Tuesday, June 17th 2025 | Husa na provázku - Dvorek

Tuesday, June 17th, was one of the most important debates of this year's festival - in the premises of the Husa na provázku Theater, we reflected together on how queer people live in Slovakia.

The discussion was conducted in an open but urgent spirit. We talked not only about the everyday reality of LGBT+ people in a country where the state increasingly questions their existence, but also about the large role that religion, politics, or even abortion rights play in these issues. The topic was also the currently discussed amendment to the Slovak Constitution, which would make the legal transition of trans* people impossible and deny the existence of rainbow families.

One of the planned guests was Lucia Plaváková, a lawyer and member of the National Council of the Slovak Republic. However, due to the vote on the aforementioned amendment, she remained in Bratislava and was unable to participate in the debate in person. Even so, her words resonated in the backyard of the theater:

"This amendment affects me personally, it affects my family personally... My daughter has two mothers. And you are going to make it impossible for her to have the best life in Slovakia."

Moderator Jolana Humpálová discussed the amendment with another guest, other debaters were:

  • Roman Samotný, founder of the Tepláreň platform and one of the main figures of the Slovak queer scene
  • Vero Moňok, coordinator of Košice Pride
  • Kristína Kasanová, psychologist from inPoradna, who deals with counseling for LGBT+ clients and their loved ones

The aforementioned journalist accompanied her in the evening Jolana Humpálová (Voxpot), who led the conversation not only about fear, but also about the power of community, about what queer people have to defend, and why we must never give up in the fight for equal rights.

We would like to thank the Husa na provázku Theatre for the beautiful setting for this debate, which became a place for sharing, understanding, and mutual support.

Photo: @michalkralfoto, @vikivahoo