SYRIZA Leader’s Same-Sex Marriage is First in Greek Politics
Source: Balkan Insight
Following the legalization of same-sex civil marriage in Greece in February, the head of the left-wing SYRIZA party, Stefanos Kasselakis, exchanged vows on Friday with his American partner Tyler McBeth at a ceremony in Chania on the island of Crete.
Kasselakis and McBeth are the first openly LGBTQ+ couple in Greek politics. They first married in October 2023 in New York but decided to also marry in Greece following the legalisation of civil marriage for same-sex couples earlier this year.
The marriage took place at 5 pm local time at the Botanical Garden, amid fruit trees, herbs, spices and medicinal and ornamental plants gathered from all over the world. Over the previous four days, the couple organised various events for their guests. A farewell party is planned at a beach bar on Saturday.
Greece’s parliament, despite strong opposition, recognised same-sex civil marriages in February, granting full parental rights to same-sex couples that already have children and allowing such couples to adopt. It stopped short of allowing same-sex couples to have children via surrogacy in future.
Surrogacy is currently allowed only for single or married women who are unable to have children on health grounds. Heterosexual couples and single men and women are allowed to adopt.
Opponents of the bill gathered at Athens’ Syntagma Square ahead of the passing of the law, holding crosses, Orthodox icons and placards with the slogan “Homeland – Religion – Family” written on them.
The Greek Orthodox Church criticised the law change, claiming it was step towards the abolition of traditional perenting and the “disappearance” of gender roles.
Kasselakis, in a TV interview in October 2023, said he and his partner wanted to have two children with a surrogate mother.
In 2015, the then SYRIZA-ANEL government brought in civil partnerships for same-sex couples. The bill extended civil partnership rights to same-sex couples, expanding their rights concerning the family, inheritance and insurance. The earlier lack of legal provision for same-sex couples had resulted in Greece being condemned in 2013 by the European Court of Human Rights.
Kasselakis’ marriage has taken place during a turbulent period for his SYRIZA party. On Friday, the party announced the exclusion of MP Athina Linou and asked her to resign from her parliamentary seat, which she has refused to do. Linou, founder of Prolepsis, a non-profit organisation active in medical research, health promotion and environmental and occupational health, is accused of involvement in murky funding.
Earlier, Sokratis Famellos, former president of SYRIZA’s parliamentary group, was replaced in an attempt to overcome the internal feuding. Another faction, “the group of 87”, supporters of the previous SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras, is calling for internal presidential elections in the party to defuse the crisis.
The original article: belongs to Balkan Insight .
