In Italy, the law on civil unions and de facto cohabitation is Law No. 76 of May 20, 2016, which came into force on June 5, 2016. Discussions on this topic, however, have been ongoing for some time, but only in recent years have we seen substantial progress in the regulation and acceptance of homosexuality . Research has highlighted how the segment of the population that willingly accepts homosexuals are the most educated, women , and young people . In the past, and to some extent still today, there have been legal inequalities against gays: social penalties such as the failure to recognize de facto couples, which can be problematic for inheritance issues, for example. Criminal penalties such as imprisonment for committing homosexual acts. To understand how we arrived at an openness towards homosexuality it is important to explain the path that led society to this point and the thinkers who provided innovative and avant-garde points of view that are useful to reflect on.
The path to new perspectives
The first steps toward the decriminalization of homosexual acts occurred during the Enlightenment : they were considered " victimless crimes." The 70s, however, were of fundamental importance in relation to the homosexual liberation movements and the goals they achieved. During this period, the term "gay" was introduced to distance the category from its negative connotation. The concept of multifaceted sexual orientation began to take shape with the removal of exogenous homosexuality , that is, homosexuality that is not problematic for the individual, from the list of mental illnesses. However, egodystinic homosexuality , that is, homosexuality not perfectly aligned with the desires of the practitioner, remained on the list of mental illnesses. The concept of an essentialist homosexuality developed, in which sexual orientation is inherent in the individual, who, through a journey of self-identity discovery, accepts their possible homosexuality with the awareness that they need not be ashamed of it.
English psychologist Celia Kitzinger , a leading figure in the lesbian-feminist movement, identified three historically consistent paradigms: homosexuality as a deviant form or pathology; homosexuality as a lifestyle; and finally, homosexuality as a virtue (a view shared by the scholar). Sociologist Ken Plummer offers an interesting insight: the more accepting a community is of homosexuals, the more diverse the ways in which they will express their particular sexuality. A society that rejects gays will have homosexuality expressed in a transitory, casual, or contingent way (for example, in prison). Conversely, within a society that does not condemn homosexuality, gays will view their sexual orientation as a choice and will express it explicitly. Once the enthusiasm of the 70s has passed, we struggle to see homosexuality as a virtue, but gays are now considered normal people who should be guaranteed the same rights as heterosexuals.
Homosexuality in the world
In the Western world, homosexuality is generally accepted, but this is not the case in some predominantly Islamic countries in Africa and Asia. As of August 2016, 72 countries criminalize homosexuality , 45 of which also criminalize sexual relations between women. Of these, some still impose the death penalty: Yemen, Mauritania, Iran, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, some areas of Nigeria, and Somalia. In Mauritania, homosexual practices are punishable by stoning : the punishment is explicitly stated in the state code. Prison sentences are available in 65 countries, 10 of which range from 14 years to life. Restrictions also exist in Eastern Europe: Ukraine, Moldova, Russia, and northern Cyprus have laws restricting freedom of expression and gay associations. The reason could be traced back to a religious factor: all these countries, excluding Eastern European states, are non-secular and have a strong Islamic presence. These are countries where the Sharia , the laws of God, are an integral part of the legal system.
Philip Campo Antico
