Italy court makes ‘historic’ ruling for same-sex mothers

ROME (AFP) — Italy’s highest court ruled Thursday that women in same-sex couples who become mothers through in vitro fertilization have the right to be recognized on the birth certificate even if they are not the biological parent.

The ruling was hailed as “historic” by opposition parties in Italy, which is governed by self-declared “Christian mother” Giorgia Meloni.

The far-right leader has railed against the “LGBT lobby” and says she defends traditional family values in the majority-Catholic country.

The Constitutional Court in Rome “ruled as discriminatory the failure to recognize both mothers” on birth certificates, a decision which “effectively becomes law,” lawyer Michele Giarratano told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Those celebrating included Chiara Soldatini, who moved to Spain with her family last year after realizing her rights were under threat.

“I am happy no one will now be able to challenge the fact our son is our son,” she told AFP.

While civil unions became legal in Italy in 2016, same-sex couples cannot access medically assisted reproduction, and the law did not account for children conceived abroad by mothers in same-sex relationships who then give birth in Italy.