top of page

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE IN CZECHIA: PETITION SIGNED BY 70 000 PEOPLE COULD HELP LEGALIZE IT

Credits: Johana Němečková / Jsme fér

While some people think that same-sex marriages would lead to the collapse of Western civilization, others consider the absence of marriage for gay people as discriminatory. In May the Czech movement Jsme fér (We are fair in English) announced that they collected more than 70 000 signatures for its petition about marriage equality. Now they have to discuss it in Parliament. However, it is not certain that this petition will help legalize gay marriage in Czechia.

 

 

It has been one year and one month since the Czech campaign called Jsme fér, part of the Koalice za manželství (Coalition for Marriage), started.

 

"We think it is only fair for everyone without exception to enter into marriage and we asked the public whether they agree with us. We do not want to talk about tolerance or rights, but about values that our society recognizes. Fairness should be a priority,“ says Aleš Rumpel from Koalice za manželství. The coalition is constituted of Amnesty International and several associations, which are dedicated to the protection of the rights of sexual minorities.

 

The campaign started in April last year with a goal of 50 000 signatures, which is the same amount of signatures that is required for the presidential candidacy in the Czech Republic. The petition ended on the 1st of May, in Czechia known as a day of love, with more than 70 000 signatures.

 

According to Jsme fér the main idea of the project is that love is universal. When two people love each other, they should have a possibility to get married. Since 2006 in the Czech Republic gay people have a possibility to enter into a civil union, known in Czechia as a registered partnership.

 

Until this day, this is their only option how to formalize their relationship. That is what the leaders of Jsme fér want to change since they believe everybody should have the same rights.

 

"Now it's in the hands of deputies in the Chamber of Deputies. We talk with politicians across the political spectrum, they know what we're fighting for, many of them want to be fair with us and support us," adds Klára Kubíčková, PR manager for Jsme fér.

 

On the other hand, people against same-sex marriage are afraid of ‘the breakdown of traditional values’, ‘depreciation of marriage’ and often do not see any point of making a new law or changing the current one.

 

 

 

“It’s not about privileges, it’s about having the same rights”

 

 

Gay people are bothered by the fact they do not get to have a real wedding, just registration. However important for them is also to have the same rights as opposite-sex couples do when they decide to formalize their relationship.

 

Heterosexual couples can get married in every city hall across Czechia, whereas gays and lesbians can only register at 14 places. In contrast to marriage, registration does not need any witnesses. They are not spouses after the registration, they are registered partners.

 

“What bothers me is that mother of my girlfriend is legally not my mother-in-law. She is basically a strange person to me in a legal way. Maybe it sounds funny to someone, but it is important to me because it just doesn’t feel right. I’m so happy that I’m in registered partnership with my ‘partner’,  nevertheless I hope, she’ll be my wife in the future,” says Jana, who is in a registered partnership.

 

Many opponents say that registered partnership involves the same rights and duties as the marriage. However between those two commitments are more than a hundred differences.

 

“We are not entitled to a widow’s pension there is no settlement of property during the possible breakdown of the relationship, the adoption law does not recognize registered partners and many other issues,” explains Petr, who would like to marry his boyfriend. “It’s not about privileges, as many people think, it’s about having the same rights,” he adds.
 

Petr talking about disadvantages of registered partnership.

©2018 by platfi. Proudly created with Wix.com

“Same-sex marriage would lead to the end of Western civilization”

 

 

Between politicians, there is no consensus on this topic. While some would support the law legalizing same-sex marriages as Ivan Bartoš from Czech Pirate Party: “I am unequivocal for equality in marriage.” Many others are really not supporters.

 

One of them, Marek Benda, a member of Civic Democratic Party, told to Czech magazine Reflex in May that “same-sex marriage would lead to Muslim polygamy and the end of Western civilization”.

 

Another politician and former Leader of the Christian and Democratic Union - Czechoslovak People's Party Jiří Čunek said on Czech Television in March that same-sex marriage would lead to the “demoralization of society, violating moral values and to the disgrace of the traditional family”.

 

“None of us don’t exclude anyone from the society for being gay, but it is certainly not possible to put this group on the level of marriage,” Čunek added.

 

“Across Europe, we can observe certain backlash and an increase of conservatism in relation to almost any kind of change, especially towards the acceptance of diversity and the support of marginalized groups. Often, LGBT + rights are taken as exemplary cases where society should or should not develop; whether it is the destruction or transformation of values important for our society, or it is a natural and desirable evolution,” says Zdeněk Sloboda, university lecturer and member of Institute of Sociology of the Czech Academy of Sciences.

 

To the argument that same-sex marriage would destroy our ‘traditional values’ he says: “The fact that gay people want to live as a couple and want to be an economic and social support to each other and often want to also raise children is actually confirmation of those conservative marriage values.”

 

 

Czechia could be the first of post-totalitarian states legalizing same-sex marriage

 

 

Although 70 000 signatures are seven times more than is required for the Parliament debate, it does not automatically mean that law is going to change.

 

“The resulting effect may not be large. It will be perceived perhaps as a small but not very significant plus in case of a possible discussion of the relevant law,” says Sloboda.

 

However, Jsme fér is staying positive: “I firmly believe that just as much as I am touched, our MPs will be too, and realize that the Czech society is ready for a change,” says Czeslaw Walek.

 

At the moment there are 26 countries all around the world, which substitute civil unions with marriage. Besides the United States, Canada or Australia is same-sex marriage legal nearly in all western European countries. Even in those very catholic – as a Spain, Ireland or Malta.

 

The Czech Republic has a chance to be a first state from the post-totalitarian democratic states which legalizes same-sex marriage. Whereas neighboring country in the west - Germany legalized the same-sex marriage last year and in Austria, it will be legal from the January next year, the situation in the east is completely different. Poland and Slovakia which border with Czechia in the east do not have a same-sex marriage and not even civil unions. Both states, in fact, have a constitutional ban on a same-sex marriage.

THE ATTITUDE OF CZECHS TO THE LGBT COMMUNITY IS GETTING BETTER

Credits: Johana Němečková / Jsme fér

According to the newest public survey made by MEDIAN company in February, the attitude of Czechs to the LGBT community is getting better.

 

Three-quarters of respondents agree with the fact that when two people love each other, they should have the possibility of entering into the marriage regardless of their sexual orientation.

 

"One year since the start of the campaign Jsme fér we can say with certainty that Czechs definitely do not stand in the way of happiness to gay and lesbian couples. On the contrary, 75% of society believes that when two people love each other, they should be able to marry. A year ago, we launched a society-wide debate about being fair about gay and lesbian couples getting married. And the topic resonates in the society," says Czeslaw Walek, the head of campaign Jsme fér.

 

More than half respondents also agree with the fact that gay people should be able to adopt biological children of their partner in the case they already have ones (71%) and that gay people should be able to adopt children together, for instance, from institutions (61%).

 

Compared to similar research conducted in 2016, 7% more people are for same-sex marriages, which indicates that support of equality for gay and lesbian increases in the Czech Republic.

 

For a certain group is tolerance matter of supposition

 

“The truth is that similar longitudinal surveys of opinion polls show an increasing trend and a long-term high tolerance rate,” assures Zdeněk Sloboda, the member of Institute of Sociology of the Czech Academy of Sciences. However, at the same time, he warns: “Quantitative data often tells about what respondents think they should answer in research rather than how they actually behave. Also according to opinion polls over the half of people say that they do not know any gay or lesbian in person, so for a certain group of ‘tolerant‘ it is a matter of supposition and a lot of ‘intolerant‘ could be tolerant in their personal experience eventually.”

 

If the Czech society is ready for a same-sex marriage is difficult to predict. “The society can be progressively prepared for the situation, but it’s not possible to prepare itself about something that society doesn’t know, can’t see or what is historically presented as a strange or perverted. It is a dynamic process,” he adds.

bottom of page