From "Unità" of January 19, 2005 by Delia Vaccarello
Gays give Fassino a rose, but with thorns.
The Civil Solidarity Pact
Franco Grillini with the Gayleft symbol
ROME A rose, symbol of European socialism, with as many petals as the colors of the rainbow, is the new symbol of the homosexual ds who since yesterday have been calling themselves Gayleft, consult lgbt (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans) DS. A rose with petals and thorns offered to Piero Fassino During a meeting attended by many Quercia leaders, he highlighted the growing attention to gay rights. Fassino was resolute: "Supporting the civil solidarity pact (PACS) is a civilized choice. We will fully develop the campaign to support the proposed law. We support the right to protection and recognition of heterosexual and homosexual interpersonal relationships, and we have set ourselves a goal: to have the PACS adopted within this legislature. If this fails to happen, it will be a key point in the center-left coalition's government platform for the 2006 elections.".
Andrea Benedino, Gayleft spokesperson, had asked the DS to fight hard, warning otherwise that there would be "thorns": "If the PACS is not in the coalition program for 2006, the homosexuals of the DS will not be at the side of their party". Another new development: Gayleft is a consult, "an instrument of osmosis" for Fassino between homosexuals inside and outside the oak tree, which helps them to take root in society. "A segment of the country already identifies with our fight for freedom," he confirmed. Grillini.
But what's going on inside the Oak Tree? The strong relationship with the women's coordination has been in place for two years, with "the principle of secularism and the ability to listen" being the common ground, she said. Barbara Pollastrini. According to Gianni Cuperlo, Gayleft's challenge is to "contribute to the renewal of the reformist left, trying to shake up its culture and vocabulary." This is a much-needed shakeup: "We need educational work aimed at the DS leadership," he said. Paola Concia, While Aurelio Mancuso He proposed drafting a vocabulary of correct terms for discussing homosexuality. And what about his allies? "How will Fassino manage to include civil unions in the entire coalition's program?" he asked. The Judge, otherwise also announcing the departure of Arcigay. In short, the homosexual struggle must be interpreted as a battle for the rights and authentic freedoms that society so desperately needs. This, according to Gayleft, is the clear message that must be conveyed within the DS and its allies.
Civil unions, Fassino pledges: "Let's approve it immediately."«
Piero Fassino, DS Secretary
ROME The ultimatum arrived yesterday during the national assembly of the DS homosexual coordination: either the party will really commit to supporting the debate on PACS within the centre-left, in view of the 2006 political elections, or the coordination will no longer be with the Quercia, as announced by the national spokesperson of the Coordination, Andrea Benedino. "There is a strong expectation about this in the Italian gay community," Benedino warned, explaining that the PACS represents a "reformist and gradual approach, the only one that can achieve results in Italy." The coordination – which has changed its name and is now called «Gayleft-LGBT Consultation DS» – also asks the DS to officially include the word 'ga' in the documents of the next party congress and to include the testimony of a gay couple during the three-day meeting. "Italy is ready for this reform," said the national spokesperson for the homosexual DS, but the center-left is "not united" on this issue: "We must avoid," he warned, "what happened with assisted fertilization." Piero Fassino, present at the meeting, immediately reassured the DS that they will strongly support the Civil Solidarity Pact so that it is approved by the end of this legislature, but if it is not, they are committed to making it "a key element of the center-left government program" in the next general elections. Therefore, in the coming months, this will be "one of the issues that must characterize the DS's political initiative.".
Meanwhile, yesterday there was a hearing in the Justice Committee of the Chamber of Deputies of the professor of comparative law at the University of Rome 3 Raffaele Torino. «Italy – declared Raffaele Torino – is in an isolated position compared to the rest of Europe. It is in fact unique, together with Ireland, Austria and Greece, to have not yet done anything from a legal standpoint on this front." "The idea of homosexuality, especially in Europe," Torino then emphasized, "is no longer perceived as antithetical to that of the family. But new family models do not only concern homosexual couples. It is particularly heterosexual couples who request them. In fact, between 1998 and 2002, heterosexual couples who registered their 'partnership' were exactly double the number of gay couples.".
