Italy’s Constitutional Court has ruled that two women in a same-sex relationship can both be listed as parents of a child—even though this is biologically impossible.
The case involved a child born through medically assisted reproduction. The court said it was unconstitutional to deny parental recognition to the non-biological partner who had agreed to the procedure and taken on parental responsibilities.
LGBT group Rainbow Families hailed the ruling as “a historic day,” saying, “boys and girls have the right to see both parents recognized, from birth, even when they are two mothers.”
But critics warned of the social consequences. The Pro Life and Family association condemned the decision, saying it would plunge thousands of children into “an existential joke,” growing up without the stability of a natural family.
The ruling comes as Italy faces wider legal and cultural pressure to redefine parenthood. Just weeks earlier, the Supreme Court of Cassation—a separate high court—ordered the return of “parent 1” and “parent 2” on official ID cards, rejecting the traditional “mother” and “father” labels. That ruling overturned a 2019 decree by then-interior minister Matteo Salvini, who had restored biological terms in defence of Italy’s family model.
Conservative lawmakers have accused the judiciary of pursuing an ideological agenda that undermines national identity and family values.
