Of the 315 senate members, 154 voted against debating the law on 27 October – making a majority against the 131 who were in favour of it.
It was previously approved by the lower house of parliament after months of opposition from conservative and Catholic groups.
The vote was called “one of the worst pages in the history of the Italian republic” by Pina Picierno, a Democratic party (PD) member of the European parliament Far-right parties opposing the law justified their position by saying it would suppress freedom of expression and lead to “homosexual propaganda” in education.
Lawmakers in the senate clapped and cheered when the bill was voted down. Matteo Salvini, a far-right League leader, praised the rejection of the law. “They said no