The country that blazed a trail for same-sex weddings

Marriage equality was a matter of debate as early as 1960 in the Netherlands. It became law in 2001. At the time, the country was the first in the world to legalize marriage for same-sex couples. "Some people had predicted that society would fall apart and family values would suffer. None of that has happened," the Dutch ambassador to Greece, Susanna Terstal, tells Kathimerini.

The law in the Netherlands also provides for adoption and surrogacy, as long as it is not pursued commercially. Marriages of same-sex couples are also allowed in the Protestant Church in the Netherlands, with local churches free to decide whether to perform them or not. "Society is stronger when we make vows to each other and support each other. So I support marriage equality because of family values," Terstal says.

The ambassador says societies should not be complacent on LGBTQI rights because...