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Essay / A controversy over same-sex marriages in Romania
In our ever-changing world, same-sex marriages remain one of the most controversial issues in the world. In Europe, as of March 2018, only 15 countries legally practiced and recognized same-sex marriage. Currently, Romania, a country in southeastern Europe, is being thrust into the spotlight by holding a referendum to refer to marriage as marriage only. union strictly between a man and a woman. In fact, the current Constitution of Romania states that "a single family is founded on the deliberate and sanctioned marriage of the spouses, on their full equality, as well as on the rights and duties of the parents to ensure education, education and education of their children. This controversy highlights the great divide between Eastern and Western European countries regarding same-sex marriages or unions and whether Romanians are really ready to redefine the interpretation of marriage as a union only between a man and a woman, in place of the spouses. .Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get an original essayRecent studies have shown that Romania only legitimized homosexuality in 2001. And to date, same-sex marriage is still not approved. There is therefore no doubt that this sudden demand to amend the Constitution will most likely lead to difficulties in change in the near future. The referendum currently being organized in Romania is led by Mihai Gheorghiu, president of the pro-referendum civil society group called Coalition for the Family. According to Gheorghui (2018), in accordance with the constitution, this referendum was organized to maintain the representation of marriage which is only limited to one man and one woman. The Family Coalition strongly believes in maintaining the characteristics of the Christian and its long-established values and traditions. This is why the group argues that this change in the constitution is essential to maintain marriage and secure the family. This referendum is also widely supported by the ruling Social Democrats, the dominant Orthodox Church which supports the desire to change the constitution, and in Romania during this period approximately 85% of the population is recognized as Orthodox Christian. There is also surprising support from the government which has decided to extend the voting days to two instead of one. To add to this support, Mihai Gheorghiu and his group, Coalition for the Family, have acquired at least three million signatures to begin growing votes, while the Romanian population totals less than 19 million. However, this referendum remains unacceptable for most Romanians, especially those who are part of the LGBT community. Around a thousand Romanians have already taken to the streets to express their dismay and protests over recent political motivations seen as weakening anti-corruption capabilities. At the same time, more than 40 representatives of the European Parliament expressed their feelings of disappointment to Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dăncilă following the establishment of this referendum. According to CNN (2018), through the implementation of the referendum, it is estimated that this could create a loophole in Romania's agreement under EU law and international human rights law, as well as to intensify homophobic acts and discrimination against the gay community in Romania. Černušáková (2018) also claims that if this referendum were implemented and allowed, it would extremely affect the lives of families. The right to family life would be reduced to the extent that this referendum appears as an attempt to deny them this right..