First Czech MP comes out as gay

MP Jiří Navrátil of the Christian Democrats is the country’s first member of parliament to come out as gay. In an interview for Seznam.cz, Mr. Navratil spoke openly about his sexuality and criticized the discrimination faced by members of the LGBT community in this country. He said what prompted him to speak out was the recent homophobic murder of two gay men in Slovakia. The tragedy resonated strongly in Czechia where several thousand people gathered on Prague’s Wenceslas Square on Wednesday to raise their voice against homophobia. They blamed the Czech and Slovak governments for dragging their feet in giving LGBT people equal rights, which they say fueled prejudices and hatred against them.