Numerous instances of bias-motivated speech continued to be recorded across public debate. For instance, the SPD party circulated leaflets to mailboxes prior to elections in which the party promised to “give more to families, take it away from the deviants” by taking away money from “LGBT activists so that they do not destroy family values”.

After the Constitutional Court’s decision to repeal a regulation that required a surgical procedure as a prerequisite for legal gender recognition (see also under Legal Gender Recognition), some politicians published transphobic statements. Among them was the Minister of Justice, who claimed that his goal is “to prevent men from giving birth”. Following the Constitutional Court’s decision and the subsequent debate about legal gender recognition two round tables were organised in June and October by organisations and politicians.

The government approved a proposal for an amendment to the Criminal Code, which would bring fundamental changes in the area of protection against bias-motivated crimes. The bill is about to be debated in the Parliament. The subject of the proposal is

the extension of the list of bias-motivated factors for hate crimes to include disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity. At the same time, the proposal entails an extension of the offences for which prejudicial motive will be taken into account as a circumstance for the application of a higher penalty rate.

The Constitutional Court’s ruling weakened the position of “particularly vulnerable victims” (including victims of hate crimes) by concluding that it is possible to revise this status repeatedly during the proceedings, which means an uncertain legal position for many.

As part of the revision of the framework on educational programs, primary school students will be introduced to the history of the women’s and LGBTI rights movement. The curriculum will encompass topics such as the women’s struggle for political and social rights and the efforts of marginalised groups to attain equality, particularly in family law. This proposal has garnered support from Minister of Education Mikuláš Bek, a member of the STAN party. In reaction, actors have begun encouraging parents to request the exclusion of their children from any instruction related to LGBTI topics, even providing template forms for these requests. The case of a mother addressing a letter to her daughter’s school, requesting her daughter to be exempted from lessons about LGBTI and gender topics, sparked particular debate, leading to heated exchanges on social media. One school director publicly supported this initiative, assuring parents that their children would be exempt from discussions surrounding “LGBTI, gender ideology, or similar subjects.” However, the Czech School Inspection, the state education supervision authority, has clarified that such exclusions contravene the fundamental principles of the education system.

In September, Marie Pošarová, a deputy from the right-wing party Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD), proposed adding a new item to the agenda of the Chamber of Deputies titled “We reject the promotion of LGBT in schools and kindergartens.”

In June, the Old Catholic Church in the Czech Republic announced its intention to comply with an amendment to the Czech Civil Code, which will define a partnership as a permanent union between two individuals of the same sex, effective January 1, 2025, (see also under Family). In May, the Synodal Council, the church’s governing body, expressed its readiness to permit the celebration of church blessing ceremonies for same- sex partnerships, thereby enabling these partnerships to be recognised as church marriages under Czech law.

The equal marriage bill remained a contentious issue in the Czech Parliament throughout 2024, gathering significant public support. This was highlighted by a petition that garnered 170,000 signatures in favour of marriage equality; endorsements from 30 childcare professional organisations; an open letter to all Members of Parliament from children raised in rainbow families; and a letter to the Prime Minister signed by 119 companies, 27 university student associations, and youth organisations from most political parties represented in Parliament, alongside support from over 1,700 teachers. Despite this strong public backing, the Parliament did not pass the equal marriage bill.

Instead, it enacted legislation that establishes a new legal framework for same-sex couples, termed “partnership.”

President Pavel, who has publicly advocated for equal marriage, signed this new partnership law, which will take effect on January 1, 2025. The partnership status will confer all the rights and obligations associated with marriage and will be treated the same as marriage under legal regulations, with the exception of joint adoptions. Nonetheless, the law allows for successive adoptions, meaning that one partner can adopt a child while the other partner can co-adopt.

Olga Richterová, Vice-Chair of the Chamber of Deputies and a member of the Pirate Party, successfully defended a court case against the ultra-conservative Alliance for the Family. The association had sued Richterová over a statement she made during a TV debate, in which she questioned the Alliance’s funding and noted that its narrative, particularly regarding the rights of LGBTI people, often parallels the Russian state rhetoric. The court ruled that Richterová’s comments fell within the bounds of acceptable criticism that a public entity like the Alliance for the Family must tolerate.

The Alliance for the Family, which frequently voices complaints to Czech Television regarding the coverage of LGBTI topics in its programming, initiated a public campaign aimed at restricting funding to the broadcaster. Both the chairperson and vice-chairperson of the Alliance for the Family maintain connections to the ODS party (the Conservative Party led by Prime Minister Fiala), with one serving as an assistant to an ODS MP and the other as an advisor at the Ministry of Justice to a vice-minister appointed by the ODS.

The Department of Sexology at University Hospital Brno established a gynaecological outpatient clinic specifically for trans people, marking it as the first facility of its kind in the Czech Republic. The clinic aims to provide a comfortable, gender- inclusive, and welcoming environment for patients undergoing transition.

From July, men who have sex with men no longer face a blanket exclusion from donating blood. This change resulted from the Society for Transfusion Medicine revising its guidelines in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. According to Health Minister Vlastimil Válek from the TOP09 party, the new methodology emphasises individual risk assessments related to sexual activity for each prospective donor, without considering gender or sexual orientation as criteria.

The Standards of Care for Trans and Gender Diverse People, Version 8, published by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), was translated into Czech and released by the National Institute of Mental Health in partnership with the Transparent team. Although this document is non- binding, it represents the first officially published comprehensive guidance for healthcare professionals working with trans patients.

In October a lecture on “curing” homosexuality took place in the church of St. Lawrence in Řečkovice, Brno. The event featured Victor Novitchi, a Moldovan man, who shared his personal story of how he supposedly “cured” himself of homosexuality. Parish priest Michal Seknička introduced the event by comparing the healing process to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, implying a divine transformation.

The lecture was part of a wider effort by conservative fringes, backed by financial support, to promote conversion therapy practices for LGBTI people.

The “Do you know your rights?” survey highlighted rising discrimination and harassment directed at LGBTI people, and reported that 42% of Czech respondents reported facing discrimination or harassment in the past year, marking a notable increase from previous years. The survey was conducted by Queer Geography and the Prague Pride association in collaboration with the Faculty of Law of Charles University and the Slovenian human rights organisation Legebitra, who examined the experiences of nearly 1,900 LGBTI people in the Czech Republic and over 300 in Slovenia.

The Constitutional Court has repealed a regulation that mandated surgical procedures, including sterilisation and genital transformation, as prerequisites for legal gender recognition for trans people. The court found that these legal requirements violated the fundamental rights of trans people, specifically their right to bodily integrity and personal autonomy, as well as their human dignity.

However, the court has postponed the enforceability of this decision until July 1, 2025, allowing the Czech government time to incorporate the ruling into law. Meanwhile, the trans organisation Transparent has reported that the government is falling behind in this process and may be exploring methods to circumvent the ruling and implement alternative restrictions on legal gender recognition.

During the Senate debate on the bill introducing same-sex partnerships (see also under Family), a group of senators proposed amendments that aimed not only to restrict the rights of same-sex partners but also to limit the reproductive rights already established for women and opposite-sex couples. For instance, one proposed amendment would have required a married woman to obtain her husband’s consent to access assisted reproduction services. Additionally, another amendment would have imposed a fine on women who failed to identify a man deemed to be the father on their child’s birth certificate. Ultimately, these amendments were not approved by the Senate.

The Ministry of Justice, alongside a working group, has presented initial analyses and proposals concerning the institution of surrogacy. Although a bill has yet to be introduced in Parliament, current indications suggest that surrogacy will be available exclusively for heterosexual couples.