Slovakia Lags on LGBT Rights, Says Ombudswoman

"As soon as I took the position, this issue, especially the question of the rainbow flag, came up," said Patakyova, who defied political pressure and kept the flag flying. She also became a prominent supporter of Bratislava's annual Pride march.

Slovakia is one of only six EU countries that do not allow legal partnerships or adoption of children by same-sex couples.

Since becoming ombudswoman in 2017, the former vice-chancellor of Comenius University in Bratislava has stood up to populist politicians in trying to change that.

Drawing on her knowledge of law and precedent, she urged lawmakers to guarantee legal protections for same-sex couples in line with Slovakia's constitution, the European Convention on Human Rights and European court decisions.

The government has so far refused to accept her arguments.

"We are violating the rights of our citizens," Patakyova told BIRN in an interview.

'Behind closed doors'

Slovak society is divided when it comes to equality issues.

On the one hand, opposition to LGBT rights is a rallying call for populists, conservatives, the Catholic Church and extremists.

Parties such as the SNS or the far-right People's Party Our Slovakia put anti-LGBT slogans on billboards and in ads, while former Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who is still leader of the ruling SMER-SD party, often pits LGBT rights against "traditional" family values, especially before elections.

Such voices say that same-sex partnerships threaten the institution of marriage, which is defined in the Slovak constitution as "an act between one man and one woman".

Meanwhile, cyberspace is awash with anti-LGBT propaganda and hate speech, boosted by disinformation campaigns from pro-Russian media...