Is it illegal to be gay in ukraine
LGBT troops on Ukraine's front line combat homophobia at home
One couple was using the parade to come out to their families and military units. “This is a very emotional day for us," they told me, not ready to reveal their names publicly. “We are proud we’ve been able to show people that there are lots of us same-sex attracted soldiers, and that we are on the front lines defending Ukraine."
The BBC has asked Ukraine’s military about the treatment of LGBT soldiers, but has not yet received a response.
Much of the work to increase the noticeability of LGBT soldiers on the front line has been done by Viktor Pylypenko, the first openly gay soldier in the Ukrainian army, who went public about his sexuality in 2018.
The combat medic built an online community, encouraging serving soldiers to distribute their experiences on Instagram, after recognizing that when he told people who he rescued from small front-line villages that he was gay, they often became more accepting.
“People’s attitudes are transforming because they’ve heard our stories. For example there are many gay soldiers operating the air-defence systems in Kyiv and people are so grateful to them," he said.
Viktor acknowledges
The legal status and guarantees of rights of LGBTI citizens in the temporarily occupied territories of Crimea and Donbas depend on the legislation applied in these territories.
Under Ukrainian law, LGBTI citizens have the right to non-discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity but do not have the right to recognition of same-sex marriages or partnerships. From the perspective of Russian legislation de facto applied in the occupied territories, LGBTI citizens are deprived of the right to freely express their sexual orientation and gender identity by the so-called law on “propaganda of homosexuality among minors,” which provides fines and administrative prosecution. According to international documents, LGBTI citizens have the right to respect for their dignity, equality before the law, non-discrimination, autonomy of expression and privacy, and protection from violence and persecution. However, these rights are often violated in the occupied territories due to the hostile attitude of the occupying authorities and illegal armed groups toward the LGBTI community.
The current state of implementation of the rights of LGBTI citizens in the temporarily
Ukraine to consider legalising queer marriage amid war
A petition in Ukraine calling for same-sex marriage to be legalised has gained enough signatures for the president to consider the proposal.
The petition has more than 28,000 signatures, meaning President Volodymyr Zelensky now has 10 days to respond.
Homosexuality is not illegal in Ukraine, but same-sex marriages and civil partnerships are not recognised.
This has caused particular problems for LGBT people signing up for the military following Russia's invasion.
For example, under Ukrainian law if someone in a same-sex relationship dies, their partner cannot accumulate their body or bury them.
The online petition, external says: "At this period, every day can be the last."
One LGBT organisation has described the petition as an "important moment" for members of the community.
"It is key that LGBTQ people contain the right to spot their partner and hold their body from the morgue, and seek compensation if needed," Oksana Solonska, media communications manager at Kyiv Pride, told the BBC.
"All married couples possess these rights. We really hope that same-sex marriage will be le
The early 1990s saw a major extension of the Council of Europe membership due to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia. In 1989, for example, there were 22 member states whereas by 2010 this had risen to 47.
To connect the Council of Europe, new member-states must undertake certain commitments, including conforming their criminal laws to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). As we know from the situation in Northern Ireland described in Dudgeon above, the ECHR right to privacy prohibits the criminalisation of same-sex activity. By the time candidate states from Eastern Europe and the former Soviet bloc applied for membership of the Council of Europe, it was a condition of their accession to decriminalise.
By way of example, the following countries decriminalised at or around the time they joined: Lithuania (joined the Council of Europe in 1993; decriminalised in 1993), Estonia (1993; 1992), Romania (1993; 1996), Serbia (2003; 1994), Ukraine (1995; 1991), Albania (1995; 1995), Latvia (1995; 1992), Macedonia FYROM (1995; 1996), Moldova (1995; 1995), Russia (1996; 1993), Bosnia and Herzegovina (2002; 1998-2001), Georgia (1999; 200