An open letter from cinema representatives to Prime Minister Peter Fiala

Dear Prime Minister Fiala,

As directors and other representatives* of the above-mentioned cinemas, we hereby call on you and the government you lead to unambiguously advocate for the acceptance of marriage for all couples and thus eliminate the current discrimination against LGBT+ people, couples and families with children in the Czech Republic.

In doing so, we are responding to a recent call from theatre companies to support this and to make it clear that cinema operators also have the rights of not only their queer employees, but all LGBT+ people at heart.

Behind the letter are names of institutions from all parts of the country. So it is clear that the proposal has strong support across the regions. We consider it unacceptable that any group of our fellow citizens should have different rights to others and we strongly oppose all hateful statements that have been made about LGBT+ people.

We find it perfectly natural that our colleagues, fellow viewers and viewers should be able to live their lives as they choose. To have the same rights and responsibilities as those who do not identify as LGBT+. It is extremely important to us that this group of citizens stop being classified as 'second class' and that their rights are finally straightened out.

We want to live in a society based on equal rights, culture and mutual respect. One of the necessary steps towards such a society is the equality of LGBT+ people. This is no longer a minority view - it is shared by the majority of Czech citizens, big companies, theatres and now cinemas. It is not time to put this issue off any longer, it is time to act.

We wish you and your government to find the determination to make this decision for the benefit of all citizens of the Czech Republic.

On behalf of the following, my best regards,

Petr Vítek
Bio Central

Jan Slanina, Veronika Kyselá and Tomáš Ondráček (Bio Central, Hradec Králové), Jiří Flígl (Kino Aero, Praha), Jan Bradáč (kinař, Česká republika), Julián Naglmüller and Jana Trnková (Kino Světozor, Praha), Prokop Jeníček (Bio Oko, Praha), Anna Lísalová (Boutique Cinema Přítomnost, Praha), Radek Pernica and Eva Petláková (Kino Scala, Brno), Vladan Literák (Kino Vlast, Frýdek-Místek), Michal Miškovský (Biograf Český ráj, Jičín), Sabina Hermochová (Kino Metropol, Olomouc), Pavel Rada (Kino v Divadle Za plotem, Praha), Jaroslava Kolibačová (Edison Filmhub, Praha), Michal Zábranský (Kino Metro 70, Prostějov), Zdeněk Krákora (Kino 70, Nové Město nad Metují), Michal Gaja (Multikino Golden Apple Cinema, Zlín), Ondřej Šír (Kino Jitřenka, Semily), Tomáš Lizna a Tomáš Marvan (Kino Panorama, Boskovice), Jan Macola and Alžběta Macolová (Kino Pilotů, Praha), Michaela Sekerášová (Kino Kopřivnice), Regina Szpyrcová (Kino Kosmos, Třinec), Pavel Sikora (Kino O, Orlová), Miloslav Lomič (Kino Máj, Doksy), Jana Dulíková (Kino Luna, Ostrava), Marek Grussmann (Kino Květen, Nový Jičín), Kamil Navrátil (Kino Oko, Šumperk), Bedřich Němec, Filip Schauer and Štěpán Bukáček (Kino Lucerna, Praha), Stanislava Skřičková Jírovcová and Daniel Habrda (Biograf Kotva, České Budějovice), Petr Mašata (Kino Vatra, Vsetín), Zuzana Neméthová (Kino Napajedla), Renata Macková (Kino Bystřice), Milan Šimánek, Barbora Suchyňová, Jakub Plášek and Jana Glocarová (Kino Art, Brno)