Gay marriage formally recorded in Grosseto civil registry

(ANSA) - Grosseto, April 14 - A same-sex marriage contracted overseas was recorded in the civil registry in the Tuscan town of Grosseto Monday, a controversial move that followed a court ruling last week authorizing the move. The marriage of Giuseppe Chigiotti and Stefano Bucci, which occurred in New York on December 6, 2012, was entered by the Grosseto municipal clerk in the civil registries with a note adding that it formalized the marriage as ordered by the courts.
    That court ruling sparked a cultural and religious storm over what could be a precedent, changing the definition of marriage in Italy.
    Last March, the municipal authorities refused the couple's request that their marriage be formally registered, triggering the appeal to the Civil Court of Grosseto.
    Local judge Paolo Cesare Ottati upheld the couple's appeal last week, arguing that the Italian civil code "contains no reference to sex in relation to the requisites" for marriage and that there is "no impediment to the registration of a marriage contracted abroad".
    Registration is not by nature "constitutive, but only confirmative (of an act) that is already valid," he ruled.
    The ruling "is a revolutionary event that deserves a positive response from politicians," Gay Centre spokesperson Fabrizio Marrazzo said last week.
    However, the powerful Italian Bishops Conference (CEI) said the ruling "raises serious questions".
    In a statement last week, the bishops defined marriage "as the union between a man and a woman" and said with this decision "one of the fundamental pillars of the institution of marriage is likely to be swept away, one that is rooted in our cultural tradition, and is recognized and guaranteed in our Constitution".
    Gay and civil-rights activists in Italy have long been pushing for a law granting legal recognition to same-sex couples, but efforts have always been thwarted by Catholic and right-wing opposition.
    And advocates for gay marriage in Italy still have a tough road ahead.
    Last Thursday, Grosseto Chief Prosecutor Francesco Verusio said he will challenge the court ruling.
    "Fortunately there's a previous ruling at the supreme Cassation Court that clearly says you can't do this. We're preparing our brief to challenge the ruling in appeal, which will commence as soon as possible," he said.