Romania’s Chamber of Deputies rejects same – sex civil union bill proposal by overwhelming majority

A bill aiming to legalize the union between same sex persons was rejected by an overwhelming majority in Romania’s Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday, June 11. Only four MPs were in favor of passing the bill, and 298 were against. There were also three abstentions. The law which was to legalize civil unions between people of the same sex was initiated by Remus Cernea, a Romanian activist against discrimination, and the leader of the Green Party. C ernea had notified the Chamber of Deputies of some irregularities in the report issued by the Judicial Commission on the proposed bill, and asked for a delay in the cote, until the irregularity claims were checked. The Chamber of Deputies however discarded his request, and went on with the vote, according to Mediafax. The Judicial Commission had rejected the bill proposal in March on religious and social reasons. Cernea said the civil union is an institution that would allow those who live together to benefit from minimum rights, and avoid sexual discrimination. He plans to submit the bill proposal again, with the hope that people’s mentalities will change and they will be more open. His bill was also to solve the issue of all people – irrespective of their sex – who live together without being married. Civil union between same sex people is legal in 17 EU member countries, according to Cernea. editor@romania-insider.com