A recently passed bill in Italy’s lower house of parliament, aiming to counter “gender ideology and woke bubbles,” has stirred significant outrage on the left. Guardian reported on Thursday.
The bill, which some are calling “restrictive,” allows for sex education in secondary schools for students aged 11 to 14, but only with parental consent. This legislation, backed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government, has raised various concerns.
Known as the Valditara Bill, after Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara, it received approval from Italy’s lower house this week with 151 votes in favor, 113 against, and one abstention. It still requires Senate approval to become law.
Consent must be documented in writing. If parental consent can’t be secured, the law mandates that schools provide alternative educational activities that fall within their organizational capabilities.
Valditara emphasized that the law aligns with “national guideline provisions,” asserting that the parental consent requirement doesn’t eliminate sex education, which he believes is crucial for understanding bodily development, protecting against sexually transmitted infections, and managing one’s sexuality responsibly.
He further mentioned that the law aims to “avoid confusing children” by steering clear of what he terms “gender theories,” such as the idea that there are gender identities outside the binary of male and female.
According to Guardian, opposition parties advocating for mandatory sex education protested outside parliament on Wednesday, criticizing the bill as “regressive” and claiming it could hinder efforts to combat “sexual violence and femicide.”
In response, Meloni’s coalition argues that sex education promotes “gender ideology” and undermines traditional family values. Education Undersecretary Lozano Sasso claimed the intent is to ensure parental consent for teaching older children, while younger students wouldn’t be taught “confusing theories.”
“With this law, we move away from gender ideology and woke bubbles,” Sasso stated. “Political activism will no longer be permitted in schools.”
Sasa Ferrari, a lawmaker from Italy’s center-left Democratic Party, criticized the bill, saying it would create “obstacles” for schools attempting to introduce systems aimed at “combating violence against women.”
According to reports, opposition leaders contend that mandating parental consent would likely “further undermine” the effectiveness of sex and relationship education programs in Italy’s schools, which are already lacking.
“While many European nations have integrated sex education into their curricula, Italy has yet to do so in a formalized manner. Often, schools depend on external experts for training,” it was pointed out, noting that the new bill could require faculty and school board approval for any involvement of outside professionals in the future.
