Italy’s conservative Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, and her party have recently pushed a bill into law that criminalizes surrogacy abroad. Gay and infertile couples are understandably frustrated and angered by this, as surrogacy within Italy was already illegal. That meant couples who needed reproductive assistance to start or grow their families with the help of a surrogate had to do it outside of Italy. Now, with the passage of this new law, that makes it a crime to do so.

The conservative Italian government said the law is designed to protect women’s dignity, but critics say it’s a deliberate crackdown on LGBTQIA+ individuals and couples in the country. Gay men who want to be fathers, for example, now have essentially no options to have children. Anyone seeking surrogacy abroad could now be subject to prison time and large fines.

There was already a lot of panic over the potential for this idea to become law, and now that it has there’s increased upset and unrest. Italy is home to the Vatican and already low-ranking when it comes to personal civil liberties, but this is a particularly hard line the Prime Minister has drawn. It’s designed to appeal to her conservative political base and assert her credentials, but it materially changes the world for couples who need assistance to have families.

Some Italian senators have said the law isn’t designed to be homophobic, but Carolina Varchi, who introduced the bill, publicly claimed on Facebook over the summer that the legislation was focused on addressing the “ideology” of the LGBTQIA+ community. Regardless of the reasoning behind it, the law will stop not only gay people but also heterosexual couples or individuals who need surrogacy support to have children in creating or growing their families.

The vote in the Senate was 84 in favor and 58 against the bill, which will become law. Prime Minister Meloni has surprised a lot of people by siding with the West on issues such as support for Ukraine and the economy, but she remains extremely conservative in her views on LGBTQIA+ rights, surrogacy, abortion, and related personal choice issues.

We will be watching this closely and report on any changes to this law. If you have questions about starting or growing your family through Assisted Reproductive Technology, please contact us today!