Greece Says ‘Yes’ to Same-Sex Marriage

For queer couples who’ve always wanted to vacation in Greece, now you have more of a reason to visit! The country’s parliament just approved a bill allowing same-sex civil marriage last Thursday (Feb. 15). The new law will also give same-sex couples the right to adopt children.

Surprisingly, the vote crossed party lines. Approved by 176 lawmakers in the 300-seat parliament, the bill will become law once it’s published in the official government gazette. Seventy-six rejected the bill, two abstained, and 46 were not present. 

According to Reuters, the law – which makes Greece the first Orthodox Christian country to allow same-sex unions – comes after decades of LGBTQ+ campaigning for marriage equality in the socially conservative country. 

Recent polls show Greeks are split on the issue. The Orthodox Church believes homosexuality is a sin and it is strongly opposed to same-sex marriage. 

Athens Pride, along with a coalition of LGBTQ+ groups, welcomed the bill as “a historic turning point, but they believe the government could go further and include recognition of trans parenthood.