Greece legalizes same-sex marriage and adoption

Greece’s parliament has approved a landmark bill legalizing same-gender marriage and adoption, making it the 37th country in the world and the first Orthodox Christian nation to allow adoption by same-gender families. The bill, promoted by the conservative government led by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, received overwhelming support with 176 votes out of 245 MPs present. Despite opposition from the Orthodox Church, Mitsotakis urged lawmakers to address a significant inequality in Greek democracy and improve the lives of same-gender families. The historic vote was celebrated by people waving rainbow flags in central Athens. The reform aims to eliminate administrative challenges and discrimination faced by same-gender families under existing family law. The Church of Greece opposed the reform, condemning it as a threat to social cohesion. The bill received support from opposition parties, including leftist Syriza and socialist Pasok, ensuring its passage. Mitsotakis emphasized that the changes would benefit a few children and couples.

Source – CGTN