Italy has taken a decisive step in defending traditional values and the right of parents to educate their children without ideological impositions. Parliament approved an educational reform that prohibits the entry of LGTBI activists into schools and limits sexual and emotional education to secondary schools, always under informed parental consent. In preschool and primary levels, the prohibition remains total, shielding minors from any attempt at early indoctrination.
The measure was promoted by Lega, an ally of Giorgia Meloni's Government and the Spanish party VOX in the Patriots for Europe alliance, through an amendment submitted in the Chamber of Deputies. This modification corrects the previous text from the parliamentary committee and prevents associations or external activists from introducing content unrelated to the national curriculum.
According to the new regulations, parents must be previously informed about the topics and materials used, and they can decide whether their children participate or not in the sessions. This provision guarantees the constitutional right to an education in accordance with family values, reaffirming the principle of educational freedom defended by the Italian conservative Government.
Deputy Rossano Sasso, spokesperson for Lega in the Committee on Culture, Science, and Education, emphasized that the objective is not to eliminate sexual education, but rather to "preserve it from ideological manipulations".
"It is fair to talk to teenagers about sexually transmitted diseases or unwanted pregnancies, but without turning classrooms into spaces for indoctrination," Sasso stated. "What we want to prevent are the ideological distortions promoted by the left: trans activists, drag queens, or pornographic actors without pedagogical training speaking to children about gender fluidity or surrogacy."
The opposition — made up of the Democratic Party, the Five Star Movement, and the Green-Left Alliance — labeled the measure as "moral censorship." However, Sasso recalled that the Italian Constitution recognizes parents' freedom of educational choice and that this law protects "the well-being of minors against the confusion promoted by certain pressure groups".
Meanwhile, the Minister of Education, Giuseppe Valditara, confirmed that the Executive is working on "education for responsible affectivity", focused on prevention, respect, and training, "not on political activism or social engineering".
The Italian decision aligns with a growing trend in Central and Eastern Europe, where countries such as Bulgaria, Hungary, and Slovakia have already approved similar regulations that recognize only biological sex and restrict the dissemination of LGTB content aimed at minors.
