LGBTQ rights in Slovakia
LGBTQ rights in Slovakia | |
|---|---|
Location of Slovakia (dark green) – in Europe (light green & dark grey) | |
| Legal status | Legal since 1962 as part of Czechoslovakia, age of consent equalized in 1990 |
| Gender identity | Legal gender change possible de jure, none de facto |
| Military | Allowed to serve openly |
| Discrimination protections | Sexual orientation and gender identity protections since 2002 (see below) |
| Family rights | |
| Recognition of relationships | No recognition of same-sex couples |
| Restrictions | Same-sex marriage constitutionally banned |
| Adoption | Single LGBT person may adopt |
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Slovakia face significant challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ residents. The status of LGBT rights in Slovakia are regarded as some of the worst among the European Union countries.
Same-sex sexual activity was made legal in Czechoslovakia in 1962. Despite this, same-sex couples are granted limited legal rights. The country does not recognize same-sex marriage or civil unions. Slovakia is generally seen as having less supportive public opinion for LGBT people compared to its neighbour, the Czech Republic.
On 12 October 2022, two people were killed (plus the perpetrator), and a third person was wounded in a shooting outside of the front entrance of Tepláren, a gay bar in Bratislava, Slovakia, a well-known spot frequented by the local LGBTQ community.
Opinion polls have shown highly fluctuating trends in support for same-sex marriage and civil unions. In 2019, polls showed either 29% or 57% of Slovaks support civil unions. A poll after the 2022 Bratislava terrorist attack showed only 40% support civil unions. Several civil union bills were proposed in 1997, 2000, 2012, 2018, 2021 and 2022, but all were rejected by the Slovak parliament.
Transgender people in Slovakia experience difficulty in accessing healthcare, and a complete lack of regulation in legal gender change makes the process highly individual and difficult.
On 3 July 2024, the Minister of Culture Martina Šimkovičová made a homophobic and racist statement saying “we heterosexuals are creating the future, because we make babies. Europe is dying out, babies are not being born because of the excessive number of LGBT people. And the strange thing is [that it’s happening] with the white race”.