Romanian court ruling backs gay couple

BUCHAREST, Romania — Romania’s top court on Wednesday ruled that a gay Romanian-American couple is entitled to the same residency rights as other married couples in the European Union.

The Constitutional Court ruling followed a decision last month by the European Court of Justice in the case of Romanian Adrian Coman and his American husband, Claibourn Robert Hamilton. The men, who live in New York, wanted their marriage legally recognized in Romania.

The EU court ruled that member countries “may not obstruct the freedom of residence” of EU citizens by refusing to grant residence for the same-sex spouse.”

The ruling didn’t prohibit countries such as Romania from continuing to ban samesex marriages.

Gay rights group Accept called the ruling “an important first step toward ensuring equality for the rights and dignity of LGBT people and their families.”

Romanian Constitutional Court chief judge Valer Dorneanu said the national ruling was not about recognizing same-sex marriage but about freedom of movement.

Another group, MozaiQ, said the ruling came “at a crucial time … when conservative groups are trying to change the constitution and ban gay marriages.” It urged politicians to legalize same-sex civil unions.

EU members Romania, Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Latvia do not recognize same-sex marriage or offer legal protection to same-sex couples.