Greece has taken a historic step in terms of rights for the LGBTQ+ community by legalizing gay marriage and becoming the first Orthodox Christian country to allow it; This after the Athens parliament approved the reform amid the euphoria of those who were gathered in the streets awaiting the ruling.
In addition, this law will not only allow same-sex couples to marry but also to adopt children and comes after decades of campaigning by the LGBTQ+ community for marriage equality in that socially conservative country. The project was tested by 176 legislators, of the 300 that parliament has, so it will become law once it is published in the official gazette of the Greek government. All this was amid protests from church officials, who opposed the law being approved.
“It is a very important step for human rights, a very important step for equality, and a very important step for Greek society,” said Nikos Nikolaidis, a 40-year-old historian who joined a demonstration in favor of the bill. before the vote.
The Debate Lasted Two Days to Approve the Law in Greece
The vote came after two days of heated debate, where opponents, including the Orthodox Church, of the new law’s approval, called it “anti-social” and “anti-Christian.” Let us remember that Orthodox Christians consider homosexuality a sin. Elliniki Lysi, one of three far-right parties with parliamentary representation, called the project “anti-Christian” and said it harms national interests. For his part, former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, a New Democracy legislator, declared: “Of course I will vote against. Marriage of same-sex couples… is not a human right.”
For activists in favor of the LGBTQ+ community, the approval of this law is a great step, as they had been fighting for years to be recognized and allowed to obtain the same rights as heterosexual couples regarding marriage.
This story was written in Spanish by Lizbeth Garcia in Cultura Colectiva News.
