FAMILY. MEROLA PROMISES MORE POINTS FOR MARRIED COUPLES. THE CASSERO'S RESPONSE: "A SERIOUS STEP BACK: THE MAYOR IS EXPLOITING DISCRIMINATION AND OFFENDING HOMOSEXUALS AND PRECARIOUS WORKERS."“
Regarding the statements made by the mayor on è-tv and reported by news agencies, the board of directors of Arcigay il Cassero di Bologna declares the following:
“We are astonished to read Mayor Merola's statements to E-TV, which promise to distinguish couples based on marriage in municipal rankings. This distinction is in clear contradiction with the most banal of principles of equality: if marriage is a discriminatory condition in Italy – in open conflict with the Lisbon Treaty – taking it as a welfare parameter means exploiting that discrimination and becoming co-authors together with this unworthy Parliament. The direction indicated by Merola is therefore a serious step backwards compared to the rules approved by the Emilia Romagna Region and also examined by the Constitutional Court. Finally, we invite the mayor to open his eyes and realize that marriage in Italy is not only precluded to homosexuals, but also to those who, due to economic means, postpone the "big day": precarious workers, for example, that "worst of Italy" that politicians continue to offend, both with the verbal insults of a minister and with the short-sighted policies of a municipal administration. We hope for a timely intervention by the City Council".