“We'll draft a bill to establish ownership rights of individuals living together in the same household”, Finance Minister Igor Matovic declared on the public RTVS's discussion programme on Sunday. His partner in the debate, House Financial Committee chair Marian Viskupic, said he does not believe that the Government will lift a finger to support the LGBTI+ community. "If the Government drafts something though, we'll be the first to support it."
Viskupic rejected the notion that the bill on partnership cohabitation, sponsored by the Freedom and Solidarity party and turned down by Parliament, had been drafted in a rushed manner. "The public thinks that our party did something quickly after the murders, but the bill was stemming from the Government Manifesto and submitted to the House in mid-summer," he said.
Matovic pointed out to the experience of other countries with registered partnerships. "They took some steps... and had to accept same-sex marriages and adoptions by homosexuals at the end of the day, against their will. We won't start Slovakia down that path," he underlined, adding that for him a man will always remain a man and a woman always a woman.
Both politicians condemned the October 12 terrorist attack in Bratislava that claimed two lives of LGBTI+ bar patrons, but Matovic takes objection to having Slovakia excoriated in Brussels, as psychopaths can be found in every state. He pointed out that the murderer did not have only LGBTI+ community members on his kill list. "He was out to kill a politician, then killed homosexuals and wished to kill Jews. He was a sick person," added Matovic.
Viskupic criticised Matovic for further polarising society instead of attempting to unite it after the murders, pointing out to Matovic's social network post after the attack, in which Matovic announced that he is a heterosexual. Matovic does not regret the post and claimed that heterosexuals should not be afraid to advertise their sexual orientation, either. He elucidated that his post was driven by what he saw as hatred and profanities displayed during the march in support of the LGBTI+ community following the murders. "You can't march with large banners of love and spread hatred," he noted.
Speaking in a debate on private TA3 TV, House Vice-chair Juraj Blanar from the opposition Smer-SD party said that the bill on partnership cohabitation that Parliament killed in the first reading had been drafted in a rushed fashion. He pointed out that Germany has seen a growing number of attacks on LGBTI+ people despite its legalisation of same-sex marriages.
Also on the show was Environment Minister Jan Budaj who responded that the issue of partnership cohabitation has gone ignored in Slovakia for years. "Slovakia still lives with the burden of post-communist hatred against otherness, hatred against those who are different and a fear of making any step forward," he claimed, adding that he will strive to remedy the situation by submitting a relevant bill to the House as soon as possible. Blanar added that the Smer-SD party is ready to negotiate about a Government-sponsored bill governing partnership cohabitation, but will never vote for same-sex marriage.
Source: TASR
