Jump to content
Nagishkaw

First Greek gay marriages spark judicial battle

 Share

16 posts in this topic

Recommended Posts

Filed: Lift. Cond. (apr) Country: Egypt
Timeline

ATHENS (AFP) - A heated debate on gay rights opened in Greece on Tuesday hours after the country's first same-sex civil marriages were held on the small Aegean island of Tilos, sparking an immediate judicial reaction.

Greek Justice Minister Sotiris Hatzigakis quickly declared the marriages "non-existent" and accused the local mayor of "arbitrarily" overstepping his authority.

"There is no legal framework for the holding of same-sex weddings in Greece," Hatzigakis said in a statement.

But Greece's main homosexual association Olke pledged to fight back.

"A step forward for equality has been taken... We're going to fight for the recognition of our rights," said Evangelia Vlami, 47, a prominent Olke member who was one of the newlyweds on Tuesday.

She married a woman of similar age, who was not identified.

The sole other newlywed to be named is another longtime gay activist, Dimitris Tsabrounis, who married a 25-year-old man.

Around 30 people including witnesses, local residents and gay activists attended the two ceremonies conducted by Tilos Mayor Anastassis Aliferis shortly after dawn.

Greek gay rights groups exploited a loophole in a 1982 law that does not specify that a civil union must involve a man and a woman.

The exact timing and location had been shrouded in secrecy until the last minute as a similar attempt in Athens had to be abandoned in March.

The issue is considered taboo for Greek society, where homosexuals have only begun seeking greater visibility and voice in recent years, holding the country's first Gay Pride event in 2005.

The influential Greek Orthodox Church officially frowns upon same-sex relations, with its late head Archbishop Christodoulos famously condemning homosexuality as a "defect."

The prosecutor of Rhodes island -- the administrative centre of the Dodecanese island group -- on Tuesday called on the mayor to annul the marriage and opened a preliminary inquiry to examine the mayor's prosecution for breach of duty.

But Mayor Aliferis, a socialist, said there was no legal obstacle to the ceremony taking place.

"I have no intention of annulling the marriages," he told AFP.

"Under European law, there can be no discrimination, and I hope the authorities keep that in mind to avoid ridiculing our country," he said.

Gay activists launched the initiative after the government introduced a cohabitation law for unmarried couples that made no reference to homosexuals.

The Church's reaction was muted Tuesday.

"These people are outside the Church, they can do what they want," said Father Timotheos, spokesman for Christodoulos' successor Archbishop Ieronymos.

A poll by Ethnos daily in April showed Greek opinion is split on the issue.

Over 48 percent of respondents said they oppose the legalisation of same-sex relations against 45.1 percent who are in favour.

The move in Greece comes days after a court in neighbouring Turkey ordered the closure of a leading Turkish homosexual rights lobby group after prosecutors accused it of breaching morality and family norms.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080603/lf_af...yrightsmarriage

Don't just open your mouth and prove yourself a fool....put it in writing.

It gets harder the more you know. Because the more you find out, the uglier everything seems.

kodasmall3.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: Lift. Cond. (apr) Country: Egypt
Timeline

You think?

Don't just open your mouth and prove yourself a fool....put it in writing.

It gets harder the more you know. Because the more you find out, the uglier everything seems.

kodasmall3.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: Lift. Cond. (apr) Country: Egypt
Timeline

I was thinking more of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Don't just open your mouth and prove yourself a fool....put it in writing.

It gets harder the more you know. Because the more you find out, the uglier everything seems.

kodasmall3.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: Lift. Cond. (apr) Country: Egypt
Timeline

Well, the one dude does't look too excited to me.

Don't just open your mouth and prove yourself a fool....put it in writing.

It gets harder the more you know. Because the more you find out, the uglier everything seems.

kodasmall3.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: AOS (apr) Country: Morocco
Timeline
:rofl::rofl:

Consulate : Morocco

I-129F Sent : 2007-03-16

129F NOA1 : 2007-03-23

I-129F NOA2 : 2007-07-30

Interview Date : 2007-09-06

Visa Received : 2007-09-17

US Entry : 2007-10-15

Marriage : 2007-10-20

Adjustment of Status

Date Filed : 2007-11-25

NOA Date : 2007-11-29

Bio. Appt. : 2007-12-21

Interview Date : 2008-03-12

Approval / Denial Date : 2008-04-02

Approved : Yes

Greencard Received: 2008-04-13

Employment Authorization Document

Date Filed : 2007-11-25

NOA Date : 2007-11-29

Approved Date : 2008-01-28

Date Card Received : 2008-02-01

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was thinking more of Sodom and Gomorrah.

I think this statue says it all.

pankratiast1.jpg

I think Plato and Aristotle predate Sodom & Gomorrah.

I say Go Greece! Someday the US will come around and realize that prohibiting gay marriage is exactly the kind of discrimination against a minority group of people that our Constitution forbids.

Inlovingmemory-2.gif

October 13, 2005: VISA IN HAND!!!

November 15, 2005 - Arrival at JFK!!!

January 28, 2006 - WEDDING!!!

February 27, 2006 - Sent in AOS

June 23, 2006 - AP approved

June 29, 2006 - EAD approved

June 29, 2006 - Transferred to CSC

October 2006 - 2 year green card received!

July 15, 2008 - Sent in I-751

July 22, 2008 - I-751 NOA

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Even a gay guy can do it. :wacko:

Citizenship

Event Date

Service Center : California Service Center

CIS Office : San Francisco CA

Date Filed : 2008-06-11

NOA Date : 2008-06-18

Bio. Appt. : 2008-07-08

Citizenship Interview

USCIS San Francisco Field Office

Wednesday, September 10,2008

Time 2:35PM

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Jordan
Timeline

Sodom and Gomorrah predate the Empire of Greece. SG is early bronze, all kinds of estimates run 3100BCE-2100BCE but there is decent evidence for about 2300BCE.

http://www.ancientgreece.com/s/History/ is a timeline of Ancient Greece. Bronze Age is when most of the civilization begins to grow and form, and it reaches it height much later of course... Minoan (2100-1400BCE) and Mycenaean (1600-1100BCE) were the first major kingdom periods. Classical Greece, about which I figured most people were thinking of (thus the statues posted) is 500-336BCE.

So, yes, it is post SG.

None of my posts have ever been helpful. Be forewarned.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe they are just Greco-Roman wrestlers

Steven loves anything gay..

According to the Internal Revenue Service, the 400 richest American households earned a total of $US138 billion, up from $US105 billion a year earlier. That's an average of $US345 million each, on which they paid a tax rate of just 16.6 per cent.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
- Back to Top -

Important Disclaimer: Please read carefully the Visajourney.com Terms of Service. If you do not agree to the Terms of Service you should not access or view any page (including this page) on VisaJourney.com. Answers and comments provided on Visajourney.com Forums are general information, and are not intended to substitute for informed professional medical, psychiatric, psychological, tax, legal, investment, accounting, or other professional advice. Visajourney.com does not endorse, and expressly disclaims liability for any product, manufacturer, distributor, service or service provider mentioned or any opinion expressed in answers or comments. VisaJourney.com does not condone immigration fraud in any way, shape or manner. VisaJourney.com recommends that if any member or user knows directly of someone involved in fraudulent or illegal activity, that they report such activity directly to the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. You can contact ICE via email at Immigration.Reply@dhs.gov or you can telephone ICE at 1-866-347-2423. All reported threads/posts containing reference to immigration fraud or illegal activities will be removed from this board. If you feel that you have found inappropriate content, please let us know by contacting us here with a url link to that content. Thank you.
×
×
  • Create New...