Armenian citizens among almost 500 married Czech same sex couples

Prague (CTK): The number of registered partnerships between Czech same sex couples reached 487 by the end of last year with homosexual male couples prevailing considerably, according to a poll the results of which were given to CTK by the Sidovsky Management agency today.

Eight of the registered partnerships have ceased to exist and in five cases it were lesbian couples, the poll showed.

The law on registered partnership that allows marriages between gay and lesbian couples has been valid in the Czech Republic since July 2006.

Since then, legal registered partnerships were concluded by 353 homosexual male and 134 female couples.

In 43 cases, one of the partners was a foreigner, especially from Slovakia, but also Azerbaijan, Taiwan, Israel, Mexico, Kazakhstan, Armenia, the Netherlands, the USA and Canada.

Homosexual couples were prosecuted in the former Czechoslovakia until 1961. The law on registered partnership of same sex couples was passed by the Czech Chamber of Deputies in March 2006 when the Chamber overrode President Vaclav Klaus's veto by a narrow majority.

Under the law, same sex couples can officially register their partnership with legal consequences. The partnership, for instance, guarantees its members the right to information about their partner's health, sets the duty to take care for the partner, but does not allow the adoption of children.