Greece has just passed a bill allowing same-sex couples to enter into civil unions, a major step forward for Greece’s LGBT community.
A constitutional republic with many political parties, some which lean far further than America’s do, across many sides of the spectrum, the Parliament of Greece has just passed a civil unions bill for same-sex couples. The bill passed by a wide majority, 194-55.
The Guardian reports even getting the bill to a vote “required decades of campaigning,” and noted the power of the Greek Orthodox Church, which advocated against the bill.
Greek Orthodox Bishop Ambrosios of Kalavryta called “on the church faithful to denounce those he described as ‘freaks of nature.'”Â
“Whenever and wherever you meet them, spit on them,†Bishop Ambrosios wrote online. “Condemn them. Blacken them. They are not human! They are freaks of nature!â€
The bill does not include adoption rights and does not make civil unions equal to the rights of marriage that different-sex couples enjoy.
“The bill does not provide equality before the law, especially in regard to adoption and custody of children, but it comes close,†Leo Kalovyrnas, described by the Guardian as an “LGBT campaigner,” said. “Politicians in this country tend to hide behind the church but they, too, across the board, are homophobic.â€
And while LGBT activists and allies aren’t fully satisfied, they know this is a major step forward:
UPDATE I: 6:27 PM EST –
Amnesty International calls the bill is “an historic and important step in the right direction, but falls short of guaranteeing full equality with married couples.”
“This law means that the State acknowledges that same-sex relationships exist, and that they matter. It sends a message of hope not only to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people, but to everyone fighting for justice and equality. The message is that Greece is becoming more tolerant,†says Gauri van Gulik, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Europe and Central Asia.
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Image by Fotis Filippou via Twitter
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