Greece’s parliament on Thursday approved a bill allowing same-sex civil marriage in a landmark decision that will make it the first Orthodox Christian country to do so.
According to Reuters, the passage of the law was drafted by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ centre-right government and had support from four left-wing parties.
The development makes Greece the 16th within the European Union and the 35th worldwide to legalize same-sex nuptials, according to a tally from the LGBTQ advocacy group Human Rights Campaign.
Gay marriage is also legal in the territories of Taiwan and Greenland.
A cross-party majority of 176 lawmakers in the 300-seat Parliament voted in favour of the bill. Another 76 rejected the reform while two abstained from the vote and 46 were not present for the vote.
“People who have been invisible will finally be made visible around us. And with them, many children [will] finally find their rightful place,” Mitsotakis told lawmakers ahead of the evening vote.
The landmark victory for supporters of LGBT rights was greeted with cheers by onlookers in parliament and dozens gathered on the streets of Athens, according to Reuters.
The law gives same-sex couples the right to wed and adopt children and comes after decades of campaigning by the LGBT community for marriage equality in the socially conservative country.
“This is a historic moment,” Stella Belia, the head of same-sex parents group Rainbow Families, told Reuters. “This is a day of joy.”
“It’s a very important step for human rights, a very important step for equality, and a very important step for Greek society,” said 40-year-old Nikos Nikolaidis, a historian who joined a rally in favour of the bill ahead of the vote.
Recent opinion polls show Greeks are split on the issue. The powerful Orthodox Church, which believes homosexuality is a sin, has strongly opposed same-sex marriage, while many in the LGBT community believe the bill does not go far enough.
It does not overturn obstacles for LGBT couples in using assisted reproduction methods. Surrogate pregnancies will also not be extended to LGBT individuals, though the bill recognises children already born through that method abroad.
“I’m very proud as a Greek citizen because Greece is actually – now – one of the most progressive countries,” said Ermina Papadima, a member of the Greek Transgender Support Association.
“I think the mindset is going to change… We have to wait, but I think the laws are going to help with that.”
Campaigners have been pushing for change for decades, often against the tide of the Church and right-wing politicians.
In 2008, a lesbian and a gay couple defied the law and married on the tiny island of Tilos, but their weddings were later annulled by a top court.
But there have been some steps in recent years. In 2015, Greece allowed civil partnership among same-sex couples, and in 2017 it gave legal recognition to gender identity. Two years ago, it banned conversion therapy for minors aimed at suppressing a person’s sexual orientation.
