Greece’s first openly gay political party leader says he was deliberately trying to “stir stagnant waters” and tackle the taboo subject of same-sex couples having children when he announced he and his partner planned to become parents through surrogacy. Weeks after his unexpected election to the helm of the main opposition left-wing Syriza, Stefanos Kasselakis insisted his comments had aimed to give the issue visibility in a nation where LGBT rights were rarely publicly discussed. “Love makes the family. These are issues solved in other countries, but not in Greece,” the Greek American businessman wrote on Facebook late on Friday. “That’s why I entered politics. To stir stagnant waters, to awaken consciences, not to caress them in their sleep.”