Athens — Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis urged parliament on Thursday to “say yes to equality” and approve a bill allowing same sex marriage, which if passed would be a landmark victory for the LGBT+ community in the socially conservative country.
“For every democratic citizen, today is a day of joy. From tomorrow a barrier will be removed,” Mitsotakis said in a speech to lawmakers.
Polls ahead of the vote show Greeks are split on the issue. The powerful Orthodox Church, which believes homosexuality is a sin, has strongly opposed it, while many in the LGBT+ community believe it does not go far enough.
The bill does not overturn obstacles for LGBT+ couples in using assisted reproduction methods. Surrogate pregnancies will also not be extended to LGBT+ individuals, though the bill recognises children already born through that method abroad.
Elliniki Lysi, one of the three far-right parties represented in parliament, said the bill is “anti-Christian” and hurts national interests.
LGBT+ groups have been pushing for reform for decades. In 2008, a lesbian and a gay couple defied the law and tied the knot on a tiny Greek island, but the weddings were later annulled by a top court.
Since then, Greece has passed LGBT+ reforms, allowing civil partnership among same-sex couples in 2015 and the legal recognition of gender identity in 2017. Two years ago it banned conversion therapy for minors aimed at suppressing a person’s sexual orientation.
Reuters