Tens of thousands of gay rights supporters and LGBT families rallied in Rome to protest against the watering down of Italy’s civil unions bill, which no longer allows adoption rights for gay and lesbian couples.
“Today in Italy, in 2016, we still have to beg for charity, for crumbs, in terms of rights. We want equal weddings, adoptions and full rights. Full rights,” said Alessia Avellino, a 21-year old sociology student.
The bill, which had to be cut back to the bare bones to pass in the senate and is now being examined in the lower house, is only a small step towards securing rights for homosexual families, and are especially angry over the scrapping of a clause which would have allowed gay people to adopt their partners’ biological children a proposal the prime minister, Matteo Renzi, was forced to dump under pressure from the Catholic church.
Supporters of the of gay rights hope to force a change to the draft law before it is ratified – or at least open a debate on rights that could eventually lead to an adoption bill.
“The law is unsatisfactory. It’s a first step, [but] it doesn’t give us those rights that are fundamentally ours,” law student Edoardo Messineo said.
A former commander of the Swiss Guard, the small force of men whose job it is to protect the pope, says there is “a network of homosexuals” within the Vatican, the latest in a series of claims about gay priests working at the heart of the Catholic Church.
“I cannot refute the claim that there is a network of homosexuals. My experiences would indicate the existence of such a thing,” he told the Swiss newspaper Schweiz am Sonntag
Mader, 50, from the canton of St Gallen, refused to comment on speculation that he had warned guardsmen about the behaviour of certain priests.
Earlier this month, the same newspaper reported the claims of a former, unnamed member of the Guard that he had been the target of more than 20 “unambiguous sexual requests” from clergy while serving in the force and had been sexually harassed by members of the Roman Curia, including on at least one occasion by a Cardinal.
Recounting a dinner in a Rome restaurant, the man was quoted as saying: “As the spinach and steak were served, the priest said to me: ‘And you are the dessert’.”
At the time, spokesman Urs Breitenmoser said the rumoured gay network did not pose a problem to the Swiss Guard, whose members, he said, were motivated by entirely different interests.
Mader, while he said he did not have a problem with homosexuality, said he feared that a network or secret society of gay people within the Vatican could pose security problems. He added that he would not have promoted a gay man in the Guard – not because of his sexuality but because “the risk of disloyalty would have been too high”.
Mader’s comments about the supposed threat posed by gay guards and priests drew criticism among rights advocates in Italy.
“Along with all gay people in the armed forces, I would advise Mader to become better informed,” said Aurelio Mancuso, chairman of Equality Italia Prima lobby.
The Swiss Guards have served as bodyguards and ceremonial guards to the Pope since the late 15th century.
The Pope’s new Spanish Cardinal Fernando Sebastián has called homosexuality a physical “defect” that can be cured.
Fernando Sebastián told the Spanish newspaper Diario Sur on Monday that: “Homosexuality is a defective manner of expressing sexuality, because [sex] has a structure and a purpose, which is procreation.
“A homosexual who can’t achieve this (procreation) is failing,” he said.
He continued: “Our bodies have many defects. I have high blood pressure.”
He added that calling homosexuality a defect was “not an insult” but is instead helpful because it is “possible to recover and become normal with the right treatment.”
“It’s one thing to be compassionate towards a homosexual person and another thing to morally justify the practice of that homosexuality,” he said.
“The ultimate goal of homosexual-rights activists is not to legalize same-sex marriage. Rather, it is to silence those who disagree with them and, if necessary, to throw them in jail. In a world in which the biblical viewpoint of marriage is demonized, it does not take a constitutional scholar to predict that soon those who hold that view will find themselves in court. How did we get to the point where homosexual-rights activists would be clamoring to redefine society’s oldest and most reliable institution and people of faith would be worried about being fined or jailed for teaching their faith?”
Chick-Fil-A president Dan Cathy – Still serving that HATE sandwich Cathy tweeted and then deleted the above message. The company’s spokesman has refused to discuss the tweet
“I don’t think it was appropriate. I think it was wrong. [snip] I’ve made it very clear since 2009 that I believe that marriage should be between one man and one woman. I’ve said that, I ran on that, I’ve said it consistently. That doesn’t mean, in any way shape or form, that I have anything against folks who are homosexual. In fact, I’ve said I believe people are born that way. I don’t believe it’s a choice … you were born with your sexual preference. But I believe that the institution of marriage for 2,000 years has been between a man and a woman.”
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, headed by Archbishop Timothy Dolan and Archbishop and drunk driver Salvatore Cordileone –
“Today is a tragic day for marriage and our nation. The Supreme Court has dealt a profound injustice to the American people by striking down in part the federal Defense of Marriage Act. The Court got it wrong. The federal government ought to respect the truth that marriage is the union of one man and one woman, even where states fail to do so. The preservation of liberty and justice requires that all laws, federal and state, respect the truth, including the truth about marriage. It is also unfortunate that the Court did not take the opportunity to uphold California’s Proposition 8 but instead decided not to rule on the matter. The common good of all, especially our children, depends upon a society that strives to uphold the truth of marriage. Now is the time to redouble our efforts in witness to this truth. These decisions are part of a public debate of great consequence. The future of marriage and the well-being of our society hang in the balance.”
Yes On 8 President Andy Pugno –
“California’s Constitution says that only an appellate court, not a single trial court judge, can stop a proposition’s enforcement statewide. As of today, there is no such ruling. Nevertheless, the Governor and Attorney General today rushed forward with plans to make same-sex ‘marriage’ licenses available throughout California in the next three or four weeks. And that is where it sits this evening. Our Legal Team is closely examining today’s court rulings, and assessing what, if any, options are available to us to keep Proposition 8 in force. This is a time for careful consideration and discernment, and we thank you in advance for your patience and continued support.”
Family Research Council hate group leader Tony Perkins –
“By a single vote, five unelected justices determined that they know better than God and struck at the heart of marriage in America. It was a powerful rebuke of a law FRC helped develop, the Defense of Marriage Act, but not the final blow. Fortunately, conservative leaders across our country aren’t about to let that happen. In interview after interview, tweet after tweet, the message echoed from Governor’s mansions to congressional floors: we are not giving up. It started with Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) and flooded the wires since then. Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-KS) vowed to lead the fight for a Federal Marriage Amendment. Governor Mike Pence (R-IN) said he would use today’s rulings as motivation to work even harder for a state marriage amendment. Are these rulings demoralizing? Definitely. But we will not let a court’s definition of marriage define us.”
National Organization for Marriage Million Dollar Hate group leader Brian Brown, (typing through an unending flood of bitter, bitter tears.) –
“I am furious about what the Court has done. We at NOM and tens of millions of other Americans will never accept it. It’s wrong, plain and simple. There’s a stench to these decisions that has stained the Supreme Court. Will you show your outrage at the Court and make a special contribution to allow NOM to coalesce Americans behind a national movement to preserve marriage? Please make an urgent, emergency financial contribution to our Win More States fund — today. The work that NOM does has never been more urgently needed than it is right now, and we are totally dependent on you, our faithful supporters, to help us continue the fight. Will you join us in expressing your outrage? Please make an emergency contribution right now so that we can immediately launch a nationwide grassroots effort to protest the decisions, and preserve marriage in the 38 states that have laws in place defending marriage.”
“For thousands of years of recorded human history, no society has defended the legal standard of marriage as anything other than between man and woman. Only since 2000 have we seen a redefinition of this foundational unit of society in various nations. Today, the U.S. Supreme Court decided to join the trend, despite the clear will of the people’s representatives through DOMA. What the Court has done will undermine the best interest of children and the best interests of the United States.”
Save California head Randy Thomasson (whose hate gravy train has just derailed) –
“Sexual behavior does not constitute a civil right, but the Supreme Court has done vast damage to man-woman marriage, the foundation of the natural family. The high court’s refusal to correct the unconstitutional rulings of lower-court judges and the dereliction of duty by constitution-bound state officials demonstrates that not only is natural, man-woman marriage no longer respected but neither is our republic and system of written laws. Because the high court didn’t care about protecting natural marriage or even the initiative process, they have allowed unnatural, homosexual ‘marriages’ to resume in California as role models for children. Today, marriage, children, and the rule of law all suffer.”
“The Supreme Court has just abandoned 7 million voters, giving us no justice and no access to the courts.. The California Supreme Court made it clear that the proponents of Prop 8 are delegated the right to defend the law if state official refuse to do so. But after accepting standing in DOMA because. . .well because it wanted to, the majority of the Supreme Court justices simply punted unable to recognize a clear injustice in kicking out of court people who have devoted thousands of hours to the democratic process –and $3 million to the defense of the law–that the Court today treats as beggars with no interest in the outcome.”
Lady Gaga performed at Euro Pride Roma 2011 at the Circus Maximus and called upon the leaders of the world in a passionate speech to fulfill the the quest for LGBT Equality worldwide. (And take a special swipe at American politics and gay rights)
“I stand here as a woman of the world and I ask governments, with you, worldwide to facilitate our dream of equality…let us be revolutionaries of love and use our very strong human powers to save lives and encourage unity around the world.”
Watch the entire empassoined and powerful speech below.
And President Obama and the HRC, THIS is what a REAL fierce advocate looks like.
“Pope Benedict XVI’s personal preacher is likening accusations against the pope and the church in the sex abuse scandal to ‘collective violence’ suffered by the Jews. The Rev. Raniero Cantalamessa said in a Good Friday sermon, with the pope listening to him in St. Peter’s Basilica, that a Jewish friend has said the accusations remind him of the ‘more shameful aspects of anti-Semitism.’ The remarks came in a prayer service at the Vatican a few hours before Benedict XVI was scheduled to take part in a Colosseum Way of the Cross procession commemorating Christ’s suffering before his crucifixtion.”
How ANYONE Gay or Straight could still belong to the Catholic Church is beyond me.
