Greece made history on February 15, 2024, becoming the first Orthodox Christian majority nation to legalize same-sex marriage. Greece’s parliament, controlled by the center-right government of prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who spearheaded the legislation, overwhelmingly passed the vote 176-76.
Same-sex couples will now also be legally allowed to adopt children.
“People who have been invisible will finally be made visible around us, and with them, many children will finally find their rightful place,” the prime minister told parliament during a debate ahead of the vote.
“The reform makes the lives of several of our fellow citizens better, without taking away anything from the lives of the many.”
The new law allows marriage as a civil function and does not impose upon the church or any religious entity to acknowledge marriage between same sex couples.
In his repeated public statements, Mitsotakis sought to explain that the new law simply gave the same rights to same sex couples in the public space that heterosexual couples have long enjoyed.
Mitsotakis pushed hard for the legislation, despite strong opposition from some in his own party, as well as the Greek Orthodox Church.
“I knew from the beginning that there are a lot of people within my party that did not agree with this,” Mitsotakis told Ian Bremmer from GZERO Media, “But at the end of the day, human rights is about protecting smaller groups. Otherwise, you have the tyranny of the majority.”
Marriage legalization is a watershed moment for Greece’s LGBTQ+ community, which has been fighting for equal rights and recognition for decades. While opinion polls suggest that most Greeks support the new reform by a narrow margin, the conservative Orthodox Church is still a powerful force in Greek society. That, Mitsotakis explained, is why consensus-building was crucial for passing legislation.
“We worked very hard to explain to people what we’re doing, and we fully respected those who disagreed,” Mitsotakis said, “People understand it’s something that helps a few people and doesn’t threaten anyone, that’s why it’s so important.”
The vote made international headlines, shocking many that a country like Greece whose society is still influenced by the Church, could pass such legislation.