Greece
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Male homosexuality and female prostitution were decriminalized in 1951 by the new Criminal Code adopted in 1950 and male prostitution has been legal since May 2006. Lesbians are not mentioned or acknowledged in the Greek Criminal Code. LGBT rights in Greece lag behind those of its Western European counterparts. Greece lacks many laws, provisions and basic rights that gay people enjoy in most developed countries of Western Europe and North America and LGBT issues are a particularly rare subject of public debate. Homosexuality is however becoming less a taboo and gays are enjoying growing visibility through the media, from print to cinematography. Legislation against discrimination in the workplace on the grounds of sexual orientation was adopted in early 2005 in accordance with the European Union Directive. Although there is no official recognition of same-sex couples, a 1982 law that legalized civil marriage between "persons", without specifying gender, allows in theory for same sex marriages; this issue is very contested within the government. Athens has a number of LGBT associations and a developing gay village in the Gazi, Athens neighborhood. A gay pride event, the 'Athens Pride' (see below) and an international Gay and Lesbian film festival, the 'Outview', are held annually. The gay scene in the island of Myconos and the lesbian scene in Eressos, Lesbos are famous internationally.