An Italian teen boy was given up by his adopted Italian family for being gay, it was reported today (18 March).

The boy, 14, was abandoned by his biological parents as a baby. Described as ‘sweet, shy and insecure’, other children bullied him because of his sexuality.

But instead of providing support, his unsympathetic adoptive parents disowned him and took him back to the adoption home as it created ‘too many problems’.

The boy and the parents, from a small, unidentified Italian town, were given anonymity to protect the teen from further attacks and discrimination.

‘It created too many problems – we can’t handle it,’ the parents were quoted as saying in Il Messaggero.

‘At school his classmates don’t accept it. Everyone says to us why do you bother?’

As a result, the boy was put up for adoption for the second time.

The story has caused an outrage in Italian media, with columnist Marida Lombardo Pijola describing the couple as ‘undeserving of being parents’.

As translated by GSN, she writes: ‘Being a parent isn’t about having the necessary working parts.

‘Being a parent is not giving it up if the child makes you look bad. Being a parent is fighting for them and protecting them from hate.’

She added: ‘I dream of parents who are able to welcome you, love you, protect you, help you grow and recognize and accept each and every beautiful shade of your personality.

‘I dream of a world without homophobia, and I dream nothing like this ever happens to any child again.’

But while homophobia is still rife in Italy, largely due to the strong Catholic influence in the country, there is evidence views on gay rights are changing.

In January this year, The Local reported how a court in Palermo allowed a gay couple to foster a 16-year-old, in a case thought to be the first of its kind in Sicily.

And last year, Rome’s mayor Ignazio Marino said he was becoming more open to the idea of same-sex marriage.