Italian Couple Stage Hunger Strike

A gay Italian couple are streaming live video of their hunger strike for marriage rights.

In September, Francesco Zanardi (pictured, right), one of the men in the protest, was beaten unconscious on the Greek island of Mykonos and awoke the next day in a hospital's emergency wing. If he had died, Zanardi would not have been able leave his partner, Manny Incorvaia (pictured, left), any of his assets, including their house in Rome, according to the Global Post.

"We came to a point where we wanted to protect each other," he said. Zanardi stopped eating January 4 and is now living on three cappuccinos daily.

Since the broadcast began, thousands have viewed the couple talking to supporters. A vigil in their honor was staged in Rome, which included the first transgender person to become a legislator in Europe, Vladimir Luxuria. Zanardi also wrote 630 letters, to all of Italy's parliament deputies, demanding new civil rights laws.

The live stream may be viewed on GLBT-TV.IT.