Yes to marriage equality, against the will of the Church
Greece became the first Orthodox-majority country to open marriage to same-sex couples.
On 15 February 2024, late in the evening, the Greek parliament in Athens voted on a law that queer couples in the country had long been waiting for. The result was clear: one hundred and seventy-six members voted yes to opening civil marriage to same-sex couples. Greece thus became the first predominantly Orthodox country in the world to introduce marriage equality.
The starting position alone was remarkable. The bill came from the conservative government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, but parts of his own party refused to follow him. Former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras declared in the chamber that same-sex marriage was not a human right. The majority only came about with the votes of the left-wing opposition. Its leader Stefanos Kasselakis, himself openly gay, had threatened dissenters in his group with consequences.
The strongest headwind came from the influential Orthodox Church. Archbishop Ieronymos demanded a roll-call vote so that voters could see how their representatives had decided. Outside parliament that evening, two camps faced each other: rainbow flags on one side, icons, crosses and prayers on the other. When the result was announced, cheers broke out.
The law above all brought security to rainbow families. Greece had had civil partnerships since 2015, but only the biological parent had custody. The other parent could neither pick the child up from school nor take it to hospital in an emergency. Now married couples received full parental rights and the right to adopt.
The community did not consider the goal fully reached, however. Surrogacy remains closed to gay couples. Stella Belia of the organisation Rainbow Families nevertheless spoke of a great victory that had been fought for for years.