“Greece became the first Christian Orthodox state in the world to legalize same-sex marriage after the Athens parliament voted on the landmark reform amid scenes of celebration and outrage across the country”reports the well-known and widely circulated British newspaper in its response from Athens «The Guardian»
He notes the consensus reached between 176 MPs from across the political spectrum and the emotion of its members LGBT+ community they talked about “historic moment.
He also refers to the great reactions even from the ND MPs themselves, noting that they had conservative voters as well as from the Church.
Special mention is made to Antonis Samaras who had stated that “Same-sex marriage is not a human right and that the ‘dangerous’ law should not have been introduced.”
At the same time, the article closes with an important reference:
“Without the support of SYRIZA, the main left-wing opposition party led by Stefanos Kasselakis, Greece’s first gay political leader, and other smaller groups, the reform would not have passed.”
Full article:
Greece becomes the first Orthodox country to legalize same-sex marriage
Lawmakers in the 300-seat parliament voted in favor of the bill drafted by the center-right government despite objections from church officials
Greece became the first Christian Orthodox state in the world to legalize same-sex marriage after the Athens parliament voted on the landmark reform amid scenes of celebration and outrage across the country
In a rare show of parliamentary consensus, 176 MPs from across the political spectrum voted in favor of the bill on Thursday. A further 76 rejected the reform, while two abstained and 46 were absent.
Members of the LGBTQ+ community, many of whom could not contain their emotion, watched from the stands above.
“We’ve been waiting years for this,” prominent gay activist Stella Belia said of the legislation that would allow same-sex couples not only to exchange vows in civil ceremonies but also to adopt children.
“It is a historic moment. Many of us weren’t sure it would ever come,” he said.
The vote followed two days of heated debate – and weeks of public anger – with the reform described by supporters as “bold” and “overdue” and denounced as “anti-social” and “anti-Christian” by opponents, including the powerful Orthodox Church.
Despite facing fierce backlash from within his own centre-right New Democracy party, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis had defended the bill, saying it would end a “serious inequality for our democracy”.
In an impassioned speech before the vote, the 55-year-old leader, who belongs to the liberal faction of his party, said the measure would bring Greece in line with 36 countries worldwide that have already legislated on the issue. Conservatism, he argued, should not be confused with antiquated views that are out of sync with modern society.
“The reform we are legislating today … will make the lives of some of our fellow citizens much better without – and I emphasize this – taking anything away from the lives of many,” said Mr. Mitsotakis, adding that the law would provide full parental rights to same-sex couples couples.
“We fill a gap by allowing everyone, if they wish, to institutionally seal their relationship … just like heterosexual couples do.”
But resistance was strong from New Democracy MPs who knew their constituents in the socially conservative nation.
Highlighting the backlash, former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras had stated earlier Thursday in Parliament that same-sex marriage is not a human right and that the “dangerous” law should not have been introduced.
Without the support of SYRIZA, the main left-wing opposition party led by Stefanos Kasselakis, Greece’s first gay political leader, and other smaller groups, the reform would not have passed.
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