Lawmakers passing the country's same-sex marriage bill's first vote in parliament's lower chamber April 29 thrilled LGBTQ Czechs.
At the same time, the split government also voted on the opposition's bill to constitutionally ban same-sex marriage, which also passed.
However, it would need a higher threshold to become law. Czeslaw Walek, chairman of Prague Pride and head of We Are Fair Campaign, the country's organization fighting for marriage equality, was "thrilled" by the vote on the marriage bill, calling it a "huge success," in an email to the Bay Area Reporter. "It sent a signal that the change is possible if we vote for representatives that support our cause," he wrote, referring to the Easter European country's forthcoming October