This morning in Brussels I have met with Beppe Sala, Mayor of Milan, together with my colleague from the EGP Committee Vula Tsetsi. Sala addressed the meeting of the Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament, to talk about the increasingly worrying situation in Italy as Meloni and her Government continue to extend their arm of oppression.
Sala particularly spoke about the restrictions that Mayors are facing in Italy when it comes to registering the children of Italian rainbow families born outside of Italy.
There are more protections than this that rainbow families require in Italian cities and elsewhere in Europe. Unfortunately Meloni’s rhetoric has shifted the conversation on a very particular policy, but in general the children of rainbow families remain vulnerable within varying legal systems. This often restricts rainbow families’ freedom of movement in Europe, and also requires them to go through great personal expenses to have non-biological parents recognised legally.
As an LGBTQI person, as an activist, and as a green politician I will continue to fight for all of our rights. As a candidate to the European Parliament I promise that these issues will remain central on my agenda.
On Thursday I will continue these discussions as I moderate a webinar for the European Greens Local Councillors Network. “A City for Everyone: how local policies create a real change for LGBTIQ Communities” will be held on 30th March, 19:00-20:30 CET. The speakers are Manuel Rosas Vazquez, Managing Director of the Rainbow Cities Network; Kasper Kivisto, Vice City Councillor – Helsinki Finland; Simona Topolinjak, Head of Social Care Sector, Department for Health and Social Care, City of Ljubljana, Slovenia; and Chanelle Delameillieure, Equal opportunities expert, Department for diversity and equal opportunities, City of Leuven, Belgium. We’ll be discussing how local councillors can foster inclusive cities, focusing on LGBTIQ policies. Join us by registering here: https://bit.ly/3JN366r
Mina Jack Tolu 