Marriage for all

Love is love – wherever you are & whoever you are.

Currently, the Czech republic legal system does not allow same-sex marriages and the only legal form of such a relationship would be a so-called “registered partnership”. Such a partnership, however, is not the same as marriage – registered partners cannot adopt children together, they cannot create or acquire joint property and are not eligible for a number of welfare payments & pensions (such as widower’s pension & etc).

The Czech society, however, is open to the idea of same-sex marriage – almost 70% of Czechs support marriage equality, while almost 60% of Czechs support the legalisation of same-sex couple adoptions.  Yet, the politicians are still hesitant – but why?

In 2018, an amendment bill was presented by a group of politicians to the Czech parliament. The proposition was simple: to update the civil code definition of marriage by replacing the words “man and woman” with “two persons”. The bill, however, has been deliberately delayed, ignored & yet to be voted on.

What are the differences between registered partnerships and marriage?

Adoption & childcare

• Registered partners cannot adopt a child together and can neither become foster parents together. Additionally, partners cannot adopt the child of their registered partner.
• If a partner has a child from a previous relationship, the second partner and child have no respective rights or eligibilities.

 

Joint property & wealth

• Registered partners cannot create or acquire joint property & wealth, neither does the law define the handling of property when such a partnership ends.
• Partners are not eligible to a widower’s pension, neither do they inherit the partner’s pensions and/or benefits.

 

Hospital & health status

• Registered partners have the right to be informed on the health status of their partner, however they do not have the right to be informed on the status of their partner’s child.
• When a child's life is at risk, critical situations may occur if the biological parent is not present.
  
  

 

Marriage & wedding

• As opposed to weddings, registered partnerships can only be executed at 14 specific public offices in the Czech Republic, without marriage witnesse and solely with the registrar.
• Partners cannot aquire the surname of the second partner and no in-law relationships are official formed.

 

What can marriage for all change?

Marriage equality is not just a piece paper – it's much more than that.

The approval of same-sex marriage has the potential to change society for the better, to help the society in understanding the problematic better and to help battle the myths and stigma surrounding the idea of same-sex marriage. Countries that have approved the legalisation (i.e. Denmark or Sweden) have also shown a significant improvement in the LGBTQ+ community suicide rates.

One decision has the power to save lives, while it hurts nobody.

 Are we ready?

A 2018 public survey by the MEDIAN Agency reported that more than two thirds of Czechs support marriage equality while even more of them support same-sex partners adopting the children of their respective partners. Marriage equality is indeed a talking point amongst the LGBTQ+ community as well – a public survey by the former public defender of rights Anna Šabatová showed that 98% of the surveyed LGBTQ+ community members support the fight for marriage equality, while 96% of them agree that marriage equality and the legalisation of same-sex couple adoptions could lead to life quality improvements amongst the LGBTQ+ community.

We, as a nation, seem to be ready for the next step. We are ready for marriage equality