Greece legalizes same-sex marriage, first for an Orthodox Christian nation
The Greek parliament passed a law legalizing same-sex marriage on Thursday (local time), marking a landmark victory for human rights in Greece. This also makes it the first majority Orthodox Christian nation to establish marriage equality for everyone. Backed by 176 out of 300 lawmakers in the parliament, the move follows months of polarized political and public discourse. It has been welcomed as a long-awaited vindication by the nation's LGBTQ+ couples.
Greek PM reacts, calls it 'milestone for human rights'
Reacting to the law's authorization, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis took to X (formerly Twitter) to celebrate the move. "The vote has passed: as of tonight, Greece is proud to become the 16th EU (European Union) country to legislate marriage equality," he said in his post. "This is a milestone for human rights, reflecting today's Greece - a progressive and democratic country, passionately committed to European values," added Mitsotakis.
Read Greek PM's post here
76 Greek lawmakers rejected reform
Notably, 76 lawmakers in the parliament rejected the reform on Thursday, two abstained from the vote, and 46 were absent. The reform was backed by four left-wing parties, including the main opposition, Syriza. Ahead of the vote, Mitsotakis told lawmakers, "People who have been invisible will finally be made visible around us. And with them, many children (will) finally find their rightful place."
Most Greeks backed the reform
According to opinion polls, most Greeks support the reform, as the nation is more focused on high cost of living than this social debate. To note, the main opposition to the bill came from the traditionalist Church of Greece, which also disapproves of heterosexual civil marriage. Church officials have centered their criticism on the same-sex bill's implications for traditional family values and claimed that possible legal challenges could trigger a future extension of surrogacy rights for gay couples.