Italian nuptials against hate.

In mid April two gay teenagers were beaten up while walking hand in hand in the Piazza San Lorenzo in Rome. So in a show of unity against antigay violence and for laws that would protect gays and lesbians, dozens of gay, lesbian, and straight couples were symbolically united in a "civil pact" during a rally in the piazza on May 21. The event included city council members from several Italian cities. "Homophobia forces us to make our private lives a public fact," said local gay activist Imma Battaglia, according to the Agenzia Giornalistica Italia news service. The couples then walked hand in hand to City Hall, where discrimination was discussed. Organized by the gay rights group Arcigay Italy, the event, known as PACS Day, was also meant to attract attention to a civil unions bill currently before parliament. Two weeks later tens of thousands of people took part in a national gay pride celebration in Milan.