Two gay couples wed on island
The mayor of a tiny Aegean Sea island was charged with breach of duty after conducting Greece’s first same-sex marriage ceremonies in defiance of a prosecutor’s order designating such nuptials as illegal.
Mayor Tasos Aliferis of Tilos held the civil ceremonies for a gay couple and a lesbian couple shortly after dawn, provoking the wrath of conservative church officials and the country’s justice minister.
“This is a huge step forward for human rights in Greece,” said Evangelia Vlami, one of the newlyweds. “It is a very important day for us.”
Justice Minister Sotiris Hatzigakis said the two marriages were illegal and invalid. Both couples sought to take advantage of a loophole in a 26-year-old law that does not specify gender in civil weddings.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
