In June, Mayor Tasos Aliferis, on the island of Rhodes, performed the weddings after LGBT rights group OLKE said it had found a loophole in a 26-year-old update of the Greek civil marriage law that refers only to participating “persons,” without specifying gender. 

OLKE said that by not naming gender the law, albeit inadvertently, allowed same-sex marriage. The group began the search for a mayor who would agree with them and perform the first ceremony.

Hundreds of friends of the couples turned out for the ceremonies, as did dozens of curious townsfolk and the media. One of the couples was lesbian, the other gay.

The government disagreed with OKKE’s assessment of the law.  It maintains the law limits marriage to opposite-sex couples and immediately asked a court in Rhodes to void the marriages.

In addition to seeking to have the marriages invalidated, the government charged Aliferis with with breach of duty.

The weddings also drew the wrath of the powerful Orthodox Church.

Both couples say they will appeal.

“We believe it (the appeal court) will rule on human relationships based not on any formalities but on contemporary reality,” one of the women, Evangelia Vlami, told The Associated Press.

But if they are turned down, Vlaami said the case will be taken to the European Court of Human Rights.

“We believe that our wedding is valid,” she told The A{ “We knew it would take a long fight, but we have patience.”

Elsewhere in Europe, Sweden, The Netherlands, Norway, Belgium and Spain allow gay marriages.

The Greek government last year introduced civil partnership legislation that would grant legal rights to unmarried couples, but the bill specifically excluded same-sex couples.

Gays and lesbians have some legal protections under Greek law – mainly in the areas of employment and housing.

“These Weddings Are Valid,” signs carried by the protesters said.

The government has filed a court motion to have the marriages of a gay couple and a lesbian couple declared invalid.

In June, Mayor Tasos Aliferis performed the weddings on the island of Rhodes. Hundreds of friends of the couples turned out for the ceremonies, as did dozens of curious townsfolk and the media.

In addition to seeking to have the marriages invalidated, the government has charged Aliferis with breach of duty.

The LGBT rights group OLKE said earlier this year it had found a loophole in a 26-year-old update of the Greek civil marriage law that refers only to participating “persons,” without specifying gender.

OLKE said that by not naming gender, the law, albeit inadvertently, allows same-sex marriage and the group began the search for a mayor who would agree with them and perform the first ceremony.

The government disagrees with OKKE’s assessment of the law.  It maintains that the law limits marriage to opposite-sex couples.

The issue of whether the vagueness of the current law on marriage allows same-sex couples to marry has divided Greek legal experts, although most believe that without a specific definition of what constitutes a couple the court will likely deny the government application to annual the weddings.

The government recently introduced civil partnership legislation that would grant legal rights to unmarried couples, but the bill specifically excludes same-sex couples.

Gays and lesbians have some legal protections under Greek law – mainly in the areas of employment and housing.

Why?

1) To avoid another Iraq. There are so many lesbians in positions of power in the U.S. that if Greece doesn’t make friends with the LGBT community quickly, we might suddenly “find” WMDs on the Isle of Lesbos, and end up in another war in which nobody wins but Dick Cheney.

2) To cut down on lawsuits. Friendlier relations between our two countries will prevent the international courts from being deluged with counter-suits from American lesbians who are insulted at the Greeks being insulted (I hear Ellen DeGeneres is consulting her attorneys as we speak).

3) To improve lesbian dating opportunities. Statistics show that one of the best places to meet a potential partner is at work, and the Foreign Minister of Greece, Dora Bakoyannis, is pretty hot. Plus, what sounds like a better way to meet women: strolling through the Isle of Lesbos, or trolling on Match.com?

Sarah Warn is Editor in Chief of AfterEllen.com

Go back to the main story for more opinions on where we need LGBT officials.

The lawsuit was brought by three islanders from Lesbos, home of the ancient poet Sappho, who praised love between women. The island is a popular holiday destination for gay women.

The suit said hat the name of the LGBT group – Homosexual and Lesbian Community of Greece – “insults the identity” of the people of Lesbos.

In dismissing the case, the court said that islanders did not have sole claim to the name.

Attorneys for the three islanders said they may appeal to the European Court.

Sappho lived from the late 7th to the early 6th century B.C. and is considered one of the greatest poets of antiquity. Many of her poems, written in the first person and intended to be accompanied by music, contain passionate references to love for other women.

Very little is known of her life. According to some ancient accounts, she was an aristocrat who married a rich merchant and had a daughter with him. One tradition says that she killed herself by jumping off a cliff over an unhappy love affair.

Dimitris Lambrou one of the litigants in the case said Sappho was not gay. “But even if we assume she was, how can 250,000 people of Lesbian descent – including women – be considered homosexual?”

Lambrou also denied the suit was homophobic.

“The word lesbian has been associated with gay women for the past few decades but we have been Lesbians for thousands of years,” he said.