Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called out Italian leader Giorgia Meloni’s stance on LGBTQ+ rights in a meeting Friday on the margins of the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan.
“Obviously, Canada is concerned about some of the (positions) that Italy is taking in terms of LGBT rights,” Trudeau told Meloni, who was visibly annoyed, according to multiple media outlets.
“But I look forward to talking with you about that,” he added before the start of the meeting.
Canada’s leader restated this point in the official note issued after his bilateral with Meloni.
“The leaders also exchanged views on the importance of protecting and defending human rights, including the rights of 2SLGBTQI+ people,” the communication read, referring to an acronym used by the government of Canada for Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and/or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual.
In her meeting with Trudeau, Meloni said that “her government is following court decisions and is not deviating from previous administrations,” according to the note.
Trudeau’s comments echo domestic critics of Meloni, who accuse her right-wing government of seizing on issues like LGBTQ+ rights and migration to stoke divisions.
In Italy, the Meloni government closed a legal loophole in January that allowed mayors and municipal officials the power to grant legal guardianship for same-sex parents.
This move was prompted by a verdict from the high court ruling that the recognition of same-sex parents can only be guaranteed if the child is adopted.
The Italian government’s actions were widely condemned by the opposition in Rome and by international institutions including the European Parliament, which backed an amendment in March calling the action discriminatory.
