Greece defends the opposition of the Orthodox Church to the legalization of same sex marriage

Mondo International Updated on 2024-02-16

Despite opposition from the Orthodox Church, the Greek parliament legalized same-sex marriage after passing legislation on Thursday.

According to the Associated Press, the country became the first Orthodox country to legalize same-sex marriage and equal parental rights for same-sex couples.

Of the 300 members of parliament, 176 members from different parties voted in favor of the bill drafted by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The Associated Press noted that 76 members rejected the bill, two abstained and 46 members did not attend the ballot.

The vote has passed: Greece is proud to be the 16th EU country to pass marriage equality legislation starting tonight," Mitsotakis said in a post on X (the platform was formerly known as Twitter). "This is a milestone in human rights and a reflection of Greece today – a progressive, democratic country passionately committed to European values. ”

According to the Associated Press, supporters and a** of the bill gathered outside parliament on Thursday for lawmakers to debate.

Those who were once ** will eventually become visible all around us. The prime minister told lawmakers earlier Thursday that with them, many children will eventually find their rightful place, according to the report.

While the Act gives same-sex couples full parental rights, it does not allow couples to acquire full rights through motherhood. Advocates oppose restrictions and lack of regulations for transgender people.

Same-sex marriage is largely supported by the inhabitants. Former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, from the conservative ruling group NDP, opposed the bill.

He told parliament that same-sex marriage "is not a human right" and that the state is not obliged to legalize it.

The Greek Church was the main voice against the bill because it did not approve of same-sex marriage. The church believes that the bill could affect traditional family values, and that restrictions could one day be extended to same-sex couples.

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