Thousands rally in Rome against gay rights law

ROME, May 12 (Reuters) Tens of thousands of people gathered in Rome today for a rally to protest against a proposed law that would give greater rights to unmarried couples, including gays and lesbians.

The draft legislation, which requires parliamentary approval, has divided Italy's ruling coalition, angered the Catholic Church and roused passionate debate in the country.

Waving banners and dancing to the sound of tambourines, Catholic faithful kicked off the ''Family Day'' rally outside Rome's St John in Lateran cathedral with a host of conservative politicians in attendance.

''From the rally comes a message today: to hold a dialogue to respond to the needs of the family, which is one of the principle priorities of the nation,'' said Public Education minister Giuseppe Fioroni, who came to the rally with his son.

''Today's rally is a large participation of the people that merits attention.'' The rally's organisers, who handed out millions of flyers ahead of the event and plastered the city with posters, say as many as 250,000 people will attend.

Just a few neighbourhoods away at Piazza Navona, hundreds of gay rights supporters held a smaller counter-demonstration. A third event today is a prayer vigil by gay Christians in defence of the rights of gay families.

Prime Minister Romano Prodi's government has sponsored the bill to give more rights to couples who are not married, or not allowed to marry, on practical matters like welfare and inheritance.

The Church has attacked it as an assault on family values and considers it a 'Trojan Horse' that could ultimately usher in civil marriage ceremonies for gays and lesbians.

Prodi urged Italians to recognise both the importance of family and the secular state.

''We must not manipulate religion,'' he told Italian radio. ''In all modern countries, secularists and Catholics live together.'' The rally highlighted divisions within Prodi's centre-left government, with various members of his Catholics-to-Communists coalition backing the ''Family Day'' rally or the ''Secular Courage'' counter-rally.

Some, like Family Affairs Minister Rosy Bindi said ministers should stay at home as a ''matter of sobriety and correctness'', but that did not stop fellow ministers like Justice Minister Clemente Mastella from attending the family values rally.

REUTERS SS RAI2158