BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romanian Senators have approved a law that would pave the way for the constitution to be changed to explicitly state that marriage is a union of a man and a woman.

Senators voted 107-13 with seven abstentions Tuesday to change the constitution, which currently states that marriage is a union between "spouses." The vote comes after Parliament's Chamber of Deputies last year overwhelmingly approved the same measure.

A senator for the ruling Social Democratic Party, Serban Nicolae, said the vote was on religious grounds: "we've been a Christian nation for 2,000 years."

Social Democrat chairman Liviu Dragnea has indicated Romania will hold a referendum on the issue in October.

Romania, along with Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Latvia, don't recognize same-sex marriage or offer legal protection to same-sex couples.