[:it]ARCIGAY: "LET'S CELEBRATE THE BRIDGE THAT HAS OPENED TOWARD FULL EQUALITY."“
May 11, 2017 – “A year ago, the Chamber of Deputies approved the law on civil unions: it's an anniversary we celebrate and an opportunity to take stock,” said Gabriele Piazzoni, national secretary of Arcigay. He continues: "We still remember the days of struggle that accompanied the law's passage, but also the decades of battles that generations of activists before us have waged to secure this first result. It must be said that its approval a year ago did not immediately remove all obstacles: over the months, we have witnessed bureaucratic delays and outright institutional abuse by mayors who attempted, with the law in place, to further deny that right or relegate that happiness to the closets of city halls. But the arrogance of these individuals has failed to tarnish the happiness of the many couples who, thanks to this law, have finally fulfilled a dream, obtaining public recognition for their love and securing their families through a formal bond. Taking stock also means reopening the debate on LGBTI parenthood, the great exclusion from the law on civil unions. Unfortunately, for a year, promises of rapid reform of the law have remained a dead letter." On adoptions: our rainbow families are still forced to resort to court to restore their children's sacrosanct right to a family. And justice, in the many cases it has dealt with, has always proven to be ahead of politics, which has instead sacrificed the rights of boys and girls on the altar of government alliances and the undermining of majority and opposition. For our part, we will always be the goad that reminds parliament of the glass half empty, of the commitments made and which must be respected, and above all of the road still to be traveled to reach the finish line of full equality. Because the goal, for us, remains equal marriage. Finally, in recent days, a controversy has arisen over the number of civil unions celebrated in Italy: are they few? Are they many? They are the beginning of a new story, first and foremost. And this is the most important aspect. And they are also, statistically, in line with other European countries and with the expectations of a country that was almost the last to achieve this recognition, when many gay and lesbian couples had already learned that by taking a plane could reach countries where their love would be recognized. And above all, the numbers remind us that civil rights go hand in hand with social rights and that once the right of same-sex couples to unite is recognized, we need to reflect on the concrete possibility of doing so, because in some cases that recognition is a luxury and it is up to us, all of us, to break down obstacles and distances. We must also remember that civil unions, like marriage, are not orthodoxy: there are other models of happiness, other choices that deserve equal respect and consideration. Today, however, we want to enjoy the celebration and toast the great process of visibility that the law on civil unions has triggered within the LGBTI community: laws, we will never tire of saying, create culture, and the beneficial effects of the recognition of same-sex couples will be appreciated for decades. This is the revolution we want, and for now we have only begun,“ concludes Piazzoni.[:]