Greece has made history by becoming the first Christian Orthodox-majority nation to legalize same-sex marriage.
On Thursday, Greece’s parliament passed a bill allowing for same-sex civil marriage, marking a significant victory for advocates of LGBT rights.
The legislation was supported by 176 lawmakers in the 300-seat parliament and will take effect upon publication in the official government gazette.
This law grants same-sex couples the right to marry and adopt children, following years of activism by the LGBT community seeking marriage equality in the traditionally conservative country.
Stella Belia, the leader of the same-sex parents group Rainbow Families, hailed the decision as a historic moment, expressing joy over the development.
Despite some members of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ centre-right New Democracy party either abstaining or voting against the bill, it received sufficient backing from the leftist opposition, demonstrating rare cross-party unity amid heated debate.
“This is a significant milestone for human rights, equality, and Greek society,” remarked Nikos Nikolaidis, a 40-year-old historian who participated in a pro-bill rally before the vote.
With this move, Greece joins fifteen other European Union member states and 35 countries globally that have already legalized same-sex marriage.
