After months of political debate over gay civil rights, Italy's Senate approved a bill recognizing and legalizing same-sex unions in the country. Italy joins its neighbors in Western Europe in embracing gay rights with the passage of the landmark bill, which is a first of its kind in the country's history.
The bill braved heavy opposition from the Roman Catholic Church and a last-ditch effort from opponents of Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. The confidence vote held on Thursday resulted in a 173-71 decision in favor of the bill.
The bill will be forwarded to the lower house of Parliament for a final vote, and is expected to take full effect in two months.
The New York Times reported that under the bill, same-sex couples will be granted the right to marry and enjoy the same rights as every wedded couple such as access to mutual financial and moral support, having the same last name, sharing the same home address and being entitled to pension and inheritance rights.
However, prior to its passage in the Senate, the bill was amended to remove the clause that would allow same-sex unions to adopt children and exercise parental rights, even if one-half of the pair is the biological parent. According to The Guardian, the removal of the so-called "stepchild" provision is the consequence of a compromise between Renzi's center-left Democratic Party and opposing lawmakers and the Catholic Church.
Although the approval of the bill is a major leap for gay rights advocates, the watered-down version of the bill was met with criticism due to the removal of the adoption clause.
"Today the Senate is preparing to write a dark page in the history of civil rights in our country by approving a law which... completely ignores the existence and demands of gay couples' children," Gay rights groups said, as quoted by Yahoo News.
The amended bill, however, does not prevent same-sex couples from filing adoption requests. In some cases the courts granted adoption claims to protect the best interest of the child and to serve the ends of justice.
Senators supporting the bill are certain that efforts to uphold and protect gay rights do not end with the bill.
"This is a very important law, but I also think of the children of so many friends. Now we have to take a second step; we are halfway up the stairs," Senator Monica Cirinnà said.
Before the bill was heard in Senate, several municipalities in Italy allow local same-sex unions despite the national ban.
