The human rights group Amnesty International says Italy wasted an opportunity when its parliament rejected a bill to include attacks on homosexuals and transsexuals as hate crimes.

Amnesty said Tuesday that lawmakers failed to take a step in the right direction. It called on Italian authorities and politicians to set an example by promoting equality and refraining from remarks that foster intolerance.

The Italian parliament rejected the hate crimes bill earlier Tuesday. It turned down a similar measure in 2009.

Lawmakers who supported extending hate crimes laws say the majority of parliament sided with the violent and not with the victims.

A member of the conservative ruling party, which opposed the bill, says the party does not discriminate and considers gays to be citizens like everyone else. It says singling out homosexuals as being different is unconstitutional.