LGBT rights in Greece
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in Greece are regarded as the most advanced in Southeast Europe and among all the neighboring countries. Public opinion on homosexuality in Greece is generally regarded as culturally liberal, with civil partnerships being legally recognised since 2015 and same-sex marriage since 16 February 2024.
LGBT rights in Greece | |
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Location of Greece (dark green) – in Europe (light green & dark grey) | |
Status | Male homosexuality legal since 1951 (female homosexuality always legal), equal age of consent since 2015 |
Gender identity | Yes (sterilisation and sex reassignment surgery not required since 2017, previously applied by the courts on a case-by-case basis since 2016) |
Military | Yes, cisgender LGB individuals may serve openly, but transgender individuals are excluded |
Discrimination protections | All anti-LGBT discrimination explicitly banned. Hate crimes laws covering all areas (incl. sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics) (see below) |
Family rights | |
Recognition of relationships | Cohabitation agreement since 2015 Same-sex marriage since 2024 |
Adoption | Full adoption rights since 2024 |
Both male and female types of same-sex sexual activity have been legal in Greece since 1951, and anti-discrimination laws in employment were enacted in 2005. Since then, anti-discrimination laws have been extended to other spheres, including gender identity. Hate speech and hate crime legislation is one of the most rigid and comprehensive in Europe. In 2015, civil unions (Greek: σύμφωνο συμβίωσης; cohabitation agreements) were legalised for same-sex couples, making households headed by same-sex couples eligible for many, but not all, of the legal protections and rights available to married opposite-sex couples. In 2017, transgender people were granted the right to have their gender identity recognized and to change their legal sex without having to undergo surgical alteration of their genitals in order to have key identity documents changed. In February 2018, a county court in Greece granted a non-binary person the right to a gender-neutral name. In May 2018, the Greek Parliament passed a law granting same-sex couples the right to foster care children. In February 2024, the Parliament made marriage and full adoption rights available to same-sex couples.
Gay culture is vibrant in the capital of Athens, particularly in the gay neighbourhood of Gazi, in Thessaloniki and some of the Greek islands. With Greece being one of Europe's most popular LGBT tourist destinations, many establishments catering for the LGBT community can be found in islands such as Mykonos, which is known worldwide for the gay and lesbian scene. There are four LGBT pride parades held annually, in Athens, Thessaloniki, Patras and Heraklion, the capital of the island of Crete. The largest of them, the Athens Pride, saw record participation in 2015, and the attendance of many public figures including the President of the Hellenic Parliament and the Mayor of Athens.
According to recent reports carried out by ILGA-Europe, which assesses LGBT rights in European countries, Greece achieved one of the highest improvements among the 49 countries in the legal and policy situation of LGBT people in the last decade, with an overall score of 58%.