sits at the crossroads of evil and hypocrisy. You shouldn’t be able to use your Christian faith to paper over hatred and homophobia, and yet that’s precisely what’s happening, 21 years into the new millennium.

Italy, Europe, and the rest of the world now must somehow grasp the reality that here in 2021, too many Italian legislators are still yoked to prejudicial, exclusionary thinking. Italy’s LGBTQ+ community- indeed, ALL of its minorities- deserve far better than to be ruled by those who hate them for the mere fact that they exist.

Enough already. I’ll take a room full of genuine, honest, and authentic LGBTQ+ people over haters, homophobes, and bigots any day- and twice on Sunday.

Love is love. People are people. Love who you love. ‘Tain’t nothin’ to be ashamed of.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you enjoyed it, I hope you’ll take a few seconds and investigate a paid subscription. While you’re at it, why not forward this to a few like-minded friends who might also enjoy it!! You can also donate via Venmo (@Jack-Cluth).