Gay Guide Italy

The legislation provides for a uniform age of consent for heterosexual and homosexual relations of 14 years (16 years if a person with a certain authority towards the minor is involved). On 11 May 2016, the Italian parliament finally passed the Civil Partnership Act, after Catholic politicians from almost all parties made many attempts to thwart it. The law brought the rights of homosexual partnerships close to heterosexual marriages. This also includes claims of pension by the partner. The right for adoption is excluded, though. Italy was the last Western European country before the law was passed that did not allow registered civil partnerships or marriage for homosexual couples. Italy has great attraction for tourists - the northern part offers a lively gay scene in the big cities (especially Milan, Rome and Bologna). In the southern part, however, the offer of bars, clubs, etc. is extremely limited. You can only enter many establishments after purchasing a"club card". This is for the owners to avoid restrictive regulations, especially for saunas and cruising bars. The most common club card is One Pass from ANDDOS (rarely Key We), all cards are issued locally. In summer, gay life tends to take place by the sea, whether in Torre del Lago in Tuscany, in Salento in southern Puglia (Gallipoli is the centre) or between Siracusa, Catania and Taormina in Sicily. The cities rather go quiet during summer. For better orientation, the cities, towns and villages of Italy are allotted to the 20 regions.