Greece legalizes same-sex marriage despite opposition from Orthodox Church

BY LAUREN IRWIN - 02/15/24 

Supporters of same-sex marriage bill take part in a rally, at central Syntagma Square, in Athens, Greece, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Varaklas)

Greece legalized same-sex marriage after the Parliament passed legislation to do so Thursday, despite pushback from the Orthodox Church.

The country became the first Orthodox Christian country to pass a law legalizing same-sex marriage and equal parental rights for same-sex couples, The Associated Press (AP) reported.

Of the 300 members in Parliament, 176 lawmakers from different parties voted in favor of the bill drafted by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Seventy-six members rejected the bill, while two abstained from voting and 46 were not present at voting, the AP noted.

“The vote has passed: as of tonight, Greece is proud to become the 16th EU country to legislate marriage equality,” Mitsotakis posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “This is a milestone for human rights, reflecting today’s Greece — a progressive, and democratic country, passionately committed to European values.”

Supporters and protestors of the bill gathered outside Parliament on Thursday as lawmakers debated, the AP reported.

“People who have been invisible will finally be made visible around us. And with them, many children [will] finally find their rightful place,” the prime minister told lawmakers earlier Thursday, the outlet reported.

While the bill provides same-sex couples full parental rights, it does not allow couples full rights through surrogate mothers. Advocates have pushed back on the limitation and the lack of provisions for transgender people.

Same-sex marriage is largely supported by residents. Former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras from New Democracy, a conservative governing group, opposes the bill.


He told Parliament that same-sex marriage is “not a human right” and that it is not an obligation for the country to legalize it.

The Church of Greece is the main voice of opposition against the bill, as it disapproves of same-sex marriage. Church officials have argued that the bill could impact traditional family values, and the surrogacy limitation could one day be extended to same-sex couples.

The Associated Press contributed.

Greek Parliament To Vote On Legalising Same-Sex Marriage In First For An Orthodox Christian Country

 By PTI 

| Published: Thursday, February 15, 2024, 

 Greece's parliament is set to vote on Thursday to legalise same-sex civil marriage, in a first for an Orthodox Christian country and despite opposition from the influential Greek Church. Opinion polls suggest that most Greeks support the proposed reform, and the issue has failed to trigger deep divisions in a country more worried about the high cost of living. 

The landmark bill drafted by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis ' centre-right government is backed by four left-wing parties, including the main opposition Syriza. That would secure it 243 votes in the 300-seat parliament.

 Several majority and left-wing lawmakers are expected to abstain or vote against the reform - but not enough to kill the bill.

Three small far-right parties and the Stalinist-rooted Communist Party have rejected the draft law. 

State Minister Akis Skertsos stressed at the opening of the two-day debate Wednesday that most Greeks already accept the idea of same-sex marriages. "We are not deciding on change in this chamber," he said. "It has already happened ... Society changes and develops without requiring parliament's permission." 

The bill would confer full parental rights on married same-sex partners with children. But it precludes gay couples from parenthood through surrogate mothers in Greece - an option currently available to women who can't have children for health reasons.

 Governing New Democracy lawmaker Maria Syrengela said the reform would redress a long-standing injustice for same-sex couples and their children. "And let's reflect on what these people have been through, spending so many years in the shadows, entangled in bureaucratic procedures," she said. 

Polls show that while most Greeks agree to same-sex weddings they also reject extending parenthood through surrogacy to male couples.

 Same-sex civil partnerships have been allowed in Greece since 2015. But that only conferred legal guardianship to the biological parents of children in those relationships, leaving their partners in a bureaucratic limbo. 

The main opposition to the new bill has come from the traditionalist Church of Greece - which also disapproves of heterosexual civil marriage. 

Church officials have centred their criticism on the bill's implications for traditional family values, and argue that potential legal challenges could lead to a future extension of surrogacy rights to gay couples.

The head of the Orthodox Church of Greece, Archbishop Ieronymos, suggested Wednesday that the ballot should be held by roll call. This would enable constituents to see exactly how their lawmakers voted. That's going to happen anyway, following motions later in the day by far-right parties and - independently and for different reasons - Syriza.

 The main opposition leader, Stefanos Kasselakis, who is gay, has threatened disciplinary action against any Syriza lawmaker who doesn't back the bill. 

Church supporters and conservative organizations have staged small protests against the proposed law, and members of far-right groups have called for a demonstration outside parliament later Thursday. 

Politically, the same-sex marriage law is not expected to harm Mitsotakis' government, which won easy re-election last year after capturing much of the centrist vote. 

A stronger challenge comes from ongoing protests by farmers angry at high production costs, and intense opposition from many students to the planned scrapping of a state monopoly on university education. Nevertheless, parliament is expected to approve the university bill later this month, and opinion polls indicate that most Greeks support it.