The prime ministers of Italy and Canada took potshots at each other over LGBTQ rights, an unusual display of open disagreement between Group of Seven leaders attending a summit this weekend in Japan.
The spat started on Friday when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau criticized Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in front of television cameras ahead of closed-door talks.
“Canada is concerned about some of the positioning that Italy is taking in terms of LGBT rights, but I look forward to talking with you,” Trudeau said.
The Italian leader looked visibly annoyed by Trudeau’s remarks before media left the room. A statement issued by Trudeau’s office said the prime minister also raised the issue during their meeting, adding Meloni defended her government’s position by saying it’s following court rulings related to LGBTQ matters.
Meloni’s government has told city councils to stop officially recording both parents in same-sex couples and instead limit it to the biological parent, sparking protests by gay rights groups.
Before leaving Japan, Meloni accused Trudeau of being “the victim of fake news” when asked by reporters about his comments.
Speaking in Italian, she said Trudeau was a “bit rash” in his comments, but that after they spoke he probably understood that what gets written about her doesn’t correspond to reality. Meloni also pointed out she hasn’t changed any existing legislation on LGBTQ issues.
Trudeau’s office declined to comment on Meloni’s remarks.
Same sex parents aren’t recognized by Italian law, and Meloni has previously said that each child has the right to a mother and father.
Meloni also said people who identify with a gender other than the one they were assigned at birth are falling victim to ideology. “Being a man or a woman is rooted in who we are, and can’t be changed,” she said in a magazine interview published in March.
