Around 5,000 people have taken to the streets of Kyiv to call for full equality for LGBTQIA+ people in Ukraine, in the largest event of its kind since Russia’s full-scale invasion began.
The 10th Kyiv Pride March took place on Sunday, 21 June, beginning at the capital’s National University before moving through the downtown area for more than a kilometre and finishing at the Square of Ukrainian Heroes for a rally. Organisers said it was the largest Pride turnout in Kyiv since the start of the full-scale war.
This year’s theme was “Our families are part of Ukraine”, with a strong focus on family and relationship rights for LGBTQIA+ Ukrainians.
Strong international support for reform
The march drew international support, with representatives from the diplomatic missions of Australia, Canada, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Norway, Belgium, the UK, Finland, Spain, Denmark and France taking part.
Canadian ambassador Natalka Cmoc and Dutch ambassador Alle Dorhout personally attended, along with representatives from the European Union, the Council of Europe, the World Bank and the United Nations.
Civil Code concerns
Organisers used the march to call on the Ukrainian government to withhold approval of a proposed new Civil Code, as it contains what they describe as discriminatory provisions that contradict Ukraine’s obligations as part of European integration.
The current draft would define marriage as only between a man and a woman.
Activists also called on lawmakers to “recognise family partnerships for military and civilian persons as an important step towards marriage equality” and to bring Ukraine’s laws further into line with other European nations on LGBTQIA+ rights.
Ukraine does not currently allow same-sex couples to enter into civil partnerships, although the Ukrainian Supreme Court earlier this year upheld recognition of a same-sex couple as a “de facto family”.
Marchers also urged the government to pass comprehensive hate-crime legislation addressing homophobia and transphobia in Ukraine’s Criminal Code, and to simplify the process for transgender Ukrainians seeking to amend official documents.
The event lasted around two hours and was cut short by an air raid alert in response to the threat of a potential Russian attack on the city.
Government remains divided
Earlier this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called homophobia the “prejudices of people from the 15th century,” adding, “you and I are modern people.”
However, elements within his own government continue to oppose equal treatment for LGBTQIA+ people.
For many LGBTQIA+ Ukrainians, this year’s Pride carried particular weight. Against the backdrop of war, military service and European integration, marchers made clear that queer families are not separate from Ukraine’s future — they are part of it.
