Trapanese: 'Discriminatory not to give everyone the possibility to adopt today, Italy still has a 1983 law'

'In Italia on adoptions we are still stuck with a 1983 law and we are the only country that does not allow single people to adopt'. This is the starting point for Luca Trapanese, writer, activist for inclusion, but above all father of Alba, a little girl with Down syndrome who made him the first single adoptive parent in Italia.

Trapanese, author of the books "Nato per lei" - which has also become a play - and the more recent "Storia di una famiglia imperfetta" (History of an imperfect family), spoke at the FuoriFestival in Trento in front of a packed hall about new models of parenting, disability and inclusion, but also about the role of social media that helped him tell the world his extraordinary story of an "imperfect" father, where imperfection becomes a value on which to build a family through love.

"The traditional family is not the only model in our society," Trapanese explained, "but there are many other models that must be recognised, because at a time when we are aware that society has changed, institutional responses must take this into account" and on this "politics should have more courage". "Being a single homosexual adoptive parent in Italy today is important" to shine a light on the inadequacy of our adoption laws, Trapanese added. Who explained: 'I was able to adopt Alba with Article 44, because Alba is disabled, but it is highly discriminatory not to give everyone the possibility to adopt a child today'.

Trapanese was councillor for Social Policies in the municipality of Naples and is now vice-president of the Campania Regional Council. "I live my commitment in the administration as a mission, I am not a politician, I put welfare issues at the centre and I am trying to give the answers that are lacking," he said, explaining that "welfare should not only be mentioned when we talk about issues of fragility," but "if we have administrations with the vision that welfare must be at the centre, from the municipality to the region to the State, we can improve the quality of life of citizens.

On the disability front, Trapanese added that right now there is a "very socio-sanitary vision of it, based on assistance, while we should think of it as an opportunity", "reforming everything, from school to the world of work", to "talk about a real growth and life project" for young disabled people. Last but not least, the role of social media, which 'can be a positive weapon,' he said, 'if used to communicate certain issues such as disability', to 'tell the truth of the problems, the everyday life, the fatigue and the beauty of being a single father of a little girl with Down syndrome' and 'thus help other parents'.