Thousands gathered Saturday in Rome to
protest the watering down of Italy's civil unions bill.
The original bill allowed for a person
in a civil union to adopt their partner's biological children. The
adoption clause was dumped in the Senate.
“Today in Italy, in 2016, we still
have to beg for charity, for crumbs, in terms of rights,” Alessia
Avellino, 21, told the AFP. “We want equal weddings, adoptions and
full rights. Full rights.”
Italy is the only Western European
country that offers gay couples no recognition.
Demonstrators said they were hoping to
force a change to the proposed law before it clears the lower
chamber.
“The law is unsatisfactory,” said
Edoardo Messineo, a 23-year-old student. “It's a first step,
[but] it doesn't give us those rights that are fundamentally ours.”