Prague, 16 December 2005

Today, the Chamber of Deputies (the Lower House of the Parliament of the Czech Republic) passed the bill on registered partnership of same-sex couples.

Members of the Gay a lesbicka liga see this step as a positive move towards eliminating discrimination of lesbians and gays in the Czech Republic and towards this country reaching the highest EU democratic standards.

The GLL hopes that the Senate as well as the President of the Czech Republic shall approve the bill, as it is vital not only for gays and lesbians themselves but also for their families and friends.

We are proud that the fifteen-year endeavours of the gay and lesbian movement are beginning to pay off and we would like to thank all the Chamber members who have supported the bill.

Tereza Kodíčková, Kateřina Beňová, Martin Strachoň and Slavomír Goga,
GLL spokespersons

WHAT THE BILL INCLUDES
- partners become "close persons" under the Civil Code and act on behalf of each other in common matters
- inheritance rights equal to spouses
- the entitlement to use the partner‘s rented apartment for the duration of the partnership
- mutual duty to maintain and support
- common assessment of partners for the purposes of social support and subsistence minimum legislation
- partners may participate in each other’s business activities but are disallowed to employ one another
- entitlement to refuse testimony should this endanger the other partner
- entitlement to select a counsel for the partner
- entitlement to reject a job offer from a Job Centre should it jeopardise common life of the couple

WHAT IS MISSING IN THE BILL
- estate by entirety
- common or double surname
- facilitation of citizenship, residence or work permit acquisition for foreigners
- survivor’s pensions
- tax advantages
- adoption of children