Greece made history by becoming the first Orthodox Christian country to legalize same-sex civil marriage.
This happened despite facing opposition from the influential and socially conservative Greek Church. A cross-party majority of 176 lawmakers in the 300-seat parliament voted in favor of the groundbreaking bill proposed by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ center-right government. Another 76 lawmakers rejected the reform, while two abstained, and 46 were absent during the vote.
Mitsotakis celebrated the achievement on Twitter, stating that Greece is proud to be the 16th European Union country to legislate marriage equality. He emphasized that this marks a significant milestone for human rights, reflecting a progressive and democratic Greece committed to European values. Scores of supporters gathered outside parliament to witness the historic moment, cheering loudly as the vote result was announced.
Despite opposition and protests from some individuals who held prayer books and religious icons, the majority of Greeks, according to opinion polls, supported the reform by a narrow margin. The bill received backing from four left-wing parties, including the main opposition Syriza. However, some lawmakers, both from the majority and left-wing, abstained or voted against the reform. Three small far-right parties and the Communist Party rejected the draft law from the beginning of the two-day debate.
Mitsotakis addressed lawmakers before the vote, highlighting the importance of legal opportunities for both parents of same-sex couples in providing for their children’s needs. The bill grants full parental rights to married same-sex partners with children, aiming to rectify a long-standing injustice and bureaucratic limbo faced by such couples.
While LGBTQ+ rights advocates welcomed the new law for promoting equality, some concerns were raised about limitations, such as the exclusion of provisions for transgender people and restrictions on surrogacy rights for gay couples in Greece. Psychologist Nancy Papathanassiou stressed that despite these limitations, the reduction of discrimination is crucial for LGBTQI mental health. Maria Syrengela, a lawmaker from the governing New Democracy, emphasized that the reform addresses a significant injustice faced by same-sex couples and their children.
The primary opposition to the bill came from the traditionalist Church of Greece, which also disapproves of heterosexual civil marriage. Church officials focused their criticism on the potential implications for traditional family values and expressed concerns about future extensions of surrogacy rights to gay couples. Despite opposition, politically, the same-sex marriage law is not expected to harm Mitsotakis’ government. Ongoing protests by farmers and opposition from students on other issues pose more significant challenges for the government. However, parliament is anticipated to approve a university bill later this month, and polls indicate that most Greeks support it.