Couples law not for gays
Justice Minister Sotiris Hatzigakis said yesterday that the government is not intending to extend its plans for a cohabitation law to homosexuals as well as unmarried couples. Hatzigakis plans for a law to give partners who live together the same rights as a married couple just by signing a standard notarial contract have proved controversial. The Church of Greece’s Holy Synod responded by labeling any form of union other than that of a married couple as «prostitution,» even though Archbishop Ieronymos had already given his consent to the law being enacted. A committee was set up last week to also look at the possibility of extending the rights to gay couples, prompting reaction, particularly from the Church. However, Hatzigakis said yesterday that the cohabitation law would only apply to straight couples and not gay ones. The minister told Parliament that the imminent law aims particularly to protect children that are born to unmarried couples.
