Thread: Same sex marriage

...^sweet revenge...

• Greece’s Mitsotakis makes progressive pivot with same-sex marriage bill

Greece’s Kyriakos Mitsotakis — the EU’s highest-profile center-right prime minister — is not the most likely candidate to bring in a landmark bill legalizing same-sex marriage, planned for a vote next week.

Indeed, this reform plays so badly with Mitsotakis’ traditionalist core in the Christian Orthodox nation that he’s going to rely on support from leftist opposition parties to pass the legislation on Feb. 15. Around a quarter of his own MPs will not support him.

The church is — unsurprisingly — up in arms, with Archbishop Ieronymos, its most senior cleric, having said the topic should go to a national referendum. Metropolitan bishops across the country are organizing rallies on Sunday, while Seraphim, the Metropolitan of Piraeus, called gay marriage a sin and warned MPs that “those who vote for it cannot remain members of the church.”

Given that traditional family values would normally be the preserve of Mitsotakis’ conservative New Democracy party, it does beg the question of what he’s up to, but most analysts reckon he’ll emerge not only unscathed, but even strengthened by his progressive push.

Having already shored up his hold over the right, Mitsotakis is in a position to maneuver to the liberal center and do even more damage to Greece’s devastated left, which is also profoundly divided over same-sex marriage. Bringing his country in line with 20 other European states burnishes his credentials as a key player in the EU mainstream, potentially allowing him to pursue big EU jobs after his term ends.

Mitsotakis is portraying his bill, which will also recognize the right of same-sex couples to adopt, as a purely ethical decision, “a matter of equality.” He said it was not acceptable in a democracy “to have two classes of citizens and certainly not to have children of a lesser God.”

Analysts, however, noted he was now so impregnable on the right, after a landslide victory last year, that he was free to encroach on the territory of centrists and liberals when it suited him.

“The fact that New Democracy has some officials in government that support the super conservative agenda, allows the party to adopt ad hoc fragments of this [progressive] agenda, depending on what serves its interest at any given moment,” said political analyst Panagiotis Koustenis, adding that if there is eventually some political cost in the polls, it will be limited and will be absorbed.

Bit more in the link above

Originally Posted by S Landreth

The church is — unsurprisingly — up in arms

...never a surprise when dyed-in-the-robes fantasists are involved...the good news is that unevolved religious dogma will hasten the decline in attendance at religious services and ultimately the transformation of church buildings into museums...and parking lots...

Soon.........

• In Greece, same-sex couples await a landmark parliamentary vote on marriage equality

Snip

The marriage equality bill looks likely to become law

The marriage equality bill proposed by the New Democracy party would allow gay couples to have joint full custody of children, to jointly adopt and to recognize as Greek citizens children born via surrogacy abroad to Greek parents. The bill would not legalize surrogacy for same-sex couples or single men within Greece.

But the bill has caused controversy within the governing party, and at least one minister has threatened to resign rather than vote on the bill. Members of parliament with the left opposition party Syriza have also expressed concerns their constituents would not approve of the law, despite party leader Stefanos Kasselakis — Greece's first openly gay party president — stating Syriza would support the bill as a bloc.

Based on initial committee discussion in parliament, when the parties stated their positions on the bill, it looks likely to garner just enough votes to become law when it goes up for a vote on Thursday.

Maybe: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/ar...rriage-pm-says

• Greece legalises same-sex marriage

Greece has become the first Christian Orthodox-majority country to legalise same-sex marriage.

Same-sex couples will now also be legally allowed to adopt children after Thursday's 176-76 vote in parliament.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the new law would "boldly abolish a serious inequality".

But it has divided Greece, with fierce resistance being led by the powerful Greek Orthodox Church. Its supporters held a protest rally in Athens.

Many displayed banners, held crosses, read prayers and sang passages from the Bible in the capital's Syntagma Square.

The bill needed a simple majority to pass through the 300-member parliament.

Mr Mitsotakis championed the bill but required the support of opposition parties to get it over the line, with dozens of MPs from his centre-right governing party opposed.

"People who have been invisible will finally be made visible around us, and with them, many children will finally find their rightful place," the prime minister told parliament during a debate ahead of the vote.

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

The vote has been welcomed by LGBTQ organisations in Greece.

"This is a historic moment," Stella Belia, the head of same-sex parents' group Rainbow Families, told Reuters news agency. "This is a day of joy."

Fifteen of the European Union's 27 members have already legalised same-sex marriage. It is permitted in 35 countries worldwide.

Greece has until now lagged behind some of its European neighbours, largely because of opposition from the Church.

It is the first country in south-eastern Europe to have marriage equality.

Originally Posted by S Landreth

It is the first country in south-eastern Europe to have marriage equality.

...camel's nose under the tent as neighboring Arabs are quick to note...the Orthodox church is only a decade or two more evolved than Islam where human rights are concerned...Imams will have to toss a multitude of undesirables off local rooftops to stem the tide, I imagine...