Recognition of gay unions in Greece
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Greece's leftist party Coalition of the Left, of Movements and Ecology has committed itself to support same-sex marriage according to media reports in Athens.[citation needed] Alekos Alavanos, the leader of Synaspismos said that the coalition backs the fight against all kinds of discrimination and supports the free expression of sexual orientation including the legalization of same-sex marriages.
The government of Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis New Democracy is opposed to same-sex marriage.
However, the New Democracy-led government is expected to introduce legislation later in 2008 that will offer several rights to unmarried couples.[citation needed] It is unclear if same-sex couples will be included in this legislation.
Gay rights group OLKE has announced its intention to sue Greek municipalities that refuse to marry gay couples, pointing out a loophole in the 1982 law that legalized civil marriage between "persons", without reference to gender.[1] Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens has hinted that he believes same-sex civil marriage is a matter for the state, saying that "there is a need to change with the times", but the church has previously opposed gay rights in general and the idea of same-sex civil unions or marriage in particular.[2]
On 3 June 2008, the mayor of Tilos, Anastasios Aliferis, married two homosexual couples, two lesbians and two gay men, citing the legal loophole. He was heavily criticized by clergymen of the Church of Greece, which in the past had also opposed the introduction of heterosexual civil marriage, the original intent of the 1982 law. Justice Minister Sotirios Hatzigakis declared the Tilos marriages "invalid" and Supreme Court prosecutor Georgios Sanidas warned Mayor Aliferis of the legal repercussions of his "breach of duty", but he said he had "no intention of annulling the marriages".[3][4][5]
[edit] References
- ^ Greek gays find loophole in marriage law, Pink News, 13 March 2008
- ^ "Gay Greeks cite legal loophole to tie the knot", International Herald Tribune. Retrieved on 2008-03-16.
- ^ http://diestandard.at/?url=/?id=1207285702956
- ^ http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hM19UPt-AdKj6bnCuG38E4Uf30Dw
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7432949.stm
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