Kiev to stage gay parade
The Ukrainian capital of Kiev will host an LGBTQ pride parade in June, a local NGO has announced in a Facebook post. It will be the first time that such an event has taken place in the city since the start of the conflict between Moscow and Kiev.
The ‘KyivPride’ group – an organization promoting LGBTQ rights in Ukraine – has provided few details about the parade apart from the fact that it will take place on June 16 during international Pride Month. They called the event the ‘Equality March’, and said it would “definitely take place.” The organizers also vowed to ensure that it “passes in the safest possible way,” while admitting that they were aware of “risks and challenges” posed by the ongoing hostilities.
Further updates on the exact location and timing of the event were promised but none have been published in over three weeks since the initial announcement was made on May 3. The event also apparently failed to gain traction on social media, attracting only 50 ‘likes’ and being shared six times on Facebook.
The last LGBTQ parade in Kiev was held in 2021. After the start of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, the event was “hosted” twice by the British city of Liverpool, where the local organizers repeatedly stated that they were holding the event “on behalf” of the Ukrainian capital.
The LGBTQ movement in Ukraine has been seeking to take a more prominent role in Ukrainian society amid the ongoing conflict with Russia. Its proponents have reportedly argued that the spread of LGBTQ in the country would somehow hurt Moscow.
In 2022, Russia outlawed ‘LGBT propaganda’. State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said at the time that the prohibition would shield “our children and the future of the country from the darkness spread by the US and European states.” In 2024, the nation also added the ‘LGBT movement’ to its terrorist list.
LGBTQ groups have also repeatedly sought to demonstrate their links to Kiev’s forces fighting against Russia. On Monday, the same ‘KyivPride’ group that announced the parade also launched a fundraising campaign seeking to collect 4 million hryvnas ($98,739) for five organizations supplying various types of drones to the Ukrainian military. “We encourage all the LGBTQ+ and allies to join” the campaign, the group said.
The drive also seems to be receiving support from Kiev’s Western backers. Last year, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ordered Ukraine to pay damages to a gay couple after several unsuccessful attempts to register their marriage in the country. The court found Kiev in breach of their rights even though same-sex marriages remain illegal in Ukraine.
In 2023, former deputy culture minister Inna Sovsun submitted legislation to recognize same-sex civil unions. The move pleased Kiev’s foreign backers and boosted Ukraine’s own accession to the EU, she argued at that time. The initiative was stalled as Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky insisted no constitutional changes were possible during wartime.
