Italian police red-faced over gay slur manual

Italian police apologised this week after they were forced to change a training manual that listed homosexuality as a "sexual deviance" in the same category as bestiality, incest and necrophilia. A passage in the 585-page manual, which was being used internally in officer exams in the Carabinieri police force, read: "The main sexual deviances are homosexuality, exhibitionism, fetishism, sadism, incest and bestiality." The Carabinieri quickly apologised after an outcry from gay rights groups. It was "an unfortunate mistake," said the Carabinieri's commander general Leonardo Gallitelli, adding that the text "was based on an obsolete formula". Gallitelli said the offending passage was "immediately cancelled". The head of gay rights group Arcigay, Paolo Patane, said he was "pleasantly surprised" by the correction and said the original passage was "incredible." Member of parliament Paola Concia, who is openly gay, said before the correction was made that it was "shameful". Considering homosexuality as a type of deviant behaviour "goes against all the laws of the state," she said.