Since the Syriza Party electoral victory in January 2015 the country has gone through political, social and finial upheavals not seen in recent history. Strikes, protests, public demonstrations and financial brinksmanship have unsettled the usually staid culture in that ancient country where democracy was first invented. What does all this portend for the LGBT community
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. Anti-discrimination laws have been extended to other spheres of culture including gender identity. Hate speech and hate crime legislation is one of the most rigid and comprehensive in Europe. In 2015, civil unions were legalized for same-sex couples, making households headed by same-sex couples eligible for many protections available to married opposite-sex couples. 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’ and an international Gay and Lesbian film festival, the ‘Outview’, are held annually. The gay scene in the island of Mykonos and the lesbian scene in Eressos, Lesbos are famous internationally.
Name: Greece
Population: 11216800
Capital: Athens - Pop. 750000
Area: 131990 sq. km/ sq. miles
Language: Greek
Religion: Greek Orthodox
Status of Homosexuality: Legal
Telephone Country Code: 30
The Men of Lesbos, 2019/Apr/28
Afghan asylum seekers resort to sex work in Athens, 2017/Jan/18
Greece to send gay Syrian asylum seeker back to Turkey under controversial migrant deal, 2016/Jun/03
Greece Approves Civil Unions For Gay Couples, 2015/Dec/23
Greek Government backs down on civil unions, 2013/Nov/29
Gay marriage in the year 100 AD, 2013/Jul/29
Greece Reinstates Forced HIV Testing, 2013/Jul/22
MEPs condemn transphobic police crackdown in Greece, 2013/Jul/03
Mount Athos: A visit to the Holy Mountain, 2013/Feb/10
Gay People Living in Fear in Greece, 2012/Nov/26
Neo-Nazi thugs threaten safety of Greek gays, 2012/Nov/08
Gay pride rally in Greece is attacked, 2012/Jun/23
Greek couple fight law over big fat gay wedding, 2012/Apr/25
Gay Greece News & Reports 2011, 2011/Feb/24
Gay Greece News & Reports 2003-10, 2009/Jan/01
