Prague, Czech Republic — The lower house of the Czech Parliament is set to debate the legalization of same-sex marriage. On Wednesday, 31 October, marriage equality is for the first time in history guaranteed to be on the agenda of the 20th meeting of the Chamber of Deputies. The opening of this debate item will take place as part of the Chamber of Deputies’ meeting, which starts at 14:30. The amendment is the third item up for debate in the afternoon program. The program can be accessed here: http://www.psp.cz/sqw/ischuze.sqw?o=8&s=20 (see fixed item 50).
In the meeting’s agenda, the first reading of the Civil Code amendment is to be included as a fixed item, which would open up the possibility of marriage for gay and lesbian couples. This is a proposal presented by a group of 46 deputies headed by MP Radka Maxová. The amendment has already gained support from almost the entire political spectrum (ANO, Pirates, ČSSD, KSČM, STAN, TOP 09) of the chamber.
The amendment follows a country-wide debate led by the Jsme fér (We Are Fair) campaign, promoting the fair treatment of same-sex couples. 67% of Czechs support marriage equality while 97% of Czech gays and lesbians want the chance to get married. Despite the fact that the Czech Republic has recognized registered partnership since 2006, full equality for same-sex couples needs legislation. This parliamentary debate will result in the Czech Republic to become the first country in the post-communist block to give full recognition and equality to same-sex couples.
Members of Jsme Fér initiative, supporters from the LGBT+ community, family members of same-sex couples, and famous personalities will be present throughout the meeting, both in the Chamber of Deputies as well as in the Sněmovní 7 center. Contacting any of them for comment or interview will be possible.
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