Romania Bans Same-Sex Marriage

The Alliance Defense Fund, a U.S.-based anti-gay group, claims to have guided Romania's parliament to a ban on same-sex marriage and civil unions.

Roger Kiska, a member of Alliance Defense Fund's legal counsel, is stationed in Europe. He tells OneNewsNow that Romania adopted a strong civil code enshrining traditional marriage in law. "It's defined throughout the code -- spouse as between a man and a woman," he explains. "It forbids these backdoor, so-called same-sex 'marriages' where Romanian citizens or foreigners come into the country and ask that their marriage be recognized by the country. It also does the same with civil unions." Alliance Defense Fund played a prominent role in assisting supporters in the Romanian parliament. "Through Peter Costea, who is one of our allied attorneys and the head of Alliance for Romanian Families, who's been doing excellent work in Romania, got these provisions enacted in the law," Kiska points out, "and we're just happy to see in Europe these types of protections being afforded to marriage."

In May skinheads demonstrated in Bucharest in a "normality march" to protest gay Pride. The new law goes into effect on January 1, 2010.