Greece became the first country with a majority of Orthodox Christians to establish marriage equality when the Greek parliament approved a law on Thursday allowing same-sex unions. This is a significant victory for human rights in Greece.
Following months of divisive political and public discourse, the landmark decision was greeted as a long-awaited vindication by the nation’s LGBTQ+ couples, with 176 out of 300 lawmakers in parliament supporting it and 78 voting against it.
As Athens Pride approaches its 20th anniversary, Andrea Gilbert, one of its original members, told CNN that “we started as an invisible, marginalized community.” We kept casting our votes. We fulfilled our tax obligations. ran a campaign. A legal foundation for future development is provided by the legislation. It is especially important for newlyweds. The legislation, which will permit same-sex couples to adopt and gain full parental recognition, is based on the rights of parents and children.
Greece has introduced civil partnerships for gay couples, recognizing same-sex parents as legal guardians for their children. The new law provides peace of mind for same-sex parents, including parental rights for surviving parents in the event of a partner’s death. However, formal adoption procedures are required.
In Greece, same-sex couples are now able to adopt without using a surrogate to conceive their child. Surrogacy is still a contentious topic in parts of the EU, and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis made it clear early on that he was not willing to address it despite the legislation being presented as “a matter of equality.” “It is not going to happen that women are turned into machines that produce children on demand.”
LGBTQ+ children, including those adopted or born to foreign surrogates, are now recognized by a new law in Athens. LGBTQ+ individuals expressed feeling seen outside Parliament, calling the vote a historic moment.
The Greek center-right party, supported by traditional family values, has successfully passed a bill legalizing same-sex marriage, even though 15 out of 27 EU members have already done so, signaling a government alignment with progressive EU forces.
Greek society, according to polls, still prioritizes traditional family structures and values and thus lags behind other Western nations in terms of gender equality. Athens ranked worst in the EU on the Gender Equality Index in 2022 and only marginally improved in 2023. In a recent Metron Analysis survey, 62% of participants stated they were in support of same-sex marriage, while 69% opposed same-sex motherhood. Only surveys aimed at younger participants revealed greater rates of support.
Over 80% of people belong to the powerful Greek Orthodox Church, which has expressed its disapproval of the same-sex marriage measure. The Church’s governing body said that the bill allows future children “to be parented by same-sex couples and grow up without a father or mother in an environment of confusing gender roles,” prioritizing the rights of homosexual adults over the interests of future generations. The letter was sent to all 300 of Greece’s parliamentarians ahead of the vote.
Bishops at the top have threatened to mobilize. “Take your hands off our children” was chanted by far-right supporters alongside crucifix-wielding demonstrators, including robed priests, during a demonstration outside parliament. For the legislation to be approved, the center-right New Democracy government that was the bill’s sponsor had to win over some of its own 158 lawmakers in the 300-seat parliament. As a result, votes from the opposition left and center were needed.
