Greece is slated to legalize same-sex marriage and adoption, but surrogacy will remain restricted.
Greece’s government is slated to legalize same-sex marriage and adoption after the country’s left-wing political party withdrew its opposition.
Stefanos Kasselakis, the out gay leader of Syriza, said Thursday that he would instruct the 38 lawmakers in his party to vote in support of the measure, despite saying it does not go far enough to protect LGBTQ+ parental rights, the Associated Press reports.
The measure, put forth and supported by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, does not allow same-sex couples to have children via surrogacy. The country only allows surrogacy for women who are unable to conceive due to health problems, regardless of marital status. Adoption is allowed in Greece for heterosexual couples, and single men and women. The new legislation will allow same-sex couples to adopt as well as marry.
Kasselakis, who married his partner in New York in October 2023, has voiced the desire to have children through a surrogate. In criticizing the measure, Kasselakis also criticized Mitsotakis for “political cowardice” during an interview with Greek news network Star TV, according to the AP.
Related: Meet the Gay Man Elected to Lead Greece’s Leftist Party in Historic First
The progressive condemned the prime minister for refusing to call out the dozen lawmakers in his center-right political party, New Democracy, who objected to the legislation. New Democracy holds the majority in Greece’s parliament with 158 members.
by Ryan Adamczeski
Source – The Advocate
