- Homosexuality
- ⚢✔ Legal
- Gay Marriage
- ⚭✖ Civil unions
- Censorship
- ✔ No censorship
- Changing Gender
- ✔ Legal, surgery not required
- Non-binary gender recognition
- ✖ Not legally recognized
- Discrimination
- ✖ No protections
- Employment Discrimination
- ✖ Sexual orientation only
- Housing Discrimination
- ✖ No protections
- Adoption
- ✖ Step-child adoption only
- Military
- ✖ Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned
- Donating Blood
- ✔ Legal
- Conversion Therapy
- ✖ Not banned
- Age of Consent
- ✔ Equal
Public Opinion
Public opinion surveys in Italy have pointed to a varied attitude towards LGBTQ+ individuals.
OPPOSE
SUPPORT
History
Homosexual activity in Italy is legal.
Current status
Since 1890
Since 1890
Legal
No laws against homosexual relationships anywhere in Italy's Penal Code
Same-sex marriage in Italy is civil unions.
Current status
Since May 11, 2016
Since May 11, 2016
Civil unions
Italy's parliament has backed same-sex civil unions. MPs in the lower house voted 372-51 for the government, ensuring that the civil unions bill will become law. Civil unions gave gay couples all the rights and duties of marriage except joint adoption.
Censorship of LGBT Issues in Italy is no censorship.
Current status
No censorship
In Italy, there are no laws restricting to discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics.
Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Italy is not legally recognized.
Current status
Not legally recognized
Italy does not constitutionally recognise the 3rd gender. Yes a family has been recognised but it's not national. Also in the constitution it is not recognised. Moreover it's only 1 family recognised by 1 court.
LGBT discrimination in Italy is no protections.
Current status
Since Oct 28, 2021
Since Oct 28, 2021
No protections
According to ILGA Europe, Italy does not provide any protections to hate crime and hate speech. Also the new PM Giorgia Meloni and her government have no plans to change this.
Varies by Region
In Tuscany, Piedmont, Liguria, Marche, Umbria, Sicily and Emilia-Romagna discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity is banned
LGBT employment discrimination in Italy is sexual orientation only.
Current status
Since Jul 9, 2003
Since Jul 9, 2003
Sexual orientation only
Discrimination protection is afforded on the grounds of sexual orientation
LGBT housing discrimination in Italy is no protections.
Current status
Since Oct 28, 2021
Since Oct 28, 2021
No protections
According to ILGA Europe, Italy does not provide any protections to hate crime and hate speech at a national level. Also the new PM Giorgia Meloni has no plans to change this.
Until 2004
No protections
no protections at the time
Same-sex adoption in Italy is step-child adoption only.
Current status
Since Jun 22, 2016
Since Jun 22, 2016
Ambiguous
Some courts have recognized foreign joint adoption. Some receptions are also made for step-children. Gay adoption legalizing pending.
Serving openly in military in Italy is lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned.
Current status
Since Jan 1, 1986
Since Jan 1, 1986
Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned
Until 1986, "sexual deviance" was a reason for exclusion for military service. At that time, some men claimed to be homosexual to avoid the draft. Lesbians have never been banned from the Italian military since women were first allowed to serve in 2000. Since 2010, discrimination against gays and lesbians in military service is banned, but the situation for transgender people is unclear. The organization Polis Aperta estimates that 5 to 10% of Italians in uniformed service (military or police) are LGB. Despite the ban on discrimination, some service personnel unfortunately face harassment or violence because of their sexual orientation. Unfortunately transgenders have not yet gained the right to military service in Italy
Blood donations by MSMs in Italy is legal.
Current status
Since 2001
Since 2001
Legal
Italy uses a risk-based donor selection system that treats MSM and heterosexual partners equally.
Ambiguous
Italy legalizes blood donations as Health Minister lifts blood ban. However, Italy still denies men who engaged in "risky behaviors"
Conversion therapy in Italy is not banned.
Current status
Not banned
Not banned by the law. However, the national psychological association officially stated in 2013 that conversion therapy goes strictly against its code of ethics and therefore is not allowed.
Equal age of consent in Italy is equal.
Current status
Equal
Age of consent: 14
LGBT Rights by Province
View the LGBT laws in each individual province of Italy.
- Agrigento
- Alessandria
- Ancona
- Aosta
- Arezzo
- Ascoli Piceno
- Asti
- Avellino
- Bari
- Barletta-Andria-Trani
- Belluno
- Benevento
- Bergamo
- Biella
- Bologna
- Bolzano
- Brescia
- Brindisi
- Cagliari
- Caltanissetta
- Campobasso
- Carbonia-Iglesias
- Caserta
- Catania
- Catanzaro
- Chieti
- Como
- Cosenza
- Cremona
- Crotone
- Cuneo
- Enna
- Fermo
- Ferrara
- Firenze
- Foggia
- Forli-Cesena
- Frosinone
- Genova
- Gorizia
- Grosseto
- Imperia
- Isernia
- L'Aquila
- La Spezia
- Latina
- Lecce
- Lecco
- Livorno
- Lodi
- Lucca
- Macerata
- Mantova
- Massa-Carrara
- Matera
- Medio Campidano
- Messina
- Milano
- Modena
- Monza e Brianza
- Napoli
- Novara
- Nuoro
- Ogliastra
- Olbia-Tempio
- Oristano
- Padova
- Palermo
- Parma
- Pavia
- Perugia
- Pesaro e Urbino
- Pescara
- Piacenza
- Pisa
- Pistoia
- Pordenone
- Potenza
- Prato
- Ragusa
- Ravenna
- Reggio Calabria
- Reggio Emilia
- Rieti
- Rimini
- Roma
- Rovigo
- Salerno
- Sassari
- Savona
- Siena
- Siracusa
- Sondrio
- Taranto
- Teramo
- Terni
- Torino
- Trapani
- Trento
- Treviso
- Trieste
- Udine
- Varese
- Venezia
- Verbano-Cusio-Ossola
- Vercelli
- Verona
- Vibo Valentia
- Vicenza
- Viterbo
- Abruzzo (region)
- Basilicata (region)
- Calabria (region)
- Campania (region)
- Emilia-Romagna (region)
- Friuli-Venezia Giulia (region)
- Lazio (region)
- Liguria (region)
- Lombardia (region)
- Marche (region)
- Molise (region)
- Piemonte (region)
- Puglia (region)
- Sardegna (region)
- Sicilia (region)
- Toscana (region)
- Trentino-Alto Adige (region)
- Umbria (region)
- Valle d'Aosta (region)
- Veneto (region)
Equality Rank
#13
Interest Rank based on Equaldex traffic ?
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