EU court opens door to Marriage Equality in Slovakia
The ruling means that all EU member-states must recognise same-sex marriages.
In a big step forward for LGBTQ people in Europe, the European Court of Justice has ruled that EU member states are obliged to recognise same-sex marriages that have been registered elsewhere in the EU.
Poland was the country against which the complaint had been brought. The complainants were a same-sex Polish couple who had been married in Germany in 2018.
When the couple subsequently moved to Poland, authorities refused to accept their marriage certificate as Polish law does not recognise same-sex marriage.
In its ruling, the ECJ clarified that Poland was not required to amend its domestic law. This means that while same-sex couples in Poland are not able to be married, Polish authorities must recognise a same-sex marriage registered in an EU country that has embraced Marriage Equality.
The ruling will also apply to countries such as Slovakia.
What's life like for LGBTQ people in Slovakia?
What’s life like for LGBTQ people in Slovakia? Let’s take a look at some of the key equality indicators.
Is homosexuality legal in Slovakia?
Yes. Same-sex sexual activity was decriminalised in 1962.
The age of consent is 15 regardless of sexuality.
Are there anti-discrimination protections in place for LGBTQ people in Slovakia?
Yes. There are protections against discrimination on the basis of sexuality.
Is there Marriage Equality in Slovakia?
No. There are some limited legal protections available for same-sex relationships.
The recent ruling by the European Court of Justice will require Slovakia to recognise same-sex marriages where the couple has married in a European country that has embraced Marriage Equality.
What’s life like for LGBTQ people in Slovakia?
Slovakia is a socially conservative country. Homosexuality is a taboo subject.
There is a small LGBTQ community in Bratislava.
Reports indicate that while acceptance of LGBTQ people is increasing across the general population, the current government is targeting the queer community as a scapegoat - deliberately rolling back equality measures.
In the ILGA report on LGBTQ Equality in Europe, Slovakia was ranked 33rd overall. With a total score of 27.17%, Slovakia scored positively on Civil Society Space but lost points on all other criteria.
