Italian Parliamentarians Use Nativity Scene To Promote Gay Rights

In Italy's Parliament, advocates of legislation permitting civil unions between same-sex couples found a graphic way to make their point on Wednesday. 365gay.com reports that two members of Italy's leftist coalition added figures of two same-sex couples to the nativity scene on display in Parliament. The small doll couples, holding signs promoting gay rights, were placed among the shepherds for a few minutes until Parliamentary pages removed them. Parliament members Bruno Mellano and Donatella Poretti said they wanted to show that gay couples have been around since the time of Jesus and that it is time for Italy to grant them legal rights.