In Greece, Marriage Equality Faces a New Test — and a Small Victory

On 11 April 2025, Greece’s National Commission for Human Rights (ΕΕΔΑ) stepped into an important legal battle: defending the constitutionality of same-sex civil marriage before the country’s highest administrative court, the Council of State (ΣτΕ).

It’s a step forward — but it’s also a reminder that hard-won rights are never truly safe.

The ΕΕΔΑ’s intervention came in response to efforts by conservative groups aiming to overturn a 2024 decision that updated civil registry procedures, making them more inclusive of same-sex marriages and LGBTQIA+ families. Represented by Vice-President Yiannis Ioannidis and member Katerina Trimmi, the commission urged the court to reject these challenges, standing firm for the principles of equality and non-discrimination.

In her remarks, Trimmi made it plain: “The institutionalization of civil marriage between same-sex individuals, and the recognition of same-sex parent families, respects the principle of equality, prohibits discrimination, and ultimately protects family life at its very core.”

Symbolically, this intervention matters. It marks the first time ΕΕΔΑ has used its legal standing (gained through a 2021 reform) to actively defend LGBTQIA+ rights in court. For queer communities in Greece — and for all of us watching across Europe — this sends an important message: some institutions are willing to fight back.

But while it’s a win, it’s also a warning. The fact that marriage equality — a right many of us see as basic and overdue — is still under attack shows how fragile progress can be. Legal recognition is never the end of the road; it’s a checkpoint on a journey that’s far from over.

Across Europe, we’re seeing similar patterns. Rights we thought were secure are being questioned, rolled back, or politicized. Courtrooms are becoming battlegrounds where our lives and families are debated like abstract ideas.

For LGBTQIA+ people in Brussels, in Athens, and beyond, stories like this are a reminder: visibility is powerful, but vigilance is essential. Our joy, our families, and our love deserve celebration — but they also demand defense.

This article was written thanks to ANTI VIRUS (Greece), as KET.brussels is part of the European LGBTQIA* Media Association.