Lesbian Couple Tests Romania’s Same-Sex Marriage Ban By Tying The Knot Anyway
August 31, 2022Evie is trans but hasn't changed gender on her documents yet, which means she and her partner can circumvent Romania's definition of marriage. The two women, who asked not to share their full names, are getting married in Romania, a country that has banned gay marriage and has some of the most discriminatory laws and attitudes toward LGBTQ+ people in Europe.
So how did they do it? Well, Evie is a trans woman and hasn’t yet changed her gender on her documents. This, according to Vice, allowed the couple to circumvent their country’s restrictive definition of marriage – at least, on paper.
Georgiana and Evie met on Tinder in October 2021 and moved in with each other a month later. Georgiana proposed in December, and Evie did the same in April (double proposing is one of the ways the LGBTQ+ people are rethinking the wedding industry).
“We decided to rush the marriage because Evie is going to change her gender on her ID. After that, we won’t be able to do it anymore,” Georgiana explained in an interview. Both of them have been previously married: Georgiana got divorced in 2016, and Evie, who had a child with her previous partner, got divorced in 2021 after she came out as trans.
Evie was 36 then, and her coming out put an end to a long period of struggling with her metal health. “In the trans community, they call it mental gymnastics,” she said. “Instead of accepting you are trans – because that would cause you countless problems – you start finding all kinds of other reasons for your depression.”
Even though it took her a while to get there, Evie said transitioning as an adult, rather than as a child or teenager, has its perks. “You don't care so much about other people's opinions, you don't get bullied in school and you don't depend on your parents anymore,” she explained. “You have your own money, your own place, and you're not afraid that your parents will kick you out.”
That was a very real fear for Evie, especially since her mother still doesn’t accept her. “She said she felt like she lost a child, that it was replaced by a stranger,” Evie recalled. Unfortunately, her best friend ended up distancing himself from her, too. But the joy of transitioning proved greater than the pain of losing people, and “I made new friends, anyway,” Evie smiled. Besides, some people in her life have always been supportive, including her ex-wife and child, who now calls her “mummy” when she visits her and Georgiana.
Georgiana and Evie chose to get married on July 9, hours before the Bucharest Pride march.
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Romania could legalise civil partnerships while banning same-sex marriage
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