Same-sex marriage has been legalized in Greece by the country’s parliament, even though the Greek Orthodox Church and large portion of the population strongly opposed the decision.
The controversial bill received approval from 176 out of the 300 lawmakers in the Greek parliament. 76 lawmakers rejected the bill, while 46 were not in attendance for the vote. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his appreciation for the decision, stating that Greece takes pride in becoming the 16th European Union country to enact legislation for marriage equality.
“This is a milestone for human rights, reflecting today’s Greece – a progressive, and democratic country, passionately committed to European values,” Prime Minister posted on X (ex-Twitter).
In 2015, Greece passed a law that allowed gay couples to enter into same-sex civil partnerships, granting them certain rights and benefits. However, adoption was not permitted for these couples. The recently introduced legislation now grants full parental rights to married same-sex partners, except for gay male couples who are still prohibited from having children through surrogacy.
According to former prime minister Antonis Samaras, same-sex marriage is not considered a human right nor an international obligation for our nation. He asserts that children should have the right to be raised by parents of both genders.
Mitsotakis’ New Democracy party managed to pass the measure with the backing of four left-wing parties, even though there were dissenting conservatives within the ruling party.
Meanwhile, a survey conducted by a national polling organization Alco last month, revealed that approximately 49% of Greeks expressed their disapproval of the legalization of same-sex marriage, while only 35% were supportive. Another 16% refrained from providing a response. The Orthodox Church of Greece, which holds substantial influence in both society and politics as the majority of the country’s 11 million people identify as Greek Orthodox, has staunchly opposed these reforms.
