by InTrieste
On June 27, two municipal leaders from Friuli Venezia Giulia’s political right plan to formalize their relationship in a civil union, an event that ANSA reports could be the first of its kind between two openly gay mayors in the country’s history.
Alessandro Basso, the mayor of Pordenone and a member of the right‑wing party Fratelli d’Italia, and Loris Bazzo, the mayor of Carlino in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region and affiliated with the Lega, announced that they will enter into a civil union after five years together. The announcement has prompted discussion about changing social attitudes within Italian politics.
Mr. Basso, who has served in local and regional government and previously worked as a school administrator, described the decision as significant. “It is certainly unprecedented: a couple of mayors is quite rare,” he told local media, noting that the ceremony also reflects years of criticism from political opponents. “While this is not a moment for polemics,” he said, “it shows that on issues of rights, the right has sometimes moved beyond the left.”
The ceremony is scheduled to take place at the historic Chiostro di San Francesco in Pordenone and will be officiated by Alvaro Cardin, a former mayor of the city. Despite their responsibilities leading their respective municipalities, the couple lives together in Carlino with pets and have negotiated the demands of public office and private life.
Italy legalized civil unions for same‑sex couples in 2016, extending many of the legal protections associated with marriage, though full marriage equality has not been adopted.
Observers say the civil union of two figures from prominent local roles could amplify ongoing debates about LGBTQ+ rights and visibility in Italian public life, especially within parties that have traditionally emphasized conservative family structures.
