The initiative of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to legalize gay marriage is supported by the Syriza party. Marriage equality has been one of the main demands of LGBT+ organizations for many years.
While some members of the ruling New Democracy party have expressed opposition to the “marriage equality” bill, LGBT+ activists believe it will primarily protect the children of same-sex couples.
If the bill is passed, gay couples will be able to adopt children, but the ban on surrogacy will remain. Those who already have children will be granted full parental rights. Lawyer Vassilis Sotiropoulos, who represents the interests of many LGBT couples, welcomes the initiative of the right-wing Cabinet,quotes Euronews lawyer:
“Many LGBT+ couples with children are waiting for this law. Recognition of their relationship as a marriage provides legal protection for children, since both spouses become guardians. Thus, this concerns human rights and especially the rights of children, which, in fact, have not been on the radar of the state and society “.
Kindergarten teacher and mother of two teenagers Stella Bellia heads the organization Rainbow Families of Greece. She claims that the bill will make life much easier for children and their parents:
“Imagine that you can’t pick up your child from school because only one spouse is considered a parent. You can’t go with him to the hospital, you can’t really travel. From now on, our families will be recognized by law. This is very important. Until now, our children suffer discrimination because their parents belong to the LGBTI+ community.”
According to government sources, the bill will go to parliament for a vote before the end of February. He has already been supported by the left-wing party SYRIZA, which practically guarantees approval. Stefanos Kasselakis, the leader of the opposition, is openly gay. He has been married to his partner in New York since last October. He said he would instruct his party members to vote “yes,” even though “the bill doesn’t go far enough on parental rights.”
The ruling New Democracy party has 158 lawmakers, but about ten disagree with the proposed text. Kyriakos Mitsotakis says:
“We are going to legislate marriage equality, which means eliminating all discrimination based on sexual orientation. This is not too different from what is already happening in other European countries.”
On Thursday, he called on dissenting New Democracy members to abstain from voting. Over the past ten years, Greece has introduced several reforms aimed at expanding LGBT+ rights: same-sex civil partnerships were legalized in 2015, the government banned “conversion therapy”* for minors in 2022, and lifted the ban on LGBT blood donors.
Same-sex marriage is recognized in most Western European countries, but not in Italy and Greece, where only civil partnerships currently exist, and in most member states EU in Eastern Europe.
*Conversion therapy is therapy designed to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
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