Kim Davis Is Trying to Ban Marriage Equality in Romania

Kim Davis is enjoying a nine-day trip to Romania -- courtesy of the antigay Liberty Counsel -- helping stir up homophobia in preparation for a national vote on same-sex marriage.

The Rowan County, Ky., clerk -- who gained infamy in 2015 when she refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples and was jailed for five days for the refusal -- is attending conferences in Romania's largest cities and meeting with religious leaders. Davis is joined by Harry Mihet, a legal executive at Liberty Counsel, an organization that devotes itself to dismantling the rights of women and LGBT people.

"[Davis and Mihet's] message is simple and based upon the recent lessons learned in the United States: same-sex 'marriage' and freedom of conscience are mutually exclusive, because those who promote the former have zero tolerance for the latter," a press release from Liberty Counsel read, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader. Mihet said Romanians "are receiving [Davis] tearfully and very warmly, because they can still remember the not-so-long-ago days when they were themselves persecuted and imprisoned for their conscience."

Three million Romanians have signed a petition asking for a public referendum on same-sex marriage -- the nation's Senate will soon announce whether a public vote will occur, though it seems likely. Romania is a religious nation, with the antigay Orthodox Church holding much influence.