The bill was approved by the Greek parliament with 176 in favor and 76 against. 254 MPs voted. Two MPs voted “present”.
Thus, Greece became the 37th country in the world, the 21st in Europe and the 16th in the European Union to recognize marriage equality.
“It was my duty”
During the debate in the Parliament, not a few MPs took the floor. Among them Spyros Bibilas, who moved with his speech.
The well-known actor and president of SEH made, at the end of his speech, a public confession which moved.
“(…) These hidden tears lead me today to fight so that other children do not cry in the future,” he said, among other things.
“It was my obligation from the position I am in at the moment, to send a message to all people that we are all the same, all parents should look at their children with love, let them express themselves and not put them down from difficult conditions that make them unable to express their inner world”, said the MP of Plefsis Eleftherias speaking to MEGA.
“I never analyzed my personal life or my sexuality because I never wanted it to be a subject of discussion. I never dealt with my personal life. Because I also became an MP and because this bill happened to come, which everyone was waiting for, now, I thought this was the right time to send a message, which everyone had understood my sexual identity, but I hadn’t made a big deal out of it never”.
He points out that:
“It was my desire to help other people, I won’t be helped, but other people will be helped and always, because I have an altruistic attitude in my life, I did it for that.”