"The 2026 Winter Olympics will have substantial LGBTQ+ representation - the most for any Winter Games - but the event is taking place in a country that lags behind much of Europe when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights. Related: Meet all 41 LGBTQ+ Olympians at the 2026 Winter Olympics The Milano Cortina Olympics are being held February 6-22 in Italy, primarily in Milan, a cosmopolitan city known for fashion and LGBTQ-friendliness. But the nation overall is a different story. It's heavily influenced by its history and by the Roman Catholic Church."
"Italy is led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a member of the Fratelli d'Italia (Brothers of Italy) party, "known for explicitly boasting about its fascist roots," notes the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Meloni, elected in a landslide in 2022, is an admirer of Benito Mussolini, the fascist who was Italy's dictatorial prime minister from 1922 to 1943."
"Italy bans access to surrogacy for both same-sex and different-sex couples as well as single people under a law enacted in 2004. This ban was strengthened in 2024, making it illegal for Italians to become parents by surrogacy in another country and increasing criminal penalties. While it applies to all Italians equally, it disproportionately affects LGBTQ+"
The Milano Cortina Winter Olympics run February 6-22, held mainly in Milan, a cosmopolitan and LGBTQ+-friendly city. The Games will feature the most LGBTQ+ representation of any Winter Games, while Italy overall lags behind much of Europe on LGBTQ+ rights. Italy's social and political atmosphere is shaped by its history and the influence of the Roman Catholic Church. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni leads a right-wing party and has publicly opposed the LGBT lobby and gender ideology. Italy lacks marriage equality, has civil unions since 2016 that exclude surrogacy and joint adoption, and enforces a strengthened surrogacy ban criminalizing foreign surrogacy for Italians.
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