On Wednesday, an Italian court for the first time in history recognized a same-sex marriage, which, according to the judges, has nothing to do with the official definition of the term "Unions between members of the same sex".
A court in the city of Grosseto, located in the Toscana region, ordered the local administration to recognize the marriage of a couple who married in New York in 2012. This decision was approved by advocates who immediately called it a “historical event.” “This is an unprecedented event in our country,” said Sergio Lo Giudice, a Democratic senator who used to be the head of Arcigay.
Aurelio Mancuso, head of the organization that also advocates for LGBT rights in Italy, Equality Italia, said: “They (the same-sex couple) managed to achieve what city officials and courts have never denied: their marriage was recognized in another country. ”Fabrizio Marazzo, a spokesman for the Gay Center, also acknowledged the importance of the court’s decision, noting that he was also welcomed by the country's prime minister, Matteo Renzi.
Italy is one of the few European countries that still refuse to recognize same-sex unions and especially marriages.
The judge, who made the disturbing decision, Claudio Boccio, said the right to register marriage takes on new and broader connotations, which also include marriages between people of the same sex. Previously, Stefano Bucci, 57, and Stefano Chigiotti, 68, whose union was now recognized as legal, were faced with a refusal by the Italian authorities to consider their marriage a legal union, despite the fact that it was registered for another two years back to New York. The couple filed an appeal, and the Grosseto court ruled that the law does not prohibit recognition of same-sex marriage, which was concluded in a country where such practice is legal.
There is nothing surprising in the fact that in such a believing country as Italy, where Catholicism flourishes, same-sex marriage is not welcome. However, this does not mean that homosexuals are constantly persecuted. But still, it is impossible to predict everything that soon alliances between representatives of minorities will nevertheless legalize. It is worth noting that from time to time the country's courts are faced with cases, one way or another connected with same-sex marriages. So, jury cause particular difficulty gender reassignment processes.
For example, one Italian citizen, after several years of family life, decided to change sex and become a woman. And after the sex reassignment operation, the spouse turned out to be such a sweet and beautiful lady that his wife fell in love with this image.
And it would seem that this story, albeit an unexpected, but happy ending, until the local authorities intervened in the matter, who immediately annulled the marriage, referring to a special law that was canceled only two years after the happy couple was forcibly divorced.
But the ex-husband and wife did not even think of giving up. They appealed to many authorities who could decide what to do in this unusual situation. Finally, they filed a complaint with the court of appeal against the official, who decided to divorce then the same-sex couple. The law stated that there were no complaints against the actions of the official, therefore, the restoration of the marriage was refused. And only the Supreme Court of the country nevertheless reunited the lovers. Later it was decided to consider separately each similar case because of a possible incorrect interpretation of the laws of the country.
