Sun 5 Oct 2014 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
Carmelo Barbarello The new Italian Ambassador has been welcomed to New Zealand by Rainbow Wellington. Carmelo Barbarello was appointed Ambassador to New Zealand in August. The long-time diplomat and husband Javier Barca married at the Spanish consulate in Buenos Aires in 2012. Barbarello has said marrying in a European country, even if it is not his own, “helps us to be respected as human beings and as citizens". The couple made history when Barca became the first same-sex spouse of an Italian diplomat to receive a diplomatic passport. He’d previously had to return to Italy every six months to renew his visa. The couple met in Athens in 2002 and Barbarello has said they fell in love immediately. They will be in New Zealand for three years. Rainbow Wellington welcomed Barbarello to the capital in a function at the Royal Local Alehouse
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Sunday, 5th October 2014 - 8:51am