Mussolini heir
prefers fascism to homosexuality

The granddaughter of former Italian dictator Benito Mussolini has come under heavy criticism for stating that she'd prefer to be "fascist than queer." Alessandra Mussolini made the comment during a televised debate with a transgender activist in Rome on Thursday, reports Deutsche Presse-Agentur. "Mussolini's comment provides further confirmation, if ever we needed one, that Silvio Berlusconi's center-right coalition is deeply homophobic," Franco Grillini, a member of parliament and a leading gay activist, told the German news agency. He added that her comment could be interpreted as an "apology of fascism," which is illegal in the country, and promised to bring the issue up in parliament. Italy has a general election scheduled for April 9-10, in which same-sex marriage has become a major issue. The country's center-left coalition wants to grant marriage equality, while a populist party within Prime Minister Berlusconi's governing coalition opposes it. (Advocate.com)