Romania's
constitutional court ruled Thursday that gay couples should have the same
family rights as heterosexuals, a judgment that runs counter to a referendum
next month seeking to interdict gay marriage.
The court
said gay couples had the same rights to a private life and a family life as
heterosexuals and thus should "benefit, in the long term, from legal...
recognition of their rights and obligations".
The
landmark ruling comes before a referendum planned for October 6 and 7, seeking
to restrict the constitutional definition of "family" to
heterosexual, married couples.
The vote
was called by a group called "Coalition for the Family" and others
close to the Orthodox Church.
The proposal
is to change the constitution to stipulate that marriage is between a man and a
woman, and not simply "spouses", as it currently states.
The
plebiscite has already been criticised by Amnesty International, which says it
would breach international human rights standards and amount to homophobic
discrimination.
Thursday's
ruling was in a case brought by a US-Romanian couple who had asked the
authorities to recognise their marriage, registered in Belgium, so the American
could move with his husband to Romania.
The
constitutional court based its judgment on a ruling issued in June by the Court
of Justice of the European Union.
Romania is
a very conservative country where most people are members of the Orthodox
Church, and only legalised homosexuality at the beginning of the 2000s.
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