The Romanian parliament has passed a resolution to hold a referendum on the country’s marriage laws. If passed, the referendum would amend the country’s constitution to define marriage as a union between “a man and a woman.” At present marriage is defined simply as a union of “spouses.”

Over 3 million citizens had signed a petition in 2016 to hold this referendum. The upper house of Romania’s parliament approved the referendum in a 107-13 vote on Sept. 11. The lower house of parliament approved the referendum last year. The vote could take place as early as Oct. 7, and could bar any effort to recognize same-sex unions.

The Romanian Orthodox Church has backed the referendum, as have the smaller Roman Catholic and Greek Catholic Churches.

Local and international LGBT advocacy groups have criticised the referendum, as have several dozen members of the European Parliament.