On Wednesday, Oct. 16, the Italian upper house Senate expanded their 2004 surrogacy ban, which led many couples, especially those in same-sex relationships, to pursue surrogacy outside of Italy, as they are also prohibited from adopting. In 2022, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called surrogacy a “universal crime,” while also introducing a bill to punish those seeking surrogacy abroad; in 2019, she vehemently argued against using the terminology of “parent one and parent two,” rather than the traditional “mother and father.”
With a winning vote of 84 to 58, Senate passed the bill that will penalize Italians who look for surrogacy in foreign countries with up to two years in jail and up to 1 million euros in fines.
Meloni’s conservative rhetoric has 2SLGBTQIA activists questioning this backward logic. “If someone has a baby, they should be given a medal. Here instead, you are sent to jail … if you don’t have children in the traditional way,” Franco Grillini, a long-time 2SLGBTQIA rights advocate, shared with Reuters.
The legislation doesn’t distinguish between same-sex and heterosexual couples, but it will disproportionately impact the 2SLGBTQ community. Its broad reach has led to wide criticism, with heterosexual couples joining the 2SLGBTQIA community in protest.
