Italy to Launch
Ad Campaign Against Homophobia

A picture of a newborn baby wearing a wristband reading "Homosexual" will go up soon on billboards across the Tuscan region of Italy. It is part of a new campaign by the regional government to end homophobia.

According to a report from Reuters, conservative politicians and Vatican officials have expressed disapproval of the image, which has already run in some area newspapers. The campaign has received mixed reviews from within the LGBT community as well, with some saying the image implies that gays are a different species. Others have praised the message.

"I'm very much in favor of the advertisement because it expresses a concept that I've been convinced of for some time -- that homosexuality is not a choice," Italian gay lawmaker Franco Grillini told Reuters.

The campaign was developed by the Canadian foundation Emergence and has been used previously in Quebec. (The Advocate)