The Czech Republic had to delay a vote on same-sex marriage this week.
The lower house of the Czech Parliament intended to start debating a bill that could give same-sex couples the right to marry on Wednesday 31 October, but according to LGBTQ initiative Jsme fér (We Are Fair), the debate never started.
“Even though the [bill] was included on the agenda as a fixed point, it did not begin today, due to the extension of the discussion in previous points,” they wrote on their Facebook page.
Now, a new date must be set for the debate to occur, although Jsme fér said they will “not give up” their efforts to push same-sex marriage through.
“This parliamentary debate is a real opportunity for the Czech Republic to become the first country in the post-communist block to break from its totalitarian legacy and give full recognition and equality to same-sex couples,” said Michaela Pixová, a spokesperson for Jsme fér.
The bill was drafted by a group of 46 lawmakers from across the political spectrum, and Prime Minister Andrej Babis has said that his government supports legislation to introduce same-sex marriage.
Earlier this year, a poll showed that the majority of people in the Czech Republic support same-sex marriage, with 75% in favour and 19% opposed. It marked an improvement on 2016, where 68% believed same-sex couple should be allowed to marry.
Registered partnerships have been available in the Czech Republic since 2006, however they do not allow same-sex couples the exact same rights as opposite-sex couples who get married, such as the ability to adopt children.
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