Recognition of same-sex unions in the Czech Republic

[1][2][3] The country also grants unregistered cohabitation status to "persons living in a common household" giving couples inheritance and succession rights in housing.

[5] Polling suggests that a large majority of Czechs support the legal recognition of same-sex marriage.

This was noted in a July 2016 report by the ombudsman office, which also stated that a dying person in a hospital could not enter into a partnership because of these restrictions.

[35] A law which took effect on 1 January 2024 changed this requirement, allowing registered partnerships to be concluded at all registry offices in the country.

It was approved by the Senate on 17 April 2024 despite attempts by some lawmakers to amend the bill to permit same-sex marriages.

By the end of 2019, about a quarter of these partnerships had been dissolved, lower than the divorce rate of opposite-sex partners at around 50%.

[67][68][69] The "We Are Fair" campaign presented 70,350 signatures in support of same-sex marriage to the Chamber of Deputies in late June.

[71][72] As debate on both bills began, individual MPs spoke on both sides of the issue rather than split on party lines, indicative of a conscience vote.

On 10 January 2019, President Miloš Zeman said he might veto the same-sex marriage bill if it were passed by Parliament.

[80] Several candidates in the 2023 presidential election supported same-sex marriage and adoption rights, including the winner, Petr Pavel,[81][82] and runner-up Andrej Babiš.

Jsme fér released a statement describing the bill's passage as "a sad day for justice and equality in our country.

"[40] In October 2022, the Old Catholic Church of the Czech Republic voted to allow its priests to bless same-sex partnerships.

[57] A May 2017 opinion poll by CVVM found a 52% majority in favour of legalising same-sex marriage, with 41% opposed.

[56] A 2017 poll conducted by the Pew Research Center showed that 65% of Czechs supported same-sex marriage.

[102] A Median poll conducted in February 2018 (and published in April) found that 75% of Czechs supported the right of gay and lesbian couples to marry, while 19% were opposed.

Various Czech celebrities also expressed support, including tennis player Martina Navratilova, singers Bára Basiková and Dara Rolins, photographer Robert Vano, actresses Simona Stašová and Anna Geislerová, and politician Ivan Bartoš.

[107] The survey found a large generational gap, with younger respondents overwhelmingly in support, but those aged 55 and above mostly opposed.

[108] A GLOBSEC survey conducted in March 2023 showed that 72% of Czechs supported same-sex marriage, while 24% were opposed.

The survey also found that 70% of Czechs thought that "there is nothing wrong in a sexual relationship between two persons of the same sex", while 26% disagreed.