Global Courant 2023-05-21 00:28:00
ROME –
Italy’s far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni dismissed criticism from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the G7 summit on Sunday about her government’s stance on LGBTQ+ rights.
A reporter asked Meloni about the criticism at a press conference early Sunday in Hiroshima, Japan, which hosts the annual summit of leaders from seven of the world’s leading industrialized nations.
On television, Trudeau told Meloni on Friday — just before they began private, bilateral talks at the summit — that “Canada is concerned about some of the positions Italy is taking on LGBT rights.” He added that he looks forward to discussing this with the Italian Prime Minister.
Meloni looked annoyed, twiddled her thumbs, and listened in silence as Trudeau switched to French to summarize his English remarks. Then cameramen left the room and the two leaders started their conversations behind closed doors.
Earlier this year, Meloni’s government told town halls to stop automatically registering both parents in same-sex couples, and instead limit recognition of parental rights to only the child’s biological parent. Gay rights activists held rallies to denounce the move, calling it homophobic.
When asked about Trudeau’s comment, Meloni said he had been “victimized” by “fake news” and propaganda, even saying his assessment “doesn’t match reality.”
