Gay rights under the spotlight at LBGTI meet in Rome

Rome Nov 17 (IANS/AKI) Lesbian gay bisexual transgender and intersex employees of Italy s foreign ministry will on November 22 hold a conference in Rome to mark the first anniversary of the introduction of same-sex civil unions here the ministry s LBGTI association Globe-MAE announced.

Globe-MAE s President Fabrizio Petri will open the event taking place at the International Women s House in Rome s Trastevere district which will be attended by all the main LBGTI associations and focus on the state of gay rights in Italy and the world.

Politicians including Senator and foreign ministry undersecretary Benedetto Della Vedova Senators Monica Cirinna Sergio Lo Giudice and Luigi Manconi are due to speak at the conference together with MPs Renata Polverini and Alessandro Zan and several senior Italian officials Globe-MAE said.

The aim of the meeting is to assess Italy s commitment to LBGTI rights worldwide and implementation of the 2016 same-sex civil unions law which grants same-sex couples many of the same rights as married heterosexual couples including inheritance and pension rights.

Italy was the last countries in western Europe to introduce gay civil unions.

--IANS/AKI
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