LGBTQ+ in Czechia: Experts from FSV UK on diversity, video games, and coming out later in life
The latest special episode of the De Facto podcast, marking the Prague Pride 2025 human rights festival, focused on issues related to the LGBTQ+ community. Two experts from FSV UK joined the discussion – Associate Professor Jaroslava Hasmanová Marhánková from the Institute of Sociological Studies and Dr. Tereza Fousek Krobová from the Institute of Communication Studies and Journalism.
Read part of the interview below.
Kristýna Springorum (KS): Could we start by clarifying the key terms we’ll be discussing in this podcast?
Jaroslava Hasmanová Marhánková (JHM): The abbreviation LGBTQ+ includes a range of identities and labels. Each letter in the acronym stands for one of these identities. However, the way the acronym is used can vary. I think the main message it conveys is diversity. For me personally, when I use this acronym, it’s not so important where it ends or whether it’s “complete”. What matters is the idea behind it – highlighting diversity. That’s why I don’t feel the need to list every single category – I think that would actually go against the spirit of the acronym. Its main message is about diversity.
Tereza Fousek Krobová (TFK): The acronym is often criticized for being “endless” and people don’t know where it should stop. But to me, that’s exactly the point – that it is endless. My students and I like the word queer, which works well as an adjective or even a verb. It’s much more flexible than the acronym, which lists specific group members.
KS: How do you think attitudes toward the LGBTQ+ community in Czech public space have changed in recent years? You both study this topic – have you noticed a shift?
TFK: I think the best metaphor is “widening scissors”. On the one hand, society is becoming more tolerant and liberal. The topics are more visible, they’re being talked about – and that alone is progress. People are increasingly realizing they don’t actually mind queer topics. Among students, this shift is especially visible. Compared to the generations I taught ten years ago, today’s students are much more open – many even more than I am. They know how to talk about it. That’s the positive side. But at the same time, we’re seeing what’s called a backlash. As a movement gains visibility and support, it naturally attracts louder opposition. This manifests in mockery – like when people say someone identifies as a helicopter, or claim there are 85 genders. And from that kind of devaluation, it’s just a small step to extremely critical voices and the rise of the manosphere.
JHM: I completely agree. You can see those “scissors” in public opinion too. Overall, young people – especially young women – are more liberal, but at the same time, differences among them are growing. For example, there’s a widening gap in attitudes between young women and men. Among young men, we’re seeing more conservatism. So we can’t say society is clearly moving toward openness – it’s more complicated. On the other hand, it’s fair to say that even in legislation, we’ve seen some positive changes recently. It’s not a black-and-white story. But what I find specific to today’s context is how queer topics are being politicized. The issue is often raised in ways that express other agendas – like mobilizing voters through populist tactics or deflecting attention from other problems. That’s what stands out to me – that queer topics are showing up in the public space mostly through a negative emotional context. And I think we’ll be seeing even more of that in the future.
KS: You mentioned legal changes and some positive developments. But what obstacles do you think the queer community still faces? In which areas are prejudices most common?
JHM: We have data on this – especially on manifestations of hate behavior. And unfortunately, the Czech Republic doesn’t rank well in European comparisons. According to the latest EU research, nearly 63% of LGBTQ+ individuals have experienced verbal or physical aggression – the highest rate among EU member states. One major issue is cyberviolence and cyberbullying. Almost all young people have either witnessed or been victims of this kind of hate toward LGBTQ+ people. Considering how much time young people spend on social media, this should really concern us. Another issue is invisibility in public space and so-called microaggressions. And of course, bullying in schools – which I think is a huge problem. Studies show that up to two-thirds of young LGBTQ+ individuals experience it.
TFK: Legal changes are extremely important, but I think the symbolic level is still lacking. While there are some individual successes – often thanks to the hard work of various organizations – broader public discourse is still painfully slow. The status of LGBTQ+ people on a symbolic level remains very problematic and under-discussed.
KS: What do you think could help change the situation? I know it’s not an easy question – and probably not one with a simple answer – but do you have any thoughts? Maybe looking abroad as well?
TFK: Honestly, I don’t know – because the global situation is extremely complex. Just look at what’s happening in the USA, which many of us once saw as a bastion of democracy. When you see what’s been happening there around abortion rights and other issues – it’s hard to know how to talk about these topics sensitively.
I come from a media studies background, so I’d always say media and popular culture can play a big role. But then I see the backlash when a queer character appears in a Netflix show – how much rage erupts, especially if the character is a lesbian or not “feminine” enough. And at moments like that, I sometimes lose hope in having sensitive discussions around these topics.
JHM: For me, the key is not to think of this as a stand-alone issue needing special tools. It’s part of broader democratic thinking, of being sensitive, recognizing human diversity and experiences. This can be communicated through other topics, other identities. All of us embody certain specific characteristics and all of us, at some point, experience being “different”. Being able to handle and respond to that sensitively isn’t just about LGBTQ+ issues. I don’t think we need special tools just for this topic – rather, we need to learn to be empathetic, to listen, and to see diversity as a natural part of life, not as a problem. I agree that representation – showing diverse people and experiences – is important. And yet, in education – especially in primary schools – there’s still a lot of fear and caution around working with these topics. But I think that’s exactly where there’s space to open up these conversations and develop sensitivity more broadly.
KS: Dr. Fousek Krobová, you addressed queer communities in your dissertation. It’s been some time, but what were your key findings?
TFK: I used several case studies. One of them focused on women and the so-called female gaze – a twist on the male gaze, meaning the way women’s bodies are viewed in media. I was interested in whether we could flip the stereotype – that men play games to look at women’s butts – and ask whether women look at men’s butts. And it turns out – yes, they do. But it was also a space where we saw something Judith Butler would have appreciated – a space where people perform the “other” gender with their understanding of gender. In other words, women were controlling male characters. And not just looking at their butts – they were performing masculinity. They changed their voices, beat up characters, catcalled female NPCs.
That connects to another case study, this time of men. Some told me, “I actually find it interesting to play a female character. Sure, I see her breasts, but I also get to imagine what it’s like to be in a woman’s world – to experience what it’s like to have breasts.” Of course, that’s not how it works – you don’t actually know what it’s like to have breasts. But exploring those boundaries in game worlds is interesting – all the things people can try in games.
There’s research on this – people do all kinds of things in games. They like playing different genders, experimenting, having sex with characters of another gender, because they know it’s safe and there’s no real-world risk. And maybe it brings them joy or satisfaction.
KS: You said the LGBTQ+ community now expects games to offer the option of playing queer characters. Do you think these expectations are being met? Have games evolved?
TFK: I think there’s been some progress. A few years ago, a game was released that was partially mainstream, partially indie – but still a big game – and it featured a trans man as the main character. It was the first time a major title allowed players to play as a trans man. We talked about it a lot with students – whether they saw it as progress – and everyone agreed it was.
I have a somewhat controversial opinion that many of my students disagree with. I think that even if the game is bad, even if it feels forced – my students always say it doesn’t feel “genuine”, that the game didn’t really want to include a queer character but did it for queerbaiting, to lure the queer community and make money. And I always say – I honestly don’t care. Even if the game or show is terrible, even if the creators and industry are just doing it to make a profit – I don’t care. If even one person feels joy or meaning from playing a badly written queer character, it’s still one more queer character in the world. And I think we need a lot of bad queer characters before we get the good ones – just like we need a lot of bad straight characters before we get good ones.
KS: How has your research continued in this area?
TFK: I’ve been exploring the idea of queer gaming – or queering – and how even straight people can play queer, and what that means for them. That’s been a focus of mine. Lately, though, I’ve returned to some grittier realities – I’ve interviewed female gaming journalists about their experiences working and living here. I also recently completed research on female game developers in the Czech Republic. And now I’m finishing a study about retired women who play games – and how they face double stereotyping: being older women who “shouldn’t be playing” and, simultaneously, being women who supposedly “should never have played.” So I’m currently more focused on femininity and exploring it from various angles within gaming culture.
KS: Associate Professor Hasmanová Marhánková, you’ve focused on aging in relation to LGBTQ+. What personally led you to that research topic?
JHM: I came to it more through the topic of aging. I took the reverse route, because I saw it as a good way to highlight that aging is a diverse experience. We tend to see old age as a shift into a completely new category – as if the life someone led before disappears, and now a “senior” life begins. But that’s not true.
I got into this topic through studying intimacy in later life. We looked at how people experience relationships later in life – for example, those starting new relationships or going through “gray divorces” after 40 years of marriage. One group we focused on were LGBTQ+ individuals – how they experience aging, relationships, intimacy. So for me, it was about wanting to look at aging through a more colorful lens – and that includes gender and sexual expression.
At the same time, I explored this through another project aimed at improving residential services for elderly people. This topic came up as we examined what happens when people enter “total institutions” at such a fragile life stage. We interviewed both care providers and residents. One striking finding was how invisible this topic was to service providers – many were genuinely surprised when we asked about LGBTQ+ issues. It had simply never occurred to them that seniors might be LGBTQ+, or that this was even a relevant topic.
At the same time, interviews with LGBTQ+ seniors revealed another story – they were fully aware of this invisibility. They knew that these institutions weren’t places where one could live openly or express a non-heterosexual identity. That was heartbreaking – because old age is often a time for reflection, for looking back, for sharing one’s life experience. And yet, there was silence – as if that part of their life couldn’t be talked about or shared. That was a deeply sad realization.
It’s also a question of how we talk about what residential care should look like, and how to respond to the fact that people have different needs. That’s a discussion we’re not having yet – not just in relation to LGBTQ+ people, but about the reality that seniors aren’t a monolith. They’re not just “Seniors with a capital S” – and that shouldn’t be the end of the story.
Listen to the full podcast (only in Czech) below or on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
