Greece legalized same-sex marriage on Friday, February 16, making it the first Christian Orthodox-majority nation to allow such a union.

Same-sex marriage permits couples to legally adopt children.

In a BBC report, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the new law would "boldly abolish a serious inequality,” but it was met with resistance by the Orthodox Church’s supporters holding protests in Athens.

"People who have been invisible will finally be made visible around us, and with them, many children will finally find their rightful place," the prime minister told parliament prior to the vote.

"The reform makes the lives of several of our fellow citizens better, without taking away anything from the lives of the many,” he added.

The new law has been welcomed by the LGBTQ community in Greece, calling it a “historic moment” and a “day of joy.”