< p>The law was adopted on February 15.
The Greek Parliament approved the legalization of same-sex civil marriage.
Euronews writes about this.
This is considered an achievement, given the resistance of the influential Greek Orthodox Church. Polls showed that a majority of Greeks supported the bill, drafted by the center-right government and supported by four center and left parties.
For Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, this is a breakthrough.
“Today is a day of joy, because from tomorrow another barrier between us will be lifted to create a bridge of coexistence in a free state with free citizens,” Mitsotakis said before the vote.
Supporters carrying colorful LGBT flags and opponents of the bill, who held religious icons and prayed, held a separate, small, peaceful gathering outside parliament Thursday.
The bill would grant full parental rights to married same-sex partners with children. But it does not allow same-sex couples to have children through surrogates in Greece. This option is only available to women who are unable to have children due to health reasons.
The Holy Synod of Senior Bishops sent letters to all legislators outlining their objections. A circular with similar wording was read during Sunday services in all Orthodox churches in the country, and religious groups staged public protests against the proposal.
The Church sees same-sex marriage as a threat to the traditional family model , arguing that supporting this model could help solve the problem of declining fertility in many European countries. Other Orthodox countries have expressed support for this view, including the Ecumenical Patriarchate, based in Istanbul, Turkey.
Recall that from January 1 Estonia legalized same-sex marriage. It became the first country in the former USSR where same-sex couples could marry.
In August 2022, more than 25 thousand Ukrainians signed a petition to legalize same-sex marriage. In response, President Vladimir Zelensky stated that to legalize same-sex marriage, the Constitution needs to be changed, and during martial law this is impossible.
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