General info
In contrast to the Communist era, the Czech Republic has become relatively liberal since the Velvet Revolution in 1989, and it is one of the most LGBTQIA+ friendly countries in the European Union.
This increasing tolerance probably reflects the low number of religiously inclined people in the country, particularly when compared to the neighbouring countries of Poland, Austria, and Slovakia.
There is quite a large queer community in Prague; the communities are smaller in the rest of the country. Nevertheless, Brno is a city that has contributed significantly to many developments in the Czech LGBTQIA+ community. The city has a moderately sized queer scene, particularly around the city centre, including bars, clubs, and saunas. The scene for men is more developed than the scene for women.
History
- 1895: The Moderní revue magazine stood up for Oscar Wilde when he was sentenced to two years in prison in England for homosexuality.
- Between the World Wars: The magazine Hlas sexuální menšiny [Voice of the sexual minority] and its successor Nový hlas [New voice] were published in the early 1930s. Homosexuality was then still punishable in this country by §129 of the Criminal Code, which dated from 1852, despite wide and intense discussion calling for reform.
- During WW2: With the country under Nazi rule, people suspected of homosexuality were persecuted systematically.
- 1961: Homosexuality was generally decriminalized. However, sexual intercourse with a person of the same gender younger than 18 years of age, sexual intercourse with a person of the same gender that could cause public offence, abusing a person of the same gender, and sexual intercourse with a person of the same gender for money were still punishable under §244 of the Criminal Code. This code was widely used by the police as a tool of brutality and/or manipulation.
- 2006: A law on registered partnership was passed in March 2006.
- 2009: An antidiscrimination law was passed that applied explicitly to, among other areas of discrimination, “sexual orientation”.
- 2018: Introduced in the Czech Parliament, the Equal Marriage Bill has been finally put to its historic first vote, to start the long legislative process. You can follow Fair Marriage for updates.
For a more detailed view, there are a number of interesting publications on the history of the LGBT+ community. Some are available online in English (downloadable for free or as an e-book).
● The Politics of Gender Culture Under State Socialism: An Expropriated Voice – Hana Havelková, Libora Oates-Indruchová
● The Changing Space of the Gay and Lesbian Community in the Czech Republic – Kateřina Nedbálková
● Specifics of the Contemporary Czech Homosexual Community: History, Evolution and Ambivalences (2010) – Zdeněk Sloboda
Laws and regulations
The Czech Republic does not permit same-sex marriage, although the subject is under debate and has been put to its first vote in 2018. For now, the country does allow registered partnerships.
The Registered Partnership Act requires one of the partners to be a Czech citizen or to have permanent residence status in the Czech Republic. A registered partnership enables inheritance, hospital visits, and alimony. It does not, however, allow joint adoption, joint property rights or joint tax return.
Unregistered cohabitation also enables some rights, such as inheritance and hospital visitation. A registered partnership has some advantages over unregistered cohabitation, but it presents some disadvantages for gays and lesbians, particularly in the area of family law (parenting rights, adoption, childrearing, and reproduction rights).
Parenting
Individual adoption
In the Czech Republic, pursuant to the Family Act, every man or woman can adopt children without regard to his or her sexual orientation. This is also true for individuals in registered partnerships (since 2016), although joint adoption is not yet possible.
The right to adopt the children of one’s partner
Most countries allow the adoption of the children of one’s partner. The right to adopt the children of one’s partner makes it possible for the child and the partner of the biological parent to establish their factual relationship legally.
In the Czech Republic, partners in same-sex unions do not yet have this right, although a change to this law is pending.
Foster care
Gays and lesbians are able to become foster parents when they are single. They can also do so when they are in a registered partnership, but only individually and not as a couple. Only married couples may become foster parents together.
Artificial insemination
In vitro fertilization, or IVF, is reserved for heterosexual couples, married or not, in the Czech Republic. Commercial surrogacy is banned in the Czech Republic, regardless of sexual orientation.
Community and activism
Queer Kód
Queer kód is a project which goal is to provide space for social and cultural activities for people from the LGBTQ + community and people who support and celebrate difference rather than uniformity.
The aim of the project is to provide a safe space for social and cultural activities outside of the heteronormative social framework.
They also organise Brno Pride Week with many events concentrating on the pride community of Brno.
Prague Pride
The Czech Republic takes part in the annual global event known as Pride. The Prague Pride civic association is a volunteer, non-governmental, non-political, non-profit organization founded in 2010; its main activity is organizing the Prague Pride human rights festival.
Prague Pride grew from a small local event to one of the most interesting and inspiring Pride festivals in Europe. Attendees enjoy a week-long programme with exhibitions, debates, concerts, and parties. The main events of the week are, of course, the Pride Parade through the historic city centre and the open-air party in Letná Park.
In Brno, there have been two Queer Parades (the first in the Czech Republic) – in 2008 (Duhová vlna) and 2010 (Teplé jaro). Brno’s LGBTQIA+ community and their friends travel to Prague every year to enjoy the atmosphere and interesting programmes of Prague’s Pride Parade.
Trans*parent
This NGO strives for empowerment, social justice, promotion of rights, and positive social changes for the benefit of trans men and women and other non-cis persons. The organisation was founded in Prague in the spring of 2015 by a group of trans activists in response to the urgent need to create a supportive space and change policies to promote the advancement of transgender equality.
Stud z.s.
Stud Brno was founded in 1996 by students at Masaryk University. Its name reflects this, but is also a humorous and self-ironic play on words, very much in the Brno tradition: “stud” in Czech means “shame” or “shyness” – something that certainly didn’t characterize the group’s founders – and of course, in English, a “stud” is a very sexy guy. Stud Brno is an independent non-governmental organization (civic association) whose mission is to support gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender minorities and strive for their full legal and factual equality with other members of society.
Scroll down to find more information about some of the projects they organize: Queer Film Fest Mezipatra, Queer Ball, Studividlo, GaTe, etc. A few of the groups mentioned here are also organized by members of this association, including Boys on Bikes and Gulf Stream.
Proud
This platform is intended to build an open atmosphere in educational institutions, create an environment for unproblematic coming-out, fight against violence that is rooted in homophobia and transphobia, legalize second-parent adoption and both individual and joint adoption by same-sex couples in civil partnerships, achieve legislative status enabling same-sex couples to enter into civil marriages equal to the marriages of heterosexual couples, secure protection against discrimination in the workplace, and more.
GaTe
GaTe (Gay Teens, or Gate) are young people who have decided to create a team and organize events for young gays, especially as they are coming out. They prepare events for two target groups: teenagers under the age of 20 and undergraduates under 26. GaTe events last from one to seven days.
The website is only available in Czech, but many GaTe members can also speak other languages. Contact them for more information at info@gejt.cz.
In IUSTITIA
In IUSTITIA provides legal assistance to individuals exposed to violent hate crimes. It focuses on improving their access to justice.
In cooperation with Czech and foreign NGOs, In IUSTITIA acts against racism and xenophobia in the Czech Republic and Europe. Their address in Brno: Malinovského náměstí 4, 602 00, Brno.
S barvou ven
The sbarvouven.cz website is an easy way to provide information about coming out to all interested people without distinction and to connect them directly with those they want to talk to. They offer a safe and welcoming environment – especially for those who are hesitant. On their website, you can find LGBT-friendly professional counselling.
Among the mentors and mentees you can reach out to are lesbian, gay, transgender people, psychologists and relatives of LGBT+ people. The website is therefore not just for gays and lesbians, but in short for everyone.
Queer psychologie
This website was established in June 2021 as a place to support (not only) female psychologists and female psychotherapists in their work with LGBTQ+ and gender, sexual and relationship-diverse clients.
LGBTQ – zdraví
The LGBT-zdraví.cz website is a project of the Queer Geography Association, which maintains and updates it as an educational activity. It aims to inform and raise awareness about the lives of LGBTQ+ people in the Czech Republic, their mental and physical health, and their problems and threats. It contains a list of LGBT-friendly professional counselling.
Logos Brno
Logos Brno is an ecumenical fellowship of gay Christians and their friends who want to enrich each other on the path of faith and life. Their community is diverse: women, men, mothers, fathers, gays, lesbians, heterosexuals, singles, all in different combinations. They usually meet on the 4th Tuesday of the month, often in the prayer room of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church in Brno – Maloměřice.
Culture
Mezipatra Queer Film Festival
The Czech Queer Film Festival Mezipatra (“mezzanines”) was founded in 2000 by STUD Brno. The first year of the festival, then called Duha nad Brnem (Rainbow over Brno), introduced eight films, three theatre performances, and three art exhibitions. Later the festival changed its name to Mezipatra and enriched its programme with accompanying events. The organizational headquarters moved to Prague.
Each year in November, the Mezipatra film festival presents around a hundred top-ranking films on LGBT+ themes, as well as an international competition, exhibitions, lectures, workshops, discussions, and parties. The main festival takes place in Prague and Brno, but is followed by film screenings and other events in several other cities in the Czech Republic.
Queer Ball
Brno is the venue for an annual original, unconventional, and informal ball for LGBTQIA+ people and their friends. The ball is organized by members of the STUD Brno association and a group of volunteers. It is usually attended by about 500 people.
Brno Pride Week
Brno Pride Week is a festival of LGBTQ pride that has been held annually in Brno since 2021. It is organised by the Queer Kód project and the STUD association.
Queer Library
The Queer Library of STUD, z.s. contains around 500 Czech and foreign books not only on LGBT+ topics. Since its foundation in 1996, STUD has been collecting books related to its main activities. In addition to books, their library contains hundreds of different magazines, bachelor or master theses and other documents. You can find it at Cejl 537/89 in the STUD offices.
Meeting
Lemon Music Club
Open at Pekařská 7 since 2017, Lemon replaced the popular Depo Club, and is always busy on Fridays and Saturdays.
But Bar
Gay & straight bar in the city centre (Husova 8a). Afternoon chillout, pop and dance hits, music videos of the 70s and 80s. Drinks, cocktails, wine, coffee.
Freek! Club
Gay bar in the city centre (Špitálka 33). Parties every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. You need to buy a ticket for each party in advance (online). All-inclusive drinks all night.
H46
H46 is Brno’s oldest gay bar, opened in December 1992 at Hybešova 46 (hence the name). Now located nearby at Křížova 5, this small cosy bar gets busiest after midnight. There are special events every weekend. If the door is closed, feel free to ring. The website has an English version.
Metro Music Club
Metro Bar (Pekařská 24) is a queer-friendly bar with a lot of student-themed nights; open since 2014.
Freedom Nights
The only party aimed at girls/women is organized by DJ Henriette. These parties take place regularly in Prague, Brno, Pilsen, and Bratislava. The live show, with great DJs, themed events, and more comes to Brno once every three months. You can dance, play, and drink with around 200 lesbians here. There is also a party on a boat during the summer in Prague where you can meet women from all across the country.
For more tips, check out the Brno queer map.
Sports and wellness
Golfský proud (The Gulf Stream)
This small open group organizes swimming trips and other events. Every Wednesday evening they go swimming in the waterpark in Kohoutovice (sometimes somewhere else). In summer, they visit outdoor swimming pools, the Brno reservoir, or water parks outside the city. After swimming they traditionally go for a couple of beers.
In addition to swimming, they organize small hiking and biking trips. Their website and Facebook page are just in Czech, but members of the group speak English, French, and Russian.
Kluci na kole (Boys on Bikes)
This group is much bigger than The Gulf Stream. They organize well-planned bike tours through Moravia. During summer you can join them almost every weekend. Their website is only in Czech, but at least some of the members can speak foreign languages. Send them a message to join the group.
Pěšky atd. (On Foot, etc.)
This group organizes hikes in Moravia. Send them a message at pesky@stud.cz to join the group .
Las Palmas
A gay wellness club operating for over ten years. Relax and meet new people at Galandauerova 17.
Relax Body
Queer-friendly massages in Brno city centre.
Websites and apps
iBoys
This gay dating site for men launched in 2006. The site administrators have organized parties in the Czech and Slovak Republic for their users. It has around 60,000 visits daily. There is an English version.
iGirls
The women’s version of iBoys. The website has the same functions and events, but it doesn’t get as many visits per day.
Top gay apps used in the CR
Grindr
Grindr brands itself as the world’s largest dating app for gay, bi, trans, and queer people, but it’s particularly the ideal gay paradise for men.
Her
Although Her was made as a dating app, it in some way functions as a social media app. It has a feed much like Facebook’s, that allows you to see what others on the app are doing.
Hinge
Hinge is all about encouraging actual conversation, rather than just meaningless likes that never go anywhere.
Tinder
Tinder has worked hard over the past few years to increase its understanding of the dating landscape and has therefore become one of the most inclusive and LGBT-friendly dating apps on the market.
Bumble
Bumble is designed around the simple idea that women make the first move. In same-sex matching, either person has the power to make the first move, but there’s a 24-hour time limit to start the chat after you match with someone.
BoyAhoy
Meet gay men in your area, chat, see who checked you out, get updates from nearby users, buy and send gifts, save your favourite users, browse profiles and pictures, promote your profile with in-app features, earn points to unlock premium features. You don’t have to pay to get notifications.
Planetromeo
A platform for the gay and bisexual male and transgender community. A place for dating, sex, making and meeting friends, sharing ideas, and offering mutual support. They started locally as a network of friends in Berlin and grew into a global community.
iBoys
The Czech website mentioned above also has an app version.