Kim Davis, the Kentucky country clerk who refused to sign same-sex marriage licenses in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Obergefell v. Hodges decision in 2015, was on a speaking tour in Romania, sharing her experiences in the battles surrounding same-sex marriage and freedom of religion in the U.S.
The 9-day trip came as a petition signed by more than 3 million Romanians, calling for marriage to be constitutionally defined as between one man and one woman, awaits final approval in the Senate, after which a public referendum can be held. The petition has already been unanimously approved by Romania’s Constitutional Court.
The petition of course enjoys the support of the Romanian Orthodox Church. In America, the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops released a statement following Obergefell v. Hodges stating their disagreement with the decision to legalize gay marriage nationwide, calling “upon all Orthodox Christians in our nation to remain firm in their Orthodox faith, and to renew their deep reverence for and commitment to marriage as taught by the Church,” and “upon our nation’s civic leaders to respect the law of Almighty God and uphold the deeply-rooted beliefs of millions of Americans.”
Davis, who spent 5 days in jail for her refusal to sign same-sex marriage licenses, was in Romania with Harry Mihet, vice president of legal affairs and chief litigation counsel of the Orlando-based Liberty Counsel, which represented Davis in 2015. Mihet is originally from Romania, according to the Washington Examiner.
Davis, who remains the Rowan Country clerk, was eventually given a religious accommodation that allows her to decline to sign same-sex marriage licenses.
During Ms. Davis’s visit, she attended events in six cities, met with civic and political leaders and gave interviews with journalists. She stated that her opposition to same-sex marriage was based on a desire to protect “the natural family” — and not on homophobia.
“I want to give Romanians hope that they can stand strong and they can stand for something without being against a group of people or whatever,” she said. “You can be for something and not be against something else.”
In both Kentucky and Romania, Ms. Davis described same-sex marriage as an attack on religious freedom.
Source: Orthodox Christianity; New York Times
Foto credit: The New York Times, Mitropolia Ardealului, Referendum pentru România
