Czech Republic: medals for fidelity to old marital model?
The Czech Senate plans to discuss proposals for awarding "fidelity medals" to "exemplary married couples consisting of a man and a woman". Commentators are critical, pointing out that the real intention of the initiative put forward by two members of the upper house of the Czech parliament is for the state to distance itself from other forms of cohabitation such as registered partnerships for gay couples.
Outdated glorification of marriage
Český rozhlas describes the plan as absurd:
“The form of the family is changing, whether we like it or not. Even twisting the Civil Code or awarding people fidelity bonuses won't change that. ... For many people saying that the nuclear family consisting of a heterosexual couple and children is something we should be particularly proud of is a bitter denial of their own experience. But it is precisely the changes that the family unit is undergoing that are causing panic among certain politicians.”
Sexual minorities serve as scapegoats
Non-binary people don't pose a threat to anyone and simply want to have a place in society, Aktuálně.cz stresses:
“This place has long been occupied by heterosexual people and the institution of the heterosexual family and marriage. Certainly, this kind of family can often be great, even if sometimes we don't appreciate it. We ourselves have been destroying the 'normal' family for decades. But we blame its failures, the high divorce rates and the high number of people who simply live together without getting married on the LGBTQ+ community. This is nonsense and stupid. Society should be glad that people with different inclinations and different ways of thinking are standing up for marriage.”