Greece becomes first Orthodox country to legalise same-sex marriage and adoption

Greece's parliament overwhelmingly adopted a bill legalizing same-sex marriage and adoption on Thursday, marking a significant reform promoted by the conservative government despite opposition from the powerful Orthodox Church. Upon promulgation, Greece will become the 37th country globally and the first Orthodox Christian nation to legalize adoption by same-sex families.

The bill, championed by the New Democracy party of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, garnered 176 votes out of 245 MPs present after two days of debates.

"This is a milestone for human rights, reflecting today's Greece—a progressive, democratic country passionately committed to European values," Mitsotakis said on X, formerly Twitter.

Upon the announcement of the result, dozens of people waving rainbow flags celebrated in front of the parliament building in central Athens.

While several legislators from the ruling New Democracy party were anticipated to oppose the bill, support from opposition parties ensured its passage.

Mitsotakis, a driving force behind the bill, urged lawmakers to "boldly abolish a serious inequality" in Greek democracy that rendered same-sex families "invisible." He emphasized that the reform would "significantly improve the lives of quite a few of our fellow citizens, without taking away anything from the lives of the many."

The vote was hailed as historic by LGBTQ associations, highlighting the administrative challenges and discrimination faced by same-sex families under current family law.

The Church of Greece, closely linked to many government MPs, expressed total opposition to the reform, arguing it would lead to confusion for children.

Archbishop Ieronymos criticized the proposed law, framing it as a threat to social cohesion.

Despite opposition, support from the main opposition leftist Syriza party, led by Stefanos Kasselakis, who is gay, along with other parties, made defeat nearly impossible.

Greek LGBTQ families, who had kept a low profile since the reform was announced, celebrated the occasion as a day of joy.

While same-sex couples will now have the right to marry and adopt, they still won't be able to use assisted reproduction or surrogacy, procedures reserved for single women or heterosexual couples experiencing conception difficulties.

Greece had faced criticism for anti-gay discrimination, leading to condemnation by the European Court of Human Rights in 2013. The legalization of civil unions for same-sex couples occurred under the previous Syriza government in 2015, addressing property and inheritance issues but omitting provisions for child adoption.