Irish yes to gay marriage splits Italy

(ANSA) - Rome, May 25 - The Irish approval of same-sex marriage in Saturday's historic referendum has split Italian political parties with conservatives fighting against a similar move in Italy and progressives saying the time has come to step into line with most of the rest of Europe.
    "Only us, Greece and six ex-Communist countries still deny rights to gays," said Roberto Speranza, former House whip for the ruling Democratic Party (PD).
    "Society is ahead (of us politicians)," he said, "and the PD must ignore conservatives".
    PD leader and Premier Matteo Renzi vowed to move forward on bills that have been languishing in parliament amid a raft of amendments from Catholic conservatives.
    Reiterating his opposition, New Centre Right leader Angelino Alfano, the interior minister, said "gay union can never be equated with real marriages".
    Alfano said No, in particular, to adoptions by gay couples and the reversibility of pensions.
    However he said his party, a junior government partner, would back property rights being shared by members of civil unions.
    Centre right leader Silvio Berlusconi reiterated that he was in favour of gays getting "similar" rights to non-gays but several members of his Forza Italia party said they would back restrictive amendments to the bills.
    Reform Minister Maria Elena Boschi, of the PD, said it was "high time" to bring Italy into line with other "forward-looking countries".
    With its referendum, in which almost two thirds of a once highly Catholic electorate voted in favour, Ireland became the first country to approve same-sex marriage by popular vote.