Themes of (de)legitimation on the burial of aborted fetuses: the Italian pro-life and pro-choice movements

Abstract: In Italy, all aborted fetuses are required to be buried. However, when thousands of fetuses graves were found displaying a cross with the name of the person who had aborted, the practice was contested. The aim of this study is to examine the justifications behind the mobilization of the pro-life and pro-choice movements in Italy around the practice of the burial of aborted fetuses. Through the analytical lens of the movement-countermovement framework, the analysis is based on concepts of legitimation and delegitimation. Interviews, public statements to media, speeches and website content of activists and organization spokespeople belonging to both the Italian pro-life and pro-choice movements were employed. The research, conducted through a thematic analysis, highlighted four themes: the legal ground of the practice; the role of Catholic religion; medical and scientific based claims; and claims linked to ideas of trauma, loss, and psychological violence. This study represents an expansion on the relevant theme of the anti-gender rise in Europe, especially concerning the conflict between pro-life and pro-choice around sexual and reproductive rights. However, limitations are represented by the small sample and the lack of attention towards this topic in academia. For this reason, more research is needed.