Centre-right to present alternative homophobia bill

(ANSA) - ROME, MAY 6 - A bill against homophobia backed by several centre-right parties and proposed by Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia (FI) and Matteo Salvini's League is set to be presented shortly, FI Senator Licia Ronzulli said Thursday.
    The draft legislation is an alternative to the so-called Zan bill, which features measures to prevent and combat discrimination and violence based on motives linked to a person's sex, sexual orientation or gender identity..
    The Zan bill is being backed by several other parties, including the centre-left Democratic Party and the 5-Star Movement (M5S).
    The League has tried to block it, describing the bill as "divisive and ideological" and arguing it could hamper freedom of expression.
    The Zan bill's backers say this is not true, arguing the text has safeguards to ensure that, for example, Catholic politicians can still publicly say they think homosexuality is sinful.
    "Our bill against homo/transphobia is almost ready," said Ronzulli, the head of the parliamentary commission on childhood and adolescence.
    "I think it will be presented soon and when I say soon, I mean within minutes". (ANSA).