Nearly 1,400 same-sex Czech couples are in registered partnerships
A total of 1,390 same-sex couples have entered into registered partnerships in the Czech Republic since the law came into being in July 2006. The majority of the couples are male.
According to Czech activist Milda Slehofer, in the first half of 2012, 102 same-sex couples entered into registered partnerships. Since 2006, there have been 130 same-sex partnerships terminated.
The Czech Republic was the first post-communist country to legalise same-sex partnerships. The law on registered partnership provides the right for same-sex couples to access private information on the condition of their other half’s health and a chance to inherit property, just as married couples do. However, the law does not enable same-sex couples to adopt.
Between July 2006 to and June 2012, 963 male and 427 female couples entered into registered partnerships in the Czech Republic, the majority of them – 446 – in the capital, Prague.
Mr Slehofer said out of the 130 terminated partnerships that he’s registered, 68 were male couples and 64 female. He added that this did not include Prague however, which is in the sole region not to keep statistics on terminations.
He added that the uptake in registered partnerships and the general success rate of them has shown that the fears of opponents – that the partnerships would threaten traditional marriages or the family – were groundless.
Mr Slehofer said that LGBT people did not seek superior rights, but equal ones and that “Homophobic individuals are trying to persuade the public of the opposite.”
This argument appears to refer to the words of President Vaclav Klaus – and a sentiment taken up by those protesting against the current Prague Pride week.
Mr Slehofer concluded: “The experience with gay and lesbian couples proves that expedient facts used by alleged fighters for the traditional values, only offend a majority of decent lesbians and gays who are honest citizens and well-behaved people who duly fulfil their duties and pay taxes.”
