Reacting to news that the Slovak parliament voted today to pass amendments to the constitution that will lead to the recognition of only two genders (male and female), restrict comprehensive sexuality education, and limit adoption to only married heterosexual couples, Rado Sloboda, Director of Amnesty International Slovakia, said:
“This is devastating news. Instead of taking concrete steps to protect the rights of LGBTI people, children, and women, the Slovakian parliament voted to pass these amendments, which put the constitution in direct contradiction with international law. Today is another dark day for Slovakia, which is already facing a series of cascading attacks on human rights and the rule of law.
The situation for marginalized groups in Slovakia is already dire and these amendments rub salt into the wound
“The situation for marginalized groups in Slovakia – including LGBTI people – is already dire. These amendments rub salt into the wound. Instead of attacking human rights, the authorities should address the lack of legal protection for all families, marriage equality, and the rights of transgender and non-binary people, including access to health care and legal gender recognition. We need comprehensive sexuality education for children to prevent sexual violence and promote sexual and reproductive health in the country.
“Today the Slovak government chose to follow the lead of countries, such as Hungary, whose policies have led to an erosion of human rights. The only way to stop this decline is to comply with international and European law and introduce proposals to protect human rights for all, while rejecting those that jeopardize these efforts.”
Background
The constitutional amendments, cloaked in the language of ‘national identity’, aim at stripping away rights to private and family life, education, and healthcare from children, women, and LGBTI people. They breach EU law and international human rights treaties, and threatened the principle of their primacy concerning a wide range of human rights issues.
Amnesty International has long warned that these amendments are part of a wider attempt by authorities to roll back rights in Slovakia. The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as multiple UN Special Rapporteursin the fields of education, health, and privacy, and the EU institutions, have also expressed concern regarding the amendments and recommended withdrawal or rejection of the proposed changes.
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