This article is about the situation in the modern Greek state. For information about homosexuality in antiquity, see Homosexuality in ancient Greece.
LGBT rights in Greece
Location of Greece (dark green)
– in Europe (light green & dark grey) – in the European Union (light green) – [Legend]
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,[1] previously applied by the courts on a case-by-case basis since 2016)[2]
Military
Yes, cisgender LGB individuals may serve openly,[3] but transgender individuals are excluded [4]
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
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,[5] with civil partnerships being legally recognised since 2015 and same-sex marriage since 16 February 2024.[6][7]
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.[8] In 2015, civil unions (Greek: σύμφωνο συμβίωσης; cohabitation agreements)[9] 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.[10] 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.[1] In February 2018, a county court in Greece granted a non-binary person the right to a gender-neutral name.[11] In May 2018, the Greek Parliament passed a law granting same-sex couples the right to foster care children.[12] In February 2024, the Parliament made marriage and full adoption rights available to same-sex couples.[6]
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,[13][14] 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.[15] 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%.[16][17][18][19]
^ abCite error: The named reference 2017GenderChangeBill was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference 2016CourtRulingOnGenderChange was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ΝΟΜΟΣ 3421 [PREFECTURE 3421] (in Greek). Dsanet.gr. Archived from the original on 5 June 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
^Cite error: The named reference dsaMedicalExemption was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference 2020Poll was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ab"Greece legalises same-sex marriage". BBC.co.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
^{{cite web|url=https://www.avgi.gr/politiki/477283_me-tis-psifoys-tis-antipoliteysis-perase-nomoshedio-176-nai%7Ctitle=Με τις ψήφους της αντιπολίτευσης πέρασε το νομοσχέδιο – 176 «ναι»|website=Avgi|date=February 15, 2024|access-date=16 February 2024
^"Rainbow Europe - Hate crime & hate speech index". ILGA Europe. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
^"Greek civil union law (as amended by law 4356/2015)". constitutionalism.gr. 2 January 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
^Cite error: The named reference 2015CivilUnionBill was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference 2018NonBinaryNameCourtRuling was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference 2018LGBTAdoptionBill was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference GreeceLGBTTourism1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference GreeceLGBTTourism2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference LesbosTourism was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Paul Tugwell (9 July 2022). "Greece Takes Its Drive to Boost LGBTQ Rights up a Notch". Bloomberg. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
^"Rainbow Europe Map and Index 2022". ILGA-Europe.org. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
^"The best and worst countries for LGBTI people in Europe (Original: Οι καλύτερες και οι χειρότερες χώρες για ΛΟΑΤΚΙ άτομα στην Ευρώπη)". The Press Project. 17 May 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
^"Rainbow Europe - Greece". rainbow-europe.org. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
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