Greece became the first country with a Christian Orthodox majority to legalize same-sex marriage, international media report following yesterday’s vote in the Plenary of the Parliament. Same-sex couples will now be able to legally adopt children following Thursday’s 176-76 vote in parliament, notes the British BBC. The same publication notes that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated that the new law will “boldly abolish a serious inequality”.
Same-Sex Marriage and Parenting State Law – Party Leaks as Bill Passes
“But it has divided the country, with staunch resistance led by the powerful Orthodox Church. Her supporters held a protest rally in Athens. Many hung banners, held crosses, read prayers and sang passages from the Bible in the capital’s Syntagma Square. The head of the Orthodox Church, Archbishop Hieronymos, said the measure would “alter the social cohesion of the country”.
The bill needed a simple majority to pass the 300-member parliament.
The Associated Press agency speaks of an unprecedented development in the annals of an Orthodox Christian country: “The Greek Parliament is going to vote on Thursday on the legalization of same-sex civil marriage, for the first time in an Orthodox Christian country and despite the opposition of the powerful Greek Church,” the publication notes.
The French newspaper Libération speaks of “a step forward taken by the conservative party in power”.
“The prime minister is almost certain to win a majority in parliament, as several opposition parties have announced they will vote in favor of the bill,” the article noted.
The New York Times have a publication entitled “Greece becomes the first Orthodox country to allow same-sex marriage”.
“Although Greece became the 16th country in the European Union to allow same-sex marriage, it is the first Orthodox Christian country to pass such a law,” it says.
“The country extended cohabitation to same-sex couples in 2015, but then stopped short of extending equal parental rights,” he adds.
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