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Greece legalises same-sex marriage


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Greece legalises same-sex marriage

February 15, 2024

By James Gregory / BBC News

Greece has become the first Christian Orthodox-majority country to legalise same-sex marriage.

Same-sex couples will now also be legally allowed to adopt children after Thursday's 176-76 vote in parliament.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the new law would "boldly abolish a serious inequality".

But it has divided the country, with fierce resistance led by the powerful Orthodox Church. Its supporters held a protest rally in Athens.

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Many displayed banners, held crosses, read prayers and sang passages from the Bible in the capital's Syntagma Square.

The head of the Orthodox Church, Archbishop Ieronymos, said the measure would "corrupt the homeland's social cohesion".

The bill needed a simple majority to pass through the 300-member parliament.

Mr Mitsotakis had championed the bill but required the support of opposition parties to get it over the line, with dozens of MPs from his centre-right governing party opposed. 

"People who have been invisible will finally be made visible around us, and with them, many children will finally find their rightful place," the prime minister told parliament during a debate ahead of the vote. 

"The reform makes the lives of several of our fellow citizens better, without taking away anything from the lives of the many."

Opponents of the legislature held a protest rally in front of the parliament building in Athens

The vote has been welcomed by LGBTQ organisations in Greece.

"This is a historic moment," Stella Belia, the head of same-sex parents' group Rainbow Families, told Reuters news agency. "This is a day of joy." 

Fifteen of the European Union's 27 members have already legalised same-sex marriage. It is permitted in 35 countries worldwide.

Greece has until now lagged behind some of its European neighbours, largely because of opposition from the Church. 

It is the first country in south-eastern Europe to have marriage equality.

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Finally. Yes, there was resistance and I still expect discrimination from some institutions, such as the adoption agencies. But in the younger generations the majority is in favour of full equality. It makes me hopeful for the future.

 

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I must say I am surprised and yet when I think that it’s the cradle of gay sex, it all fell into one place 😀

As far as Italy, it’ll probs be the last one to do so. It’s still very conservative and very much in denial! I see some minor progress, and follow some openly gay Italian guys on Insta etc., I even follow some openly gay (cute) politician from the northern region of Trentino (I’m sure there are more) - but it’ll be probably the last one to legalize the same sex marriage in Western Europe… but I think they eventually will! 

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On 2/16/2024 at 5:28 PM, Sanctuary1995 said:

I must say I am surprised and yet when I think that it’s the cradle of gay sex, it all fell into one place 😀

As far as Italy, it’ll probs be the last one to do so. It’s still very conservative and very much in denial! I see some minor progress, and follow some openly gay Italian guys on Insta etc., I even follow some openly gay (cute) politician from the northern region of Trentino (I’m sure there are more) - but it’ll be probably the last one to legalize the same sex marriage in Western Europe… but I think they eventually will! 

Oops gotta correct myself here. Italy is the ONLY Western European country that does not perform gay marriages… so it will be the last one, it it happens 

IMG_4983.jpeg

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On 2/18/2024 at 2:52 AM, Sanctuary1995 said:

Oops gotta correct myself here. Italy is the ONLY Western European country that does not perform gay marriages… so it will be the last one, it it happens 

IMG_4983.jpeg

Well with the Pope and the global head of the Catholic Church it’s not surprising 

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