Interactive map honors LGBTQ+ people’s historic presence in Prague

April 13, 2026

A Czech LGBTQ+ activist organization called the Society for Queer Memory has created an interactive online map documenting Prague's historical LGBTQ+ heritage, featuring 160 locations dating back to 1376 where queer individuals lived, worked, and gathered. The initiative emerged as a response to persistent discrimination in Czech politics, where politicians routinely make homophobic statements without consequences and dismiss gender diversity as foreign influence, despite the Czech Republic being relatively tolerant compared to other Central European nations. While the country decriminalized homosexuality in 1961 and legalized civil partnerships in 2006, same-sex marriage remains unratified despite public support, and over 40 percent of LGBTQ+ Czechs report experiencing abuse.

Who is affected

LGBTQ+ people in the Czech Republic (over 40% reporting verbal or physical abuse)
Members of the Society for Queer Memory/Společnost Pro Queer Pamět NGO
Czech citizens generally (approximately two-thirds who support same-sex marriage)
Specific politicians including former president Miloš Zeman, former prime minister Petr Fiala, Senator Pavel Fischer, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Petr Macinka
Historical LGBTQ+ figures documented in the project, including artists Jan Zrzavý and Toyen
Activist Ladislav Jackson (NGO representative)
Historian Jan Seidl

What action is being taken

The Society for Quear Memory is operating an online interactive map called "Queer Prague" that lists 160 historical locations associated with LGBTQ+ people and places in Prague, with clickable information pages explaining cultural and historical context.

Why it matters

This project challenges the narrative promoted by right-wing politicians who characterize LGBTQ+ identity and gender diversity as foreign cultural imports from Brussels or the United States. By documenting LGBTQ+ presence in Czech culture dating back to 1376, the initiative demonstrates that queer people have always been part of Czech society, which is instrumental in maintaining and expanding LGBTQ+ civic and human rights. The project provides evidence against claims that LGBTQ+ visibility is a modern phenomenon or "remnant of an immoral era," and helps counter a political culture of impunity where discriminatory statements by public officials go without consequences despite EU anti-discrimination obligations.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: Global Voices