https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Italy in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Pope Francis has opted to maintain the status quo on the Church's approach to homosexuality in a blow to liberals hoping for an opening to gay couples in new guidelines on the family. https://www.thelocal.it/20160408/pope-opts-for-status-quo-on-church-approach-to-homosexuality Fri, 08 Apr 2016 14:34:25 +0200 pope-opts-for-status-quo-on-church-approach-to-homosexuality Italy's battle over legalising same-sex civil unions is about to get heated, with supporters and opponents ready to take to the streets as lawmakers address the deeply divisive issue. https://www.thelocal.it/20160123/italy-battle-over-gay-civil-unions-heads-for-the-streets Sat, 23 Jan 2016 18:59:45 +0100 italy-battle-over-gay-civil-unions-heads-for-the-streets The gay president of an Italian fifth division club has called for Serie A players and officials to declare their homosexuality, as the furore over Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri's gay slurs continued on Thursday. https://www.thelocal.it/20160121/gay-club-boss-calls-for-serie-a-coming-out Thu, 21 Jan 2016 13:33:15 +0100 gay-club-boss-calls-for-serie-a-coming-out A high-ranking Polish priest who was fired after coming out as gay before the Vatican's key synod on the family said on Sunday that there was no "gay lobby" in the Church. https://www.thelocal.it/20151011/no-gay-lobby-active-in-vatican Sun, 11 Oct 2015 18:47:55 +0200 no-gay-lobby-active-in-vatican A gathering of bishops intended to reshape Catholic teaching on the family kicks off Sunday against a backdrop of controversy over the thorny and divisive issue of homosexuality. https://www.thelocal.it/20151004/gay-row-overshadows-catholic-church-synod Sun, 04 Oct 2015 13:43:28 +0200 gay-row-overshadows-catholic-church-synod British singer Sir Elton John has slammed the new mayor of Venice for banning books about homosexuality from schools. https://www.thelocal.it/20150818/sir-elton-john-slams-venice-mayor-for-gay-book-ban Tue, 18 Aug 2015 11:49:05 +0200 sir-elton-john-slams-venice-mayor-for-gay-book-ban The new mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, has officially banned from schools dozens of children's books on subjects such as homosexuality and disability, provoking a flurry of criticism. https://www.thelocal.it/20150709/venice-mayor-bans-books-on-homosexuality Thu, 09 Jul 2015 10:15:57 +0200 venice-mayor-bans-books-on-homosexuality The headmaster of a Turin school on Monday opened an investigation after a religion teacher allegedly told pupils homosexuality is an "illness" which can be "cured". https://www.thelocal.it/20141103/gays-can-be-cured-turin-teacher-tells-pupils Mon, 03 Nov 2014 18:32:00 +0100 gays-can-be-cured-turin-teacher-tells-pupils Italy has a long way to go on issues like same-sex marriage, but it's still home to plenty of beautiful places that provide fun in the sun for gay tourists. We've got a rundown of ten of the best. https://www.thelocal.it/20140627/top-10-italys-gay-friendly-holiday-destinations Fri, 27 Jun 2014 14:20:00 +0200 top-10-italys-gay-friendly-holiday-destinations Parents of teenagers at a high school in Rome have filed a complaint against teachers for making their students read a book about a girl who was brought up by two gay fathers, describing some of the book's contents as "obscene". https://www.thelocal.it/20140429/row-erupts-over-obscene-gay-school-book Tue, 29 Apr 2014 14:41:00 +0200 row-erupts-over-obscene-gay-school-book A teenage boy who was fostered by an Italian family has been disowned by his foster parents – simply for being gay, Italian media reported on Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.it/20140318/boy-given-up-by-foster-parents-for-being-gay Tue, 18 Mar 2014 11:08:00 +0100 boy-given-up-by-foster-parents-for-being-gay An Italian film director who was nominated for an Oscar said “it’s the corrupt politicians who should be outed” after coming out as gay. https://www.thelocal.it/20140129/its-the-corrupt-politicians-who-should-be-outed Wed, 29 Jan 2014 11:50:00 +0100 its-the-corrupt-politicians-who-should-be-outed Pope Francis' newly chosen Spanish cardinal, 84-year-old Fernando Sebastian Aguilar, came under harsh criticism Monday for describing homosexuality as a "defect" that can be corrected with treatment. https://www.thelocal.it/20140120/popes-new-cardinal-says-being-gay-is-a-defect Mon, 20 Jan 2014 15:30:00 +0100 popes-new-cardinal-says-being-gay-is-a-defect