When did Greece legalise same-sex marriage?
When a person marries another person of the same gender, it is called a same-sex marriage. For example, two men or two women getting married. Greece recently passed a new law allowing same-sex marriage. It became the first [[Christian Orthodox::A branch of Christianity.]] country to do so.Â
People from the [[LGBTQ::A term used to refer to people who are attracted to people of the same or all genders. Its full form is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer.]] community are very happy about this. They celebrated in Athens, the capital of Greece. The new law also says that same-sex couples can adopt children. This new law is a big step forward for LGBTQ people in Greece, who have been fighting for equal rights for a long time.
Sadly, the new rule has been [[protested::To say or do something in public which shows that one disagrees with something or believes it is wrong.]] by many.
Who has protested against the new rule?
The country’s powerful [[Orthodox Church::A Christian Church branch in Eastern Europe and Greece.]] does not like the new rule. Its supporters held a protest against it in Athens. The Church thinks being [[gay::Someone who romantically likes or loves a person of the same gender.]] is wrong.
Nonetheless, the country's government chose to do the right thing and grant the LGBTQ community the rights it deserved. Now, Greece is one of the countries in the [[European Union::An international organisation consisting of 27 European countries that follow a similar set of rules and laws.]] where same-sex marriage is legal.
Is same-sex marriage allowed in India?
On 17th October 2023, the [[Supreme Court of India::The highest court of India.]] ruled against same-sex marriage. This news disappointed the LGBTQ community and its supporters. However, the Supreme Court did make some other decisions in their favour. You can find more information about this here.
Quick Revision
Greece legalized same-sex marriage and became the first Christian Orthodox country to do so.
The law also lets same-sex couples adopt children, and the LGBTQ community celebrated.
The Orthodox Church protested because it says being gay is wrong.
The government still approved the law to support equal rights.
In India, the Supreme Court (Oct 2023) did not allow same-sex marriage.
