We will not be silent, helping professionals say after a recent anti-LGBTI vote

Psychologists, social workers and others condemn a recent parliamentary vote on a proposed change to the constitution to curb human rights.

Speaker of Parliament Boris Kollár (Sme Rodina)Speaker of Parliament Boris Kollár (Sme Rodina) (Source: TASR)

Hundreds of experts from helping professions and hundreds of additional supporters have rejected what they call moral relativism towards the LGBTI community in an open letter. The letter was written in reaction to a recent legislative initiative in the parliament.

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On March 17, the parliament debated a draft constitutional amendment by the leader of the far-right ĽSNS, Marian Kotleba, proposing to add a clause in the Constitution defining parents as a father - man and a mother - woman. Kotleba also proposed to hinder the possibilities for a sex change for transgender people.

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The proposed amendment was voted down after it received 44 votes in the 150-strong plenum, but it stirred public debate after 26 coalition MPs of OĽaNO (14 votes) and Sme Rodina (12 votes, including leader Boris Kollár) supported it in the parliamentary vote.

"We want to tell all LGBTQI+ people and the MPs that we will not be silent," the letter penned by helping professions reads. "We perceive the interference with their rights as a threat to all of us."

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