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On February 15 2024 Greece passed a law legalizing same-sex marriage. The nation has made history by becoming the first Orthodox-Christian country to legalize same-sex marriage.
“There should not be children of a lesser God.” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis says according to the New York Times.
The number of Orthodox Christian countries varies based on different sources. However all these countries have many similarities, they do not allow same-sex marriage.
Although these countries do not allow same-sex marriage a lot of them do allow for same-sex relationships. However, this does not come without a lot of discrimination towards same-sex couples in these regions.
This, however, has come to no surprise. In 2015 according to an article by Reuters, “Greece allowed civil partnerships among same-sex couples.”
Along with this Reuters also says that in 2022 Greece banned conversion therapy which refers to the practice of attempting to cause a non-heterosexual person to become heterosexual by using psychoanalysis, behavior modification, spiritual counseling, etc.
However, not only did Prime Minister Mitsotakis legalize gay marriage according to the New York Times “The legislation clears a way for adoption and gives the same rights to both same-sex parents as child’s legal guardians.”
However, it is not an umbrella law. Therefore, surrogate pregnancies for same-sex couples are not permitted. The right of transgender people as parents is still a question.
Allowing the right to same-sex marriage has been a great news to envision. Especially after a survey done by the European Union Agency For Fundamental Rights states “74% avoid holding hands with their same-sex partner in Greece.”
There has been Greece’s long standing reputation of hate crimes circulating around homophobia. According to France 24 in 2018 two Police officers in Athens brutally beat Zacharias Kotsopoulos, a well-known gay rights activist in Athens.
In a video posted by Deltanews.tv, people can be seen watching a video of the live stream of the law being passed; celebrating, dancing and popping streamers on the streets of Athens.
The legislation was passed by Prime Minister Mistotakis after he won by a landslide in the recent 2023 election.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, was re-elected in June 2023 after serving a term from 2019. According to Britannica, he followed in his father’s footsteps, who served his time as Prime Minister of Greece from 1990-1993.
As at the onset of 2024, same-sex marriage is legal in 36 different countries around the world. Today is a big day for not only the people of Greece but for people all around the world.
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