followed by the court. The ECJ found in the couple's favour on 5 June 2018, ruling that EU member states may choose whether or not to allow same-sex marriage, but they cannot obstruct the freedom of residence of an EU citizen and their spouse. The court also ruled that the term "spouse" is gender-neutral, and that it does not necessarily imply a person of the opposite sex. Coman welcomed the ruling, saying: "We can now look in the eyes of any public official in Romania and across the EU with certainty that our relationship is equally valuable and equally relevant for the purpose of free movement within the EU." White & Case, the law firm which represented the couple, and the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) welcomned the court ruling, but it drew criticism from religious and conservative groups. The Romanian Orthodox Church called the ruling "anti-democratic". On 18 July 2018, the Romanian Constitutional Court ruled that the state must grant residency rights to the same-sex partners of EU citizens. This followed an attempt for recognition by Coman and Hamilton following the ECJ ruling the previous month. In March 2021, it was reported that Romania has yet to issue a residence permit to Hamilton. Same-sex marriage While running for president in 2004, Traian Băsescu said that he saw "nothing wrong" with same-sex marriage. The opposition Social Democratic Party later used his comments against him during the presidential campaign. Băsescu would serve as president from 2004 to 2014. A lesbian couple was able to marry at Bucharest City Hall in September 2022 because one of the spouses was transgender and had not completed a legal gender change. Statutory ban On 13 February 2008, the Senate voted in favour of an amendment to the Civil Code of Romania, proposed by the Greater Romania Party, to explicitly define marriage as being only between "a man and a woman". Previously, the law had only used the words "between spouses". The amendment was approved with 38 votes for, 10 votes against and 19 senators abstaining. It was not voted on by the Chamber of Deputies, and as new elections took place at the end of that year, the legislation died. In May 2009, a new civil code was proposed by the government. The parliamentary subcommittee responsible for drafting the Civil Code amended the definition of marriage, stating explicitly that it must