Paper short abstract:

Italian current homophobic government are cancelling birth certificates of lesbian-parented’ children. Our socio-historical and ethnographic researches conducted between 2016-2023 explored impacts of enduring institutional heteronormativity on same-sex parenting.

Paper long abstract:

In the public space, Italian Meloni’s government is depicted as oriented by a firm gender heteronormative ideology. Indeed, a directive by Interior Minister Piantedosi recently seized upon a decision regarding surrogacy (GPA) from the Court of Cassation dated December 30, 2022, and ordered to erase the non-biological mother's name in birth certificates with two mothers, leading to further legal cases. However, we propose a “double critique” of the gender heteronormative ideology associated with Meloni's government, comprising both a historical and an ethnographic critique (Roux 2011). A socio-historical analysis reveals Meloni's policies as more extreme but part of the continuity of Italy's historically prevailing heteronormative and homophobic nature. Despite the EU's 2016 pressure leading to civil union approval for same-sex couples, filiation within same-sex-parented families was left unrecognized, resulting in the denial of rights based on social identity (Zamperini et al. 2016). Consequently, lesbian-parented families, lacking legal recognition, fall under the authority of the State, which dictates familial inclusion. An ethnographic critique illustrates how long-term political and legal instability prompts LGBT’s families to adapt their parenthood over time. Presenting findings from two ethnographic studies on legal cases between 2016 and 2023, involving interviews and participant observations, we analyze the impact of the Italian heteronormative order on same-sex parenting experiences. In conclusion, we explore the impact of socio-legal and political treatment on the intimate lives of same-sex families and the tangible institutional impacts on family’s practices.