Greece breaks convention: Orthodox Christian country legalises same-sex marriages
On Thursday, 176 parliamentarians across the political spectrum voted for the bill, representing a rare instance of parliamentary consensus. Another 76 rejected the reform, two abstained, and 46 were absent. Thanks to the bill, same-sex couples will now be able to marry and receive full parental rights, including the ability to adopt children.
16 February 2024 11:25
The vote took place following two days of heated debate, weeks of public discussion, and years of anticipation by the LGBT+ community. Despite considerable opposition from his centre-right party, New Democracy, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis supported the bill. He said it would end a "serious inequality in our democracy."
In an impassioned speech before the vote, the 55-year-old leader stated this solution would align Greece with 36 countries worldwide that have already adopted regulations on this issue. Conservatism, he argued, shouldn't be confused with old-fashioned views that aren't in step with modern society.
"The reform we are enacting today [...] will improve the lives of some of our citizens significantly, without - and I emphasise - taking anything away from many people's lives," Mitsotakis said.
The Orthodox Church condemned it as "antisocial" and "unchristian." Earlier this month, during the morning service across the country, a letter from the Greek Church was read aloud opposing this move. The letter criticised what it perceived as "promoting the abolition of fatherhood and motherhood... and favouring the sexual preferences of adult homosexuals over the interests of children's futures."
One of the most vocal critics was Bishop Seraphim of Piraeus. He recently warned that he would prevent MPs who support the bill from attending his church. He added that it would have been better if they hadn't been born.
He also claimed that he would refuse to baptise children of same-sex couples "to help them understand that what their guardians are doing is a sin."
