No Gay Marriage For Italy

Italy's highest court has issued its ruling and the news isn't good.

The Constitutional Court judged the requests related to gay unions "not admissible" and "unfounded," according to an e- mailed statement today. Courts in the northern cities of Trento and Venice had asked the court in Rome to rule on the matter. The motivation for the decision will be published in coming days. Italy is one of the few western European countries without legislation on same-sex couples. The only Italian attempt to rule on civil unions was a bill proposed by former Prime Minister Romano Prodi's administration in 2007. It was never approved by parliament amid opposition from Prodi's own allies and the Catholic Church.

The Vatican has exerted fierce pressure upon Italian legislators to ensure that the issue never comes up for a parliamentary vote. The bejeweled elderly men in embroidered dresses win again.