BREAKING: Czech Senate Approved New Rules for Same-Sex Couples

The Czech Senate took a significant step towards marriage equality on Wednesday morning.

Bypassing a potential debate on the issue, lawmakers voted to remove an amendment to the Civil Code from the agenda.

This amendment, proposed by the ODS and TOP 09 parties, will grant similar rights as marriage to same-sex partners, effective next year.

Despite opposition from the KDU-ČSL party, the Senate approved the move in a 47-to-unknown vote.

The motivation behind this action was to avoid lengthy discussions on the rights of same-sex couples. The amendment is expected to be signed by President Petr Pavel within the next month and take effect in 2025.

This legislation also eliminates registered partnerships, a legal status currently available to same-sex couples. Registered partnerships offer fewer legal protections compared to marriage, such as limitations on shared property and eligibility for survivor’s pensions.

The new law allows adoption for same-sex couples, but with a caveat. Only a biological parent within the couple can adopt a child. Adoption of a child already adopted by one partner would require a separate court decision.

This move by the Senate represents a major step forward for LGBTQ+ rights in the Czech Republic, granting same-sex couples the legal and social recognition of marriage.

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