Italy removes lesbian mothers’ names from children’s birth certificates
Under new legislation approved by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s “traditional family-first” government, the Italian government has begun the process of erasing the names of “non-biological gay mothers” from their children’s birth certificates.
Italy currently does not recognize same-sex relationships in law, and surrogacy remains illegal. This presents significant legal hurdles for non-biological parents, who must make a special case for legal adoption of their own children.
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The legislation also prevents men in same-sex relationships from registering their child’s birth with both fathers’ names. Instead, they are forced to choose one to be the legally recognized father.
The amended birth certificates belong to 33 children of Italian women who underwent artificial insemination abroad and initially registered their children under the city’s previous center-left government, led by Sergio Giordani, in 2017.
The prosecutor’s office in Padua confirmed that as of Thursday, July 20, the names of 27 mothers had already been removed from their respective birth certificates.
Giordani had initially promised to remove the traditional “mother” and “father” designations from birth certificates, but this decision was overturned when Meloni’s administration issued orders to halt registrations of same-sex parents’ children under both of their names.
Consequently, the new ruling dictates that only the biological parent can be named on the birth certificate.
Family Minister Eugenia Roccella defended the legislation in parliament, asserting, “There is no discrimination against children.”
However, the impact of this policy change is that the non-registered parent’s rights are limited, and they are now required to seek permission for everyday family tasks, such as picking up their child from school or utilizing public services on their behalf.
In addition to this legislation, Meloni’s government introduced a bill in March to extend the national ban on surrogacy to couples who utilize such services abroad. If passed, individuals found in violation of this law could face a prison sentence of up to two years and fines exceeding $1 million.