Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in Ukraine face challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ individuals. Since the fall of the Soviet Union and Ukraine's independence in , the Ukrainian LGBTQ community has gradually become more visible and more organized politically, holding several LGBTQ events in Kyiv, Odesa, Kharkiv, and Kryvyi Rih. In the s and s. However, the particular experiences of the queer community throughout the war have frequently been disregarded or left out of the mainstream discourse. War creates an environment where human rights abuses are more likely to occur and be normalized. In the case of Ukraine, the queer community has repeatedly been subjected to violence and prejudice, which allows hypothesizing that the war is only exacerbating the situation.
The situation of LGBTI people in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine is, therefore, complex and requires urgent attention from the international community and human rights defenders. Since the Soviet Union collapsed in and the Ukrainian Republic regained independence, a lot of progress was made. For example, Ukraine was the first country out of the post-USSR ones that decriminalized punishment for homosexuality the Soviet Union criminalized homosexuality with seven years of imprisonment or labor camp detention. In addition, following the Revolution of Dignity, when the Ukraine's Parliament passed progressive anti-discrimination bills , later they passed the amendment to the labor code that protects from discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation and gender identity SOGI.
Ukrainian non-governmental organization that focuses on implementing and protecting the human rights of the LGBTQ+ community in Ukraine. Last year, Ukraine became a candidate country to join the European Union. Despite significant strides, resistance persists within the corridors of power. The leverage of the EU accession process cannot be overstated.
There is deep-seated prejudice against the LGBTI community in Ukraine, exemplified by the ease with which Bill passed its first reading in Parliament. According to data, Ukrainian voters favour the law—78% of the country views homosexuality negatively and 61% of Kiev residents believe that promoting homosexuality should be punished by a. Kiev, Ukraine — On a chilly Kiev night Maxim, a year-old gay man from the eastern city of Donetsk, waited for a cab to take him to the only shelter in the country for internally displaced LGBT people. After Russia-backed separatists took over his hometown last summer he said life for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community became much more difficult. He held out another six months, deciding to flee only after his apartment block was shelled.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in Ukraine face challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ individuals. Since the fall of the Soviet Union and Ukraine's independence in , the Ukrainian LGBTQ community has gradually become more visible and more organized politically, holding several LGBTQ events in Kyiv, Odesa, Kharkiv, and Kryvyi Rih. In the s and s. The project was funded by the German Academic Exchange Service DAAD. Invisible University for Ukraine IUFU is a certificate program for Ukrainian undergraduate and graduate students, whether residing in Ukraine or in refuge, whose studies have been affected by the war. The video by Sashko Drugli , posted in May , aims to prove that homophobia in Ukraine is a consequence of Russian colonial policies.
Ukrainian non-governmental organization that focuses on implementing and protecting the human rights of the LGBTQ+ community in Ukraine. .
The situation of LGBTI people in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine is, therefore, complex and requires urgent attention from the international community and human rights defenders. .
There is deep-seated prejudice against the LGBTI community in Ukraine, exemplified by the ease with which Bill passed its first reading in Parliament. According to data, Ukrainian voters favour the law—78% of the country views homosexuality negatively and 61% of Kiev residents believe that promoting homosexuality should be punished by a. .