Mayor ordered to void gay marriages

(ANSA) - Rome, October 20 - Rome Prefect Giuseppe Pecoraro on Monday politely requested that Mayor Ignazio Marino void the 16 gay marriages he transcribed in City Hall at the weekend.
    Five lesbian couples and 11 gay couples who got married abroad saw their nuptials recognized in their home town Saturday as the mayor contravened the current law of the land by transcribing their marriage certificates in City Hall. The prefect did not say when Marino must carry out the order. "Our dream will come true tomorrow," gay activists Jeff and Domenico, who wed in Belgium, said Friday.
    "This dream cannot be wiped out, and we will appeal any attempt to do so. We are ready to do what it takes to see our rights recognized," the couple said in a statement. Premier Matteo Renzi has vowed to make it easier for gay couples to be recognised by the State. Speaking on a Sunday talk show, Renzi reiterated that he is looking at a "German-style solution" in which the State would recognise gay unions and they would have similar rights to married heterosexuals except they would not be allowed to adopt kids who are not the biological offspring of one of the partners. Renzi said he would table legislation on the issue when the current budget session is over at the end of the year.