By Yannis Anifantis

Call to MPs to publicly declare their sexual preferences addressed from the floor of the Parliament o Kyriakos Velopoulos, causing the reaction of the parties in the plenary session.

“Why don’t we ask how many in here are gay? In other words, to know how they will vote on the marriage bill,” said the president of Hellenic Solution, commenting on what he had said last week, during the discussion of the bill in the relevant committees, the MP of Plefsis Eleftherias, Spyros Bibilas who called on the Church “to say how many gay priests there are”.

The position of Mr. Velopoulos provoked the reaction of PASOK’s parliamentary representative Michalis Katrinis. “Velopoulos said that if a member of parliament is gay, he should declare it because he says he has a legitimate interest in the marriage bill, as a member of parliament – a ship owner would have if a shipping bill was introduced. What are we hearing?”, commented Harilaou Trikoupi MP, stressing that “man does not understand which room he is in. He should be recalled to class and what he said should be deleted from the minutes.” Referring to the statement last week, Mr. Bibilas emphasized that “I did not say it from the floor of the Plenary but in a moment of tension” and added “Greeks have the right to be non-religious and to be patriotic as well. I am irreligious but just as Greek as Mr. Velopoulos and I will defend my homeland until the last drop of my blood.”

“It is audacity to address Mr. Velopoulos in this kind of way. Be more careful” retorted Mr. Konstantinos Chitas on behalf of the Hellenic Solution, with him sharply commenting on the position of Mr. Katrinis: “such a premonition of PASOK for gay marriage! The polls have influenced you!’