Greek mayor who married same-sex couples passes away \ Maire grec qui a marié des couples de même sexe est décèdé

Tasos Aliferis, the mayor of Tilos island, passed away on the 5th of March in a US hospital where he was battling cancer.  He was 61. Aliferis made history in 2008 when he became the first elected official in Greece  to marry two same-sex couples. The marriages were later invalidated by the greek courts but Aliferis was acquitted of breach of duty.

Aliferis was born in 1951 in the southern Peloponnese. After the military junta banned him from greek universities, he studied medicine in Italy and became active in the socialist PASOK party after the fall of the junta. In 1983 he moved to Tilos -a tiny island of 500 souls in the south-eastern Aegean, near the turkish coast-  to do his rural service as a medical doctor. He immediately fell in love with the place and decided to stay. He was elected mayor in 1995 and re-elected 4 times.

During his long tenure, Aliferis managed to double the island’s population. He banned hunting (a rare feat of bravery in rural Greece), promoted eco-friendly tourism and famously clashed with the government and shipping interests over the island’s sparse shipping connections. His record earned him numerous environmental and human-rights awards. That didn’t stop him from living in a sparse two-room flat that doubled as the island’s infirmary until the end of his life.

Aliferis came into the national spotlight again on June 3, 2008 when he performed a civil wedding for two same-sex couples, one female and one male. To mark the occasion he declared: “We want to be among those citizens who see the protection of human rights as  their life’s purpose. We want to be among those people who can not be happy unless they contribute to other people’s happiness…We not only wish you well, we demand you to be happy.” At his passing Greece’s LGBT community mourns one of its most eloquent defenders.

Tasos Aliferis, le maire de Tilos, est décédé le 5 Mars dans un hôpital américain où il luttait contre le cancer. Il avait 61 ans. Aliferis est entré dans  l'histoire en 2008 quand il est devenu le premier fonctionnaire élu grec qui a marié deux couples de même sexe dans une cérémonie civile. Les mariages ont été plus tard annulés par les tribunaux grecs, mais Aliferis a été acquitté d’ abus de loi.

Aliferis est né en 1951 dans le sud du Péloponnèse. Après la junte militaire lui a exclu des universités grecques, il étudia la médecine en Italie et, après la chute de la junte, devient actif dans le parti socialiste PASOK . En 1983, il s'installe à Tilos – un îlot de 500 âmes dans le sud-est de la mer Egée , près de la côte turque- afin de rendre son service rural en tant que médecin. Il est immédiatement tombé amoureux de l'île et a décidé d’ y rester. Il a été élu maire en 1995 et réélu 4 fois.

Au cours de sa longue fonction, Aliferis réussi à doubler la population de Tilos. Il interdit la chasse (un exploit rare de bravoure dans la société rurale grecque), promu le tourisme écologique et il est devenu célèbre en conflit avec le gouvernement et les intérêts  de transport maritime, protestant les rares liaisons maritimes  qui relient l'île au reste de la Grèce. Ses réussites lui ont valu de nombreux prix pour la protection de l'environnement et les droits de l'homme. Cela ne l’ a pas empêché de vivre dans un clairsemée appartement de deux pièces qui a doublé en l'infirmerie de l'île jusqu'à la fin de sa vie.

Aliferis attirait l’attention nationale à nouveau le 3 Juin 2008, quand il a effectué un mariage civil pour deux couples de même sexe, un couple des femmes et un couple d’hommes. Pour marquer l'occasion, il a déclaré: “Nous voulons être parmi les citoyens qui regardent la protection des droits de l'homme comme le but de leur vie. Nous voulons être parmi ces gens qui ne peuvent pas être heureux sauf si elles contribuent au bonheur des autres ... Nous n'avons pas seulement à vous souhaiter bonne chance, nous exigeons que vous soyez heureux.” Lors de son passage la communauté LGBT de la Grèce pleure un de ses défenseurs les plus éloquents.

Gays face higher unemployment, lower wages in the greek job market \ Plus de chômage, des salaires inférieurs pour les homos au marché du travail grec

With the greek economy in its fifth year of recession and general unemployment above 20% for the first time in living memory, public debate still refuses to acknowledge  that gay, lesbian and bisexual employees face an even more difficult situation  in the job market, a phenomenon  that preceded the current crisis. On the contrary: as recently as 2010, the leader of the nationalist LAOS party George Karatzaferis claimed that being gay “is now a societal advantage, a sort of freemasonry”, while in 2007 leftist MP Grigoris Psarianos said that gays “have developed revanchist tendencies – you can’t work in the media now if you don’t take it up the ass”.

Documenting the prevalent discrimination against disadvantaged groups in the greek market is Nick Drydakis, a lecturer on Labour Economics in the University of Patras. His published papers in various international scientific journals include studies on job discrimination against women, immigrants and the Roma community. You can find a full list of his published papers here. Using field experiments like correspondance testing of CVs implying that the applicant is gay as well as telephone polling of the labour population, Drydakis establishes that gays and lesbians are much less likely to get an interview if they reveal their orientation. They also report lower wages, less work experience and greater job dissatisfaction than heterosexuals working in the same field.

In one of his papers researching discrimination based on sexual orientation (you can read them all here) Drydakis has interviewed 7.400 men in the greater Athens area in 2008-2009. 4,5% of them descibed themselves as homosexuals, 0,9% as bisexuals. Drydakis found that the unemployment rate among them is signifacantly higher (17% against 10% for heterosexual men) He also establishes that, all other factors being equal, their salaries are 4-5% lower than heterosexual men in the same positions. This finding is consistent with previous studies published in France, the U.S. and Canada. The wage difference diminishes among individuals of higher education, but does not disappear completely.

In 2005 Greece has banned discrimination based on sexual orientation in the labour market, adopting a relevant EU directive. However no serious effort has been made since to enforce this legislation.

Alors que l'économie grecque enregistre cinq années consécutives de contraction  et une chômage supérieure à 20% pour la première fois dans l'histoire récente du pays , le débat public refuse toujours de reconnaître que les employés gais, lesbiennes et bisexuels sont confrontés à une situation encore plus difficile dans le marché du travail, un phénomène qui précéde la crise actuelle. Au contraire: aussi récemment qu'en 2010, le chef du parti nationaliste LAOS George Karatzaferis  a affirmé que l'homosexualité "est maintenant un avantage social, une sorte de franc-maçonnerie", alors qu'en 2007, le député de gauche Grigoris Psarianos dit dans une interview que les gais "ont développé des tendances revanchardes - vous ne pouvez pas travailler dans les médias maintenant si vous ne le prenez pas dans le cul ".

Documentant la discrimination répandue contre les groupes défavorisés du marché grec est Nick Drydakis, enseignant sur l'économie du travail à l'Université de Patras. Ses papiers publiés dans diverses revues scientifiques internationales comprennent des études sur la discrimination au travail chez les femmes, les immigrés et la communauté Roma. Vous pouvez trouver une liste complète des articles qu’il a publiés ici. Grâce à des expériences sur le terrain comme les “tests de correspondance” avec des CV qui impliquent  que le demandeur est gai, ainsi que des sondages téléphoniques de la population active, Drydakis établit que les gais et les lesbiennes sont beaucoup moins susceptibles d'obtenir un entretien si ils ou elles révèlent leur orientation. Ils declarent également  de salaires plus faibles, moins d'expérience professionnelle et plus de mécontentement  que les hétéros qui travaillent dans le même domaine.

Dans un de ses articles sur la discrimination fondée sur l'orientation sexuelle (vous pouvez lire tous ses articles sur ce sujet en anglais ici) Drydakis a interrogé 7.400 hommes dans la région metropolitaine d'Athènes en 2008-2009. 4,5% d'entre eux se décrivaient comme homosexuels, 0,9% comme bisexuels. Drydakis constate que le taux de chômage parmi eux est sensiblement  plus élevé (17% contre 10% pour les hétérosexuels) Il établit également que, quand tous les autres facteurs sont égaux, leurs salaires sont plus bas  de 4 à  5% comparés aux hétéros dans les mêmes positions. Ce résultat est cohérent avec les études au meme sujet publiées en France, aux États-Unis et au Canada. La différence des salaires diminue parmi les diplômés de l’enseignement supérieur, mais ne disparaît pas complètement.

En 2005 avec l'adoption d'une directive de l'Union Européenne , la Grèce a interdit la discrimination fondée sur l'orientation sexuelle dans le marché du travail. Toutefois, aucun effort sérieux n'a été fait depuis pour faire appliquer cette législation.

A bill that would ban homophobic incitement in Greece is shelved \ Un projet de loi qui interdirait l'incitation homophobe en Grèce est abandonné

The daily Kathimerini newspaper reports that, in order to avoid a government crisis, plans for a parliamentary debate of a new bill that would punish “serious manifestations of racism and xenophobia” are cancelled indefinitely. The bill would have punished those "who incite, provoke or promote violence or hatred against people or groups based on their race, color, religion, origins, nationality or sexual orientation” with a prison term of up to three years. The current legislation that dates from 1979 only includes race, religion and nationality to its list of protected categories. So far, fifteen european countries have adopted laws that ban incitement to hatred against homosexuals.

The bill was a project of the previous socialist government, that was replaced by a three-party coaltion last November in order to come to terms with the escalating fiscal crisis that plagues the country. The new government -led by former European Central Bank vice-president Loukas Papadimos- is supported by the socialist majority, the main conservative opposition party and the nationalist LAOS party, Its mandate is to negotiate a reduction of Greece’s debt with the country’s creditors before new elections are held in the spring.

The bill was supposed to be debated in the full house last week, after being approved in a parliamentary committee with the support of the socialists and a smaller leftist party. Last Thursday it was revealed that the bill will be shelved indefinitely in order to avoid friction between the three coalition parties, when the conservatives seemingly objected to an amendment on relieving overcrowding in prisons. The contents of the bill were for many months the target of angry reactions from nationalist right-wing opinion in the country.

Selon le quotidien grec Kathimerini, les plans d'un débat parlementaire sur un nouveau projet de loi qui punirait “des graves manifestations de racisme et de xénophobie" sont annulés indéfiniment afin d'éviter une crise gouvernementale. Le projet de loi aurait puni ceux qui «incitent, provoquent ou encouragent la violence ou la haine contre des personnes ou des groupes en fonction de leur race, couleur, religion, origines, nationalité ou orientation sexuelle» avec une peine d'emprisonnement allant jusqu'à trois ans. La législation actuelle qui date de 1979 ne comprend que la race, la religion et la nationalité à sa liste de catégories protégées. Jusqu'à présent, une quinzaine de pays européens ont adopté des lois interdisant l'incitation à la haine contre les homosexuels.

La nouvelle loi était un projet du précédent gouvernement socialiste qui a été remplacé par un Coaltion de trois parties en Novembre dernière, afin d’affronter l'escalade de la crise fiscale qui frappe le pays. Le nouveau gouvernement dirigé par l'ancien vice-président de la Banque centrale européenne Loukas Papadimos- est soutenu par la majorité socialiste, le principal parti d'opposition conservateur et le parti nationaliste LAOS. Son mandat est de négocier une réduction de la dette du pays avec ses créanciers, avant de nouvelles élections qui auront lieu au printemps.

Le projet de loi devait être débattu à la Chambre entière la semaine dernière, après avoir été approuvée en commission parlementaire avec le soutien des socialistes et un petit parti de gauche. Jeudi dernier, il a été révélé que le débat sera abandonné indéfiniment afin d'éviter les frictions entre les trois partis de la coalition. Le projet de loi a été décrié pendant plusieurs mois par les circles nationalistes du pays.

2011 The international LGBT review

January 7 Smell of scandal: It is revealed that a porn festival in Athens featuring performances of bareback gay sex, was subsidised by …the greek Centre for Disease Control! (KEELPNO)

January 7 Portugal is shocked by the atrocious murder and mutilation of a beloved gay TV presenter by a 20-year-old model he was dating.

January 13 The first museum of GLBT history on american soil opens its doors in San Francisco.

January 18 A british court awards compensation to a gay couple that a hotel refused to accomodate.

January 27 International outcry over the savage murder of an activist in Uganda. His name was included in an outing list of 100 homosexuals published by a local newspaper under the title “Hang them!”

January 27 TV presenter Fotis Sergoulopoulos comes out in a television interview.

February 2 The “Mona Lisa” is really the portrait of a young apprentice and possible lover of Leonardo da Vinci in female drag, according to an italian art historian.

February 17 An anthem against homophobia and prejudice, Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” becomes the 1000th number one in the history of the U.S. Billboard Hot100.

February 24 The U.S. administration will no longer defend the “Defence of Marriage Act” in the courts as president Obama thinks it is uncostitutional. The legislation bans federal recognition of same-sex marriages performed in any U.S. state.

March 2 The greek-orthodox bishop of Pireaus says that homosexuality is no different from pedophilia or necrophilia…

March 9 20-year-old Anton Hysén, son of veteran swedish soccer legend Glenn Hysén, becomes Europe’s only openly gay professional footballer.



March 17 The director of the Bolshoi ballet Gennadi Yanin resigns after a video showing him in bed with another man is leaked on the internet…

March 20 Barcelona unveils a monument dedicated to gays and lesbians persecuted around the world.

March 23 One of Hollywood’s most glamorous stars and the woman who founded the “American Foundation for Aids Research”, Elizabeth Taylor dies at the age of 79.

March 25 A catholic priest who publicly applauded the violent attacks against gay Pride marchers in Croatia, is sentenced to three months in prison with parole.

March 27 India’s Mahatma Ghandi was bisexual and in love with a german architect, according to a new biography.

April 7 Archeologists in the Czech Republic discover the tomb of a neolithic man who was buried according to the burial costumes his tribe used for women.

April 7 3,8% of americans describe themselves as LGBT while 8% have had at least one homosexual experience in their lifetime according to research published by the University of California.



April 13 The NBA forces Kobe Bryant to pay an $100ths fine for a homophobic slur he uttered at a referee.

April 22 Hungary’s new constitution bans same-sex marriage.

April 24 Another horrific crime in the dark continent: a lesbian activist is gang-raped and brutally murdered in a south-african township.

May 5 Brazil’s Supreme Court rules that same-sex couples should enjoy the same rights as married heterosexuals.



May 5 Androgynous model Andrej Pejic is voted among the world’s 100 hottest women by the readers of british men’s magazine FHM, provoking a trans-phobic editorial by the magazine’s editors.

May 23 The former neofascist mayor of Rome Gianni Alemanno welcomes Europride celebrations in the italian capital featuring a surprise performance by Lady Gaga.

May 28 In what has become an annual ritual for the Putin regime, gay demonstrators who try to march in Moscow are swiftly arrested by the police…

June 5 The municipality of Athens becomes one of the official sponsors of the seventh Athens Pride, but the mayor fails to show up.

June 12 It is revealed that Amina Araf, a lesbian blogger who was supposedly kidnapped by syrian authorities sparking an online campaign for her release, was in fact a fictional personality created by an american academic…



June 14 “We don’t support them, we don’t defend them, we don’t condemn them”: Greece’s deputy minister of Culture responds to a parliamentary question on whether public funds for the promotion of tourism in Athens supported LGBT festivities…



June 17 At the initiative of South Africa, the majority of the U.N. Human Rights Council votes for the first time to condemn discrimination and violence against LGBTs around the world.

June 25 42 years after the Stonewall riots, New York becomes the sixth and largest U.S. state to recognize same-sex marriage.

July 15 California becomes the first U.S. state to make teaching the historical contributions of homosexuals mandatory in the curriculum of all state schools.

July 23 A married female couple in a boat save 40 people from the bullets of a right-wing mass murderer in Norway’s Utoya island.

July 27 Once again, deputies in the italian parliament refuse to uphold a bill that would treat attacks against gays and lesbians as hate crimes.

August 4 The last known “pink triangle” dies at the age of 98. Rudolf Brazda was among the 15 thousand gay men who were sent to nazi concentration camps.

August 23 Greece is not included in the top ten list of countries preferred by gay and lesbian travellers due to the prevailing homophobia and prejudice, according to a report by a dutch consultancy firm.

September 4 Three men are executed for the crime of homosexuality in Iran, according to an iranian dissident group.

September 9 During a parliamentary debate, the greek minister of Labour makes it clear that the government will not extend widowers’ pensions to same-sex couples due to fiscal considerations…

September 16 The UK government announces it will begin consultations to extend civil marriage to same-sex couples by 2015.

September 18 The openly gay mayor of Berlin Klaus Wowereit is comfortably re-elected for a third term.

September 19 Cher’s transgender son Chaz Bono makes his debut in the american version of Dancing with the stars.

September 23 The mass outing of parliamentarians on a foreign internet site provokes a controversy in Italy.

October 3 The European Commission condemns the serbian government’s decision to ban the Belgrade Pride in order to avoid a repetition of last year’s attacks by right-wing extremists.

October 9 57-year-old Anna Grodzka becomes Poland’s first transgender MP.

October 16 Honduran authorities decide to ban under-15s from a Ricky Martin concert, citing the latin star’s homosexuality as a possible “bad influence” on the young…

October 17 A couple of lesbian inmates go on hunger strike after greek prison authorities decide to put them in different wards in order to “punish” them…



October 30 A court in Poland allows a far-right party to register a homophobic graphic as their official symbol…

October 31 British prime-minister David Cameron threatens to withhold UK aid from countries that violate the rights of LGBT individuals.

November 1 Audiences in Athens are treated to a retrospective of legendary american photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.

November 3 A serbian politician is convicted for inciting hatred against gays and lesbians. He called homosexuality “a disease”.

November 16 Clothing manufacturer Benetton removes an ad portraying a kiss between the pope and an egyptian imam after the Vatican complains.

November 17 A greek-cypriot former minister who was arrested for breaking the law that bans gay sex in turkish-occupied northern Cyprus does not appear in court. He had been released on bail.

November 21 Fifteen hijras or “eunuchs” are killed during a fire in India. They had gathered to celebrate a traditional religious festival.

November 23 In Cameroon, three men are sentenced to five years in prison for having gay sex.

December 1 “The Christmas Tango”, the movie version of a celebrated greek novel recounting the suggestively homoerotic story of a soldier who teaches his captain to dance, becomes the surprise box-office hit of the holidays.

December 6 Belgium’s 60-year-old Elio di Rupo is sworn-in as prime-minister of Belgium. He becomes the first openly gay man to hold that post anywhere in the world.

December 6 During a historic speech to the UN, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton launches a new diplomatic drive regarding LGBT rights around the world, calling them “one of the remaining human rights challenges of our time.”

December 16 The health statistics of gay men have greatly improved in the states that have recognized same-sex marriage according to a report published in the american Journal of Public Health.

December 26 Former spanish prime-minister José Zapatero calls the passing of legislation recognizing same-sex marriage “his proudest achievement”.

12 months, 58 events from 27 different countries. It was the year that the UK and US governments took global initiatives regarding the respect of LGBT rtights around the world, while the European Union’s human rights advocacy was paralysed by the euro crisis. For LGBTs in Greece it was the year they had to fend for themselves amid the economic meltdown, receiving indifference and cynicism instead of solidarity from both officials and the public.

I hope that 2012 will be the year that the darkness surrounding public life in this country will start to recede. I wish you all a very happy, optimistic and productive new year!

translated to english from the gay super hero blog