Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

World

Rome mayor refuses to back down over gay marriages

-

Rome's mayor refused Friday to back down in an increasingly heated dispute over his registering gay marriages celebrated abroad, in defiance of an order from the government to the delight of rights groups.

Left-wing mayor Ignazio Marino registered 16 gay marriages made in countries from Belgium to Spain two weeks ago following a landmark decision by a court in April to recognise a same-sex marriage contracted overseas.

Gay marriage in Italy remains illegal, however, and Interior Minister Angelino Alfano has ordered the prefecture of Rome to remove the gay unions from the city's registry.

Marino said he would "not accept the order" from the prefecture, because the law says marriages celebrated abroad "should not be registered if such a registration would be dangerous for public order."

"I honestly cannot understand what danger could be posed by a couple in love who have declared their love," he said.

The mayor said refusing to register marriages celebrated abroad "would be an illegal and illegitimate act, against the principles of the European Union."

Flavio Romani, head of Italy's leading gay rights group, Arcigay, expressed esteem and support for Marino and slammed Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's government, saying it was "clobbering Italians' requests for rights."

Rome is just one of several Italian cities which have gone over the head of the interior ministry to register gay marriages. Officials in Naples have said they will challenge Alfano's directive in the courts.

Rome’s mayor refused Friday to back down in an increasingly heated dispute over his registering gay marriages celebrated abroad, in defiance of an order from the government to the delight of rights groups.

Left-wing mayor Ignazio Marino registered 16 gay marriages made in countries from Belgium to Spain two weeks ago following a landmark decision by a court in April to recognise a same-sex marriage contracted overseas.

Gay marriage in Italy remains illegal, however, and Interior Minister Angelino Alfano has ordered the prefecture of Rome to remove the gay unions from the city’s registry.

Marino said he would “not accept the order” from the prefecture, because the law says marriages celebrated abroad “should not be registered if such a registration would be dangerous for public order.”

“I honestly cannot understand what danger could be posed by a couple in love who have declared their love,” he said.

The mayor said refusing to register marriages celebrated abroad “would be an illegal and illegitimate act, against the principles of the European Union.”

Flavio Romani, head of Italy’s leading gay rights group, Arcigay, expressed esteem and support for Marino and slammed Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s government, saying it was “clobbering Italians’ requests for rights.”

Rome is just one of several Italian cities which have gone over the head of the interior ministry to register gay marriages. Officials in Naples have said they will challenge Alfano’s directive in the courts.

AFP
Written By

With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world as a leading global news agency. AFP provides fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the issues affecting our daily lives.

You may also like:

Social Media

Wanna buy some ignorance? You’re in luck.

Tech & Science

Under new legislation that passed the House of Representatives last week, TikTok could be banned in the United States.

Life

Platforms like Instagram and Pinterest often suggest travel destinations based on your likes and viewing habits.

Social Media

From vampires and wendigos to killer asteroids, TikTok users are pumping out outlandish end-of-the-world conspiracy theories.