Ivo and Jakub Slavka love being called “Dad” and “Daddy” by their two young foster children, but their bigger dream is of being recognised as fathers by the Czech Republic.
The Slavkas – Jakub took Ivo’s surname when they became civil partners in 2012 – had to go court to become joint foster parents. And they cannot adopt their children or get married as neither right is given to gay couples in the Czech Republic.
“We would like to be married, not to be registered,” said Ivo, a 54-year-old civil servant originally from Slovakia, comparing the civil partnership process to registering a car.
“We would like to adopt our children … They know about their families, but they call us fathers,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a video call from the capital, Prague.
With elections due in October, the chances of the Czech Republic becoming the first formerly communist European country to grant marriage equality are slim, even though a bill passed a first reading in parliament in April.
The Czech Republic is one of Europe’s most secular societies and religious groups have a relatively weak voice, unlike in neighbouring Poland and Slovakia. But the issue has split Czech parties into factions and was approved by a slim margin.
The Slavkas, who used a legal loophole of having the second parent recognised as an additional foster parent in court at a later date, also hoped that a separate bill allowing any two adults to foster would become law this year.
But parliament voted against it earlier this month.
If same-sex couples are allowed to wed, other laws will change to give them the same rights as straight ones, including to foster and adopt, said Filip Milde, spokesperson for the Czech LGBTQ+ campaign Marriage For All.
A 2019 survey by Marriage For All found 67% of Czechs support same-sex marriage, 62% back joint adoption and 77% supporting one partner being able to adopt another’s child.
The post LGBTQ+ Czechs urge reform to allow adoption appeared first on GAY TIMES.
LGBTQ+ Czechs urge reform to allow adoption
Ivo and Jakub Slavka love being called “Dad” and “Daddy” by their two young foster children, but their bigger dream is of being recognised as fathers by the Czech Republic.
The Slavkas – Jakub took Ivo’s surname when they became civil partners in 2012 – had to go court to become joint foster parents. And they cannot adopt their children or get married as neither right is given to gay couples in the Czech Republic.
“We would like to be married, not to be registered,” said Ivo, a 54-year-old civil servant originally from Slovakia, comparing the civil partnership process to registering a car.
“We would like to adopt our children … They know about their families, but they call us fathers,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a video call from the capital, Prague.
With elections due in October, the chances of the Czech Republic becoming the first formerly communist European country to grant marriage equality are slim, even though a bill passed a first reading in parliament in April.
The Czech Republic is one of Europe’s most secular societies and religious groups have a relatively weak voice, unlike in neighbouring Poland and Slovakia. But the issue has split Czech parties into factions and was approved by a slim margin.
The Slavkas, who used a legal loophole of having the second parent recognised as an additional foster parent in court at a later date, also hoped that a separate bill allowing any two adults to foster would become law this year.
But parliament voted against it earlier this month.
If same-sex couples are allowed to wed, other laws will change to give them the same rights as straight ones, including to foster and adopt, said Filip Milde, spokesperson for the Czech LGBTQ+ campaign Marriage For All.
A 2019 survey by Marriage For All found 67% of Czechs support same-sex marriage, 62% back joint adoption and 77% supporting one partner being able to adopt another’s child.
The post LGBTQ+ Czechs urge reform to allow adoption appeared first on GAY TIMES.
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