I have been so distressed following this news lately! It's hard to believe we're in an era where a major European country is fighting tooth and nail to stop queer people from being parents.

And you're right to talk about being afraid to go outside. I've been following ILGA reports of anti-queer violence in Europe, and it's frightening to see how fast violence is mounting in Italy.

Italy has already been ranked as the worst place in Western Europe for gay and trans people to live, and it's rapidly becoming even worse.

Thanks to political and religious leadership. The prime minister is one example, and Pope Francis is another, given his profound influence.

Right before he became pope, he led a truly vicious campaign in Argentina to try to stop gay marriage, and when he couldn't succeed, he spread all sorts of vile disinformation trying to stop gay people from at least becoming parents. If you read Spanish, you might like to take a look at El Pais from that era. The things Pope Francis said about the evil that would result from gay people becoming parents ... It's just sickening.

He hasn't changed. He's still the same homophobic monster he always was. When he was recently caught twice in rapid succession advising other priests and bishops not to let gay men train for the priesthood because there's "already too much fagotry in the Vatican," he signaled to the world, and to the Italian people, that despising gay men is quite a nice Catholic value.

Of course that's going to inspire more drives for inequality at law and more violence.

Moroni herself frequently touts her Catholic values as the reason why she persecutes queer people. She's obviously quite on board with Pope Francis's homophobic messaging.

Meanwhile, we gay and trans people are simply trying to lead our lives with dignity and love.

It's beyond tragic that religious leaders hate us so much that they'll do everything they can to withhold that simple dignity from us.

It's just as tragic that political leaders are on board with that kind of bigotry.

I'm so sorry (for you!) that Italy is so retrograde right now. You're only 25. You shouldn't have to put up with this kind of horror show.