Greece Becomes First Orthodox Country To Legalise Same-Sex Marriage

In a historic move, Greece became the first Orthodox Christian country to legalise same-sex marriage and adoption. On February 15, 176 members of the Athens parliament passed the landmark reform despite warnings from the Greek Orthodox Church. 76 Members of  Parliament rejected the bill while two MPs abstained from the vote and 46 were not present. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis endorsed the bill as an "end to serious inequality for our democracy." According to reports, same-sex marriage and adoption had garnered flak from the right-wing leader's own party members. Moreover, the Greek Orthodox Church constitutes 90% of the Balkan country's population and opposes same-sex marriage.

Members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community celebrated the much-awaited vote. "It’s a historic moment. A lot of us weren’t sure it would ever come. We have waited years for this," activist Stella Belia told The Guardian. Greece has become one of the 36 countries worldwide, to legalise same-sex marriage and adoption of children. PM Mitsotakis was elated to join the club as he believed that the decisions made by the Greek State were separate from theological beliefs.

Same-Sex Marriage Legalised In Greece

After months of political turmoil, the bill drafted by the New Democracy party was passed despite opposition from the Church and their own legislators. The reform went through several heated debates as some of the public deemed it "long overdue" and "bold", while some others believed it was "unchristian" and "antisocial."

When the momentous law was passed, Prime Minister Mitsotakis said, "The reform that we are legislating today … will make the life of some of our fellow citizens that much better without – and I emphasise this – taking away anything from the lives of the many. We are covering a gap by allowing everyone, if they wish, to institutionally seal their relationship … just as heterosexual couples do."

PM Mitsotakis relied on a coalition from the opposition party, Syriza, led by Stefanos Kasselakis and other smaller groups to pass the legislation. On the other hand, former Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, who is also from Mitsotakis' party, called the bill "dangerous" and said that it should not have been legalised. 

Too Little Too Late?

LGBTQ activists commended the legalisation of same-sex marriage, yet noted that it comes with several limitations. The law only allows single women and heterosexual couples to have access to assisted reproduction. Elena Christidi, a psychologist and LGBTQ+ mental health advocate told The Guardian how the bill and the language used in the parliament in relation to it was "problematic". 

She said, "The language that we have heard is so offensive that rather than wanting to celebrate, a lot of people feel quite numb. It’s been devastating for gay men and trans people who want to have children … once again they’ve been left with the feeling that the state has judged them not to be good enough to have the same rights as others."

Syriza's Kasselakis also pointed out that the bill was "imperfect" as it still did not allow same-sex couples to become parents through surrogacy. Notably, Kasselakis is Greece’s first gay political leader and is married to Tyler McBeth, an American.

Opposition From Church

While the bill was being contended, Orthodox bishops had threatened to excommunicate lawmakers who voted for same-sex marriage. Moreover, in January, the Holy Synod of the Hierarchy of the Church of Greece issued a report that stated, "Obviously, the State legislates, but this parameter neither deprives the Church of its freedom of speech nor exempts the Church from the duty to inform the faithful people, nor can it indicate to the Church what constitutes sin. The Church does not legislate and is not responsible for the laws. If it remains silent, however, it bears a grave responsibility and abolishes itself."

PM Mitsotakis cited that the Greek State has historically had several disagreements with the Church on issues such as civil marriage, cremation, and the removal of religion from Greek identification documents. However, he emphasized that these changes have proven to be necessary and have not had any negative impact on society or the relationship between the State and the Church.