Gay Marriage Legalization in Greece Faces Opposition

Kyiakos Mitsotakis, the recently re-elected prime minister of Greece, pledged to legalize gay marriage during his campaign. But now, he is facing strong opposition from the Church, his citizens, and even his own cabinet.

Greece, like most countries in Europe, recognizes same-gender relationships to a degree, but gay marriage is currently not legally supported. Mitsotakis has attempted to change this since 2021, when he first appointed a committee to improve LGBTQ+ rights in Greece. He has made great strides in this endeavor, making it possible for homosexual men to donate blood and eliminating “sex normalizing” surgeries on intersex children. However, when it comes to the issue of gay marriage, he is worried that Greece still needs time “to mature.”

Despite queer relationships being legally recognized, many in Greece still oppose the establishment of same-sex marriage. Most notably, the Orthodox church in the state has a powerful and far-reaching presence, both in politics and in people’s daily lives. Dozens of Orthodox Christian officials have spoken out against gay marriage, saying, “No social modernisation and no political correctness can trick the natural need of children for a father and a mother.”

Even in Mitsotakis’s own party, which leans center-right, several ministers and cabinet members have declared their intent to vote against any bill to legalize same-gender marriage. A poll estimates that almost half of all Greeks are also opposed to same-sex unions.

But Mitsotakis is determined—not just for the LGBTQ+ people living in Greece, but also for their children. He says, “I don’t think anyone doubts this reality: that homosexual couples have children and these children are not going to stop existing, they are not going to vanish. But these children do not have equal rights … (a child of two women) will go to an institution… A child born abroad cannot become a Greek citizen because, very simply, we don’t recognize (same-sex) marriage in Greece.”