fyi

The Italian Minister for Equal Opportunities, Mara Carfagna

she wrote "that there is a lot of discrimination in schools, universities and in the work place, and I believe that Italy has a duty to fight this attitude with resolution. Having said this however, the GLBT movement cannot expect homosexual couples have rights which are recognised as equivalent or similar to those which a heterosexual family is guaranteed and nor will they have the patronage of the government to demonstrate which is more about exhibitionism than anything else". "As for those who argue for more rights for gays" added the minister, "I am ready to discuss issues concerning private negotiations but not public recognition. To allow a gay to go and meet their companion in a hospital, a declaration to the local health authority should be enough, and similarly there should be the possibility within property letting contracts to allow for a similar possibility or by carrying out a simple administrative act to allow prison visits. If they want to discuss how to combat discrimination and to avoid inequality, the Ministry of Equal Opportunities is ready to find immediate solutions, but if someone wants to undermine the concept of family or dictate political agendas to the ministry, they will find the doors closed.

Eric

I think the startling thing of Benkof's piece was the refusal of Californians he contacted to speak to the issue of "what does this mean?" and then the forthrightness of those outside of CA to claim they are in it to see anyone who doesn't fully embrace gay marriage should be "fined, fired or jailed". The CA decision went far beyond mere SSM, to declaring "sexual orientation" a "suspect class" ... IE equivalent to "race" as an immutable characteristic where ANY law/statute/policy/etc would come under strict scrutiny.

Im gay