The Czech Republic currently offers civil partnerships for same-sex couples. However, advocates of gay marriage say the current system still leaves them at a disadvantage. Apart from the symbolic difference of being called “registered partners” rather than “spouses”, gay marriage advocates also say there are practical deficiencies. These include the inability to claim widow pensions, or to collectively adopt a child. Yet gay couples are now hoping things could change. An amendment to the Czech Civil Code, which allows same-sex marriage, is set to have its first reading in Parliament this week.