Low Voter Turnout Dooms Antigay Laws in Slovakia

Slovak voters decided they had better things to do on Saturday than vote in two harsh antigay laws -- the proposals to ban same-sex marriage and adoption by gays and lesbians failed because of lower voter turnout.

Only about 21 percent of voters showed up at polls to weigh in on the proposals; at least half of registered voters are needed for a referendum to be deemed valid, the Washington Blade reports.

Pope Francis supported the antigay laws and billboards declaring his position were erected throughout the predominantly-Roman Catholic nation. Slovakia, just north of Hungary, is sandwiched between liberal Western Europe and increasingly homophobic Eastern Europe and Russia.

"Despite attempts by anti-equality campaigners and various organizations (from both inside and outside Slovakia) to marginalize LGBTI families, the majority of the Slovakian public rejected their controversial tactics," said ILGA-Europe in a statement. "Today's result confirms that the electorate saw through the homophobic propaganda and were not willing to be part of a movement that discriminates against their fellow citizens."