Prague, May 17 (CTK) – Czech lawmaker Radka Maxova (ANO) received the annual bePROUD 2016 award for contribution to the LGBT community on Wednesday, Petr Lane, from the Platform for Equality, Recognition and Diversity (PROUD), has told journalists.
Activist Karel Mrnka was decorated for his life-long work for the LGBT, Lane said.
The award is given on International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.
The candidates for the award were chosen from an online competition at PROUD’s web page.
The PROUD jury selected five finalists. Lawyer Petr Kalla represented a man who lived in registered partnership and unlike single gays or lesbians could not adopt a child. The Constitutional Court then cancelled the ban on child adoption by registered partners.
The jury also nominated the organisation Ara Art that provides consultancy to Romanies, the association Transparent for holding a conference on transsexuals’ rights and Magdalena Skrivankova for her activity in support of gays and lesbians’ parenthood.
The prize was eventually given to Maxova for her “personal efforts when advocating an amendment to the registered partnership law both in the Chamber of Deputies and the media.”
In 1990s, Mrnka founded an association that staged meetings, trips and other events for the LGBT community in the Olomouc Region, north Moravia. He also published a magazine. A total of 49 editions were published.
The Vodafone cell phone company became the employer of the year for the second time. The jury said it was one of the few companies to have drafted a document on the rights and situation of its LGBT staff. It also has parenthood benefits for gays and lesbians.
The media prize went to Amnesty International for a series of documents on the life of LGBT community members.
The annual PROUD award was given for the sixth time this year. The ceremony was held in the residence of the Dutch embassy.
