Italian lawmakers hold same-sex 'kiss-in' to protest anti-LGBT discrimination

A group of Italian lawmakers interrupted a parliamentary debate on Friday to engage in a same-sex kissing demonstration in support of expanding the country's anti-discrimination law to include the LGBT community.

According to The Local, the new measure, which expands a 1993 law to ban "crimes motivated by homophobia or transphobia," passed in the Chamber of Deputies in a 354-79 vote, but is not expected to make it through the Senate of the Republic, generally considered the parliament's "upper house."

But dozens of members of the M5S party -- short for MoVimento 5 Stelle, or Five Star MoVement -- cut discussion short on Friday when they stood up and began kissing each other, while others held up signs calling for "more rights" for LGBT Italians. Some ministers also defended the protest online, with Federica Daga posting a picture of the protest on Twitter and writing, "Equal rights and dignity without gender. Because a kiss and a hug are not scary."

Watch the M5S's demonstration in support of LGBT rights, posted on the party YouTube channel on Friday, below.

[h/t Salon]