The thesis’ aim examines how an issued Italian decree in the summer of 2023 (dissertation’sinception) clashes with queer parents’ and their children’s rights, due to the former’s queeridentity. A qualitative comparative study of Italy vs. Sweden whilst operationalising queertheory concerning the matter is undertaken to answer how LGBTQ+ parents' human rightsare upheld, and/or violated in relation to the UDHR in Italy vs. Sweden, and how children’srights of LGBTQ+ parents’ children are upheld, and/or violated in relation to the UNCRC inItaly vs in Sweden. Each country’s social attitudes towards rainbow families are discussed viasociological research. Sweden showcases how the aforementioned rights can be upheld in afellow EU country within a liberal social setting, whilst several human rights violations forLGBTQ+ individuals, and for children’s rights in the Italian context—linked to stronglyheteronormative social attitudes towards rainbow families—are found.

Keywords: human rights, rainbow families, queer theory, Italy, Sweden