Greece is the first country with a predominantly Christian Orthodox population to legalise marriages between people of the same gender. As a result of the referendum that took place on Thursday, marriages between people of the same gender will now be legally permitted to adopt children.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Prime Minister of Greece, stated that the new law would "boldly abolish a serious inequality."

On the other hand, it has caused a fracture in the nation, with the powerful Orthodox Church leading a fierce fight. Those who are in favour of it organised a demonstration in Athens.

A large number of people gathered at the Syntagma Square of the capital city to raise banners, hold crosses, read prayers, and sing passages from the Bible.

Archbishop Ieronymos, the leader of the Orthodox Church, stated that the measure will "corrupt the social cohesion of the homeland."

In order for the law to be approved by the 300 deputies in the parliament, it required a simple majority.

Mr. Mitsotakis had been a strong advocate for the bill, but in order to get it passed, he needed the backing of opposition parties. Unfortunately, dozens of members of parliament from his center-right governing party were opposed to the idea.

During a debate that took place in parliament prior to the vote, the Prime Minister stated that "people who have been invisible will finally be made visible around us," and together with these individuals, a great number of youngsters would finally find their place in the world.

"The reform makes the lives of several of our fellow citizens better, without taking away anything from the lives of the many."

In Athens, Greece, those who are opposed to the same-sex marriage policy. Date and time: February 15, 2024
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A demonstration was conducted in front of the building that houses the parliament in Athens by those who are opposed to the legislature.
Those who identify as LGBTQ in Greece have expressed their satisfaction with the vote.

"This is a historic moment," Stella Belia, the leader of Rainbow Families, a nonprofit that represents parents of the same sexual orientation, said to the Reuters news agency. "This is a day of joy."

Fifteen of the twenty-seven countries that make up the European Union have already made marriages between people of the same gender legal. Thirty-five countries throughout the world have legalised it.

Up until this point, Greece has fallen behind some of its neighbours in Europe, primarily as a result of opposition from the Church.

As the first nation in south-eastern Europe to implement marriage equality, it is a pioneering nation.

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