The provision, whose procedure was blocked in the Senate, would have established a prison for those who commit acts of discrimination based on sex, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity or disability. The establishment of a national day against homophobia and the allocation of 4 million euros for structures operating in this area are also foreseen
After the approval in the Chamber in November 2020, the bill against homotransphobia also renamed “Zan law” from the surname of the rapporteur Alessandro Zan, deputy of the Democratic Party, since last spring has returned to the center of the political debate. The bill, in fact, was blocked in the Senate after the League, but also the other forces of the center-right, Forza Italia and the Brothers of Italy, defined the provision as non-priority, thus not allowing the start of the discussion in the committee Justice. Then, on April 28, 2021, the text was incardinated in the Justice Commission in the Senate and the scheduling passed with 13 yes and 11 no. With the center-right promising battle, after a pause of eight months, in July the discussion was reached at Palazzo Madama. But the amount of proposed amendments to the text caused the discussion to be postponed to the autumn. On Wednesday 27 October we returned to the Chamber. But the examination of the articles and amendments was skipped, so the process was blocked. The Senate voted in favor of the so-called “trap” requested by the Lega and FdI. In favor, 154 senators, 131 against and two abstentions. The vote took place by secret ballot. Here is what the norm foresees that in addition to the Pd also M5s, Leu and, in part, also Italia Viva.
What is the Zan bill
“Measures to prevent and combat discrimination and violence for reasons based on sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and disability” is the title of the Zan bill. In article 1 of the text, it is specified that “by sex we mean biological or personal sex; by gender we mean any external manifestation of a person that conforms or conflicts with social expectations related to sex; by sexual orientation we mean the ” sexual or emotional attraction towards people of the opposite sex, of the same sex, or of both sexes; by gender identity we mean the perceived and manifested identification of oneself in relation to gender, even if not corresponding to sex, regardless of from having completed a transition path “.
What the Zan bill provides
The novelties of the provision include imprisonment of up to 18 months or a fine of up to € 6,000 for those who commit acts of discrimination based “on sex, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity or disability”; prison from 6 months to 4 years for those who instigate or commit violence for the same reasons; imprisonment from 6 months to 4 years for those who participate in or help organizations whose aims are the incitement to discrimination or violence for the same reasons. For any crime committed for the purposes of discrimination or hatred, the penalty is increased by up to half. The convicted person can obtain conditional suspension of the sentence if he works in favor of associations for the protection of victims of crimes.
The national day against homophobia and anti-violence centers
The Zan bill also provides for the institution on May 17 of the national day against homophobia dedicated to promoting the culture of respect and inclusion as well as combating prejudice and discrimination. Schools of all types and levels must include programs to raise awareness of this type of discrimination in their training offer. The provision also includes an allocation of 4 million euros per year for centers against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, to provide legal, health and psychological assistance, as well as room and board for the victims of hate and discrimination crimes .
Controversy: the Vatican
The bill has always been very divisive. There are those who see it as an important step towards the rights and protection of minorities and those who are convinced that it limits the freedom of expression of thought too much. For the first time since 1929, the date of signature of the Lateran Pacts, the Vatican has used the faculty that the Concordat State-Church attributes to it to intervene in the process of approving a law. According to the Holy See, the law, as formulated, risks undermining the freedom of organization and thought, especially in the part in which it would provide for the inclusion in schools of all levels, including Catholic institutions, of awareness days against the discrimination that the law aims to combat.
Controversies: Chiara Ferragni, Matteo Renzi and Fedez
The Zan bill then ended up in the middle of a back and forth between the leader of Italia Viva Matteo Renzi and the couple Chiara Ferragni and Fedez. After IV proposed to modify some articles, Ferragni shared an image of Renzi on his social profiles with the words “Italy is the most transphobic country in Europe and Italia Viva (with Salvini) allows itself to play on it” , adding “how disgusting politicians”. The former Florentine premier responded with a post on Facebook calling Ferragni “banal and indifferent” and inviting her to a public debate. “It is good to say what you think, except that I expected something more from her than a banal and indifferent phrase”, wrote Renzi. Fedez, the influencer’s husband, then intervened, who in a video on Instagram said: ” The thing that makes us understand the low level of Italian politics is someone like Matteo Renzi who asks Chiara Ferragni for a public debate, this is the sad thing. The thing that amazes me, every time my wife and I allow ourselves to express our thoughts, is to see journalists, intellectuals and politicians who, to call us stupid, put Chiara Ferragni’s thought and that of Italian politics on the same level. ” singer then added: “Matteo Renzi is a politician paid by the Italians to represent them, Chiara Ferragni does not weigh on the pockets of Italians. She is an entrepreneur who expresses her thoughts and can allow herself to express even a banal thought. “Finally, the invitation to the leader of Italia Viva:” Matteo Renzi really cares about the Zan Ddl or is it the parac **** that has always proved to be in these years of Italian politics. Is the secret vote on the Zan Bill really necessary? I, a simple and ignorant mind, would like to know what the senators vote. Why seal their vote? “.
Source-tg24.sky.it