I am writing this piece carrying a weight I rarely bring to this blog. I write it as a queer psychotherapist and counselor who works with LGBTQIA+ clients and who understands what it can cost — in terms of mental health — to live without your own family’s recognition. What happened in Camaiore is not news that can simply be read and filed away.
What happened
On 24 June, in Camaiore, in the province of Lucca, 24-year-old Mirko Moriconi and his mother, 52-year-old Kety Andreoni, were shot dead by Mirko’s father and Kety’s husband, Piero Moriconi, inside the family home. According to press reports, Mirko’s social media accounts described a family climate marked by his father’s refusal to accept his sexual orientation and, it seems, by a possible transgender identity. It is not my place, nor any commentator’s, to reconstruct in detail a dynamic that the courts will have to establish. But certain elements of the broader context deserve close attention, because they are not unique to this one family.
Elena Tebano, writing in Corriere della Sera, described this case as a contemporary version of the “honour killing”: a murder in which the perpetrator claims a right over life and death within the family — over a wife who wants to leave, or a son who does not fit the imposed codes of masculinity. It is a reading I share, and one that is not confined to this single case: the same patriarchal logic behind femicide also produces what is sometimes called “homicide by homophobia” — killings rooted in anti-LGBTQIA+ hatred within the family itself.
What the data tell us
I am not speaking from impression alone; the numbers point to a clear trend. According to the 2025 Report from the “Cronache di ordinaria omofobia” Observatory (a project run by La Tenda di Gionata), 113 episodes of homophobia were recorded in Italy in 2025, affecting 162 victims. The concern goes beyond the raw figures: multiple-attacker assaults, the most severe form of violence, rose to 36% of victims, against a 23% average recorded over the project’s thirteen years of observation (2013–2025). And — the detail that speaks directly to Camaiore — reports of episodes occurring within the domestic sphere, involving family members or partners, are rising: 18%, against a thirteen-year average of 15%.
For many LGBTQIA+ people, family should be the first safe place. The data tell us that, for a growing share of people, it is not.
From a psychodynamic perspective, this is especially significant because the family is not simply where we grow up; it is where our earliest sense of ourselves begins to take shape. Being recognised, accepted and loved by those we depend on becomes part of how we come to understand our own worth. When that recognition is withdrawn or made conditional on denying who we are, the injury extends far beyond the immediate conflict. It can leave people struggling with shame, self-doubt and the painful feeling that being themselves comes at the cost of belonging.
What my profession is saying
I am not alone, among mental health professionals, in feeling the need to speak up. The president of the Tuscany Board of Psychologists and of the National Council of the Board, Maria Antonietta Gulino, commented on the Camaiore case, noting that psychological wellbeing is closely tied to the possibility of living one’s identity in an accepting environment, and that self-denial, feeling rejected or judged, and the experience of discrimination can have profound consequences for mental health and relationships. She added a point I fully share: discrimination, stigma, and isolation are not external to people’s wellbeing — they directly produce suffering and vulnerability.
This is exactly what I see in my practice, year after year, working with LGBTQIA+ clients: family rejection is not simply a painful biographical event; it strikes at one of the foundations on which a person builds a secure sense of self. It is a concrete risk factor for anxiety, depression, substance misuse, and suicidal ideation—something the literature on minority stress has described for decades, and that clinical experience confirms every day.
A legal void
Italy has no specific aggravating circumstances for crimes motivated by hatred based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The attempt to introduce them, the so-called DDL Zan bill, failed in the Senate in 2021. I do not want to weigh in on the political debate surrounding that bill, which remains, legitimately, a divisive issue. I only want to point out a fact: today, in cases like Camaiore, an anti-LGBTQIA+ motive — even when it is recognised — carries no additional legal consequence compared with any other homicide. It is a gap the country has been carrying for more than a decade of unresolved debate.
What this means, concretely, if you are reading this
If you recognise even a part of yourself in this story—if you don’t feel seen, accepted, or safe within your own family for who you are—I want to say one thing clearly: this is not normal, and it is not something you have to face alone. Family rejection leaves real, measurable marks on mental health because it comes from the very people whose acceptance helps us build a secure sense of self. Seeking psychological support at a time like this is not a sign of weakness; it is, quite possibly, the most protective thing you can do for yourself.
My thoughts, in closing, go to Mirko and to Kety, and to everyone who today is carrying a grief that no analysis can truly hold.
If you need to talk to someone
If this article has touched on something you are currently going through, please know that there are spaces for support, both inside and outside therapy, specifically designed for people facing family rejection related to their sexual orientation or gender identity. You are not alone.
Gay Help Line — Italy’s national anti-homophobia and anti-transphobia helpline, run by Gay Center
800 713 713 — free from landlines and mobiles, within Italy, Mon–Sat 4:00–8:00 pm (CET)
Free psychological, legal, and medical counselling, available anonymously. A dedicated section also offers support specifically on transgender-related topics.
Telefono Amico Italia — general emotional support and listening service, for anyone going through a difficult moment
02 2327 2327 — standard local-call rate, within Italy, every day 9:00 am–midnight (CET)
Organisations and further resources
- Gay Center — Rome, network of services and LGBTQIA+ refuge housing
- “Cronache di ordinaria omofobia” Observatory — La Tenda di Gionata — annual data and reports on the phenomenon in Italy
- Tuscany Board of Psychologists — information and initiatives on mental health
If you are in an emergency or believe you may be in danger, please call 112 (Italy’s single emergency number) or go to the nearest emergency room. If you are outside Italy, please contact your local emergency services.