Greek mayor performs two gay weddings
“The ceremony took place this morning…. Two couples were married.”
Anastasios Aliferis, Mayor of Tilos, a small Agean island, confirming that he had officiated over the marriage of a gay male couple and a lesbian couple. Though the marriages are not expressly legal, the mayor and couples felt that a loophole existed in the laws which does not specify that unions must be between a man and woman. (AFP)
“Everything went well, around twenty residents and relatives were present…. A step forward for equality has been taken.”
“From this day, discrimination against gays in Greece is on the decline. We did this to encourage other gay people to take a stand.”
Evangelia Vlami, a member of the Greek association OLKE, and one of the two women married at the ceremonies. (AFP) (BBC)
“Neither civil law nor the country’s constitution refer to gay marriages…. If the Tilos mayor proceeds, he will have committed the criminal act of breach of duty.”
George Sanidas, a Supreme Court prosecutor in Greece. (Boston Globe)
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