Greece to ban surrogacy for gay male couples and single men

In Greece, men who are single or in same-sex relationships will be prohibited from having children through surrogacy, as announced by the justice minister on Tuesday, according to ‘ABC News’. This decision aims to remove any legal uncertainties regarding the notion of pregnancy incapacity.

Giorgos Floridis indicated that these proposed amendments will soon be presented to parliament as part of a broader reform of the civil code.

“We are now clarifying unequivocally that the concept of inability to carry a pregnancy does not refer to an inability arising from one’s gender,” Floridis stated to reporters. “In other words, a woman may be unable to carry a pregnancy whether she is in a male-female couple, a female same-sex couple or on her own.”

Last year, Greece became the first country with an Orthodox Christian majority to legalise same-sex marriage, despite opposition from Greece’s influential Orthodox Church and conservative groups. Civil partnerships for gay couples were approved by the parliament in 2015.

While support for same-sex marriage is increasing, the legal stance on surrogacy across Europe is diverse. Many countries either prohibit all forms of surrogacy or impose certain restrictions.