Diversity minister resigns after claims thousands used to fund ‘gay sex clubs’
A government diversity boss has had to resign amid a ‘gay sex club’ scandal.
Undercover reporters on The Hyena claim government money funded a string of ‘gay sex’ venues in a new documentary.
Francesco Spano, head of Italy’s anti-discrimination department, has resigned following the documentary.
The investigation claimed that the National Office against Racial Discrimination (UNAR) authorised 55,000 euros to go to three clubs, which the documentary says were in fact sex venues.
ANDDOS, the National Association Against Sexual Discrimination, runs hundreds of gay venues across Italy, including the three featured in the documentary.
The documentary aired explicit footage of sex workers offering their services in the venues, as well as men going into ‘dark rooms’ to have sex.
Dark rooms exist in some venues, designed for those who want to engage in sexual activity with strangers.
Mr Spano was also a member of one such club, something he said he was surprised by.
Spano told Italian publication La Repubblica on Tuesday that his resignation was “not an admission of guilt”, but he could not explain why he was listed as a member of one of the clubs.
An Italian court recently ruled that calling someone “homosexual” isn’t offensive.
Anti-gay opposition leaders have used the TV report to call for the anti-discrimination department to be completely shut down.
Giorgia Meloni, leader of far-right party Brothers of Italy, said: “Not one more euro of tax payers’ money should be thrown away on paying their salaries,” she wrote on her Facebook page.
LGBT association GayLib warned against knee-jerk reactions, saying UNAR helped tackle homophobia.
It’s national secretary Daniele Priori said: “We hope the government intervenes, not to close UNAR, but to verify who receives the money and if necessary demand it be repaid.”
Meanwhile the Vatican claimed earthquakes in Italy were punishment for same-sex unions.
