Ukraine, which ousted a pro-Kremlin regime in a pro-Western uprising in 2014, hopes to become a member of the European Union as it seeks to overcome widespread poverty and corruption.īut attacks and harassment against gays and other minorities are fairly common in Ukraine and global rights groups have previously slammed "an atmosphere of total impunity" in the Western-backed nation.Over the last several years, San Diego Pride has expanded it’s international LGBT diplomacy efforts in partnership with the San Diego Diplomacy Council.
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"Thank you to the police and other law enforcement agencies for protecting today's Pride event," British ambassador to Ukraine Judith Gough tweeted.
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"Me and many of my brothers would not want our children to be gay or lesbian," added 21-year-old Semen Sokha.įoreign diplomats and politicians praised the event. We have traditional society and such things demoralise the army," said Sergiy. Some of the anti-gay protesters said a country at war should not be holding such events. There were no major incidents on Sunday even though some protesters scuffled with police. Police said they had detained nine activists ahead of the march on Saturday, over planned "provocations". "Ukraine has made a big step forward," he said. The 27-year-old said that "it was scary" to participate in the event the next year but things have since improved. Vitaliy, who declined to give his last name, said he was attacked with glass bottles after the parade in 2015. "We go out to show that there are a lot of us and we have a lot of support," she told AFP. Ruslana Panukhnyk, head of KyivPride, which organises the parade, said the marchers felt safe despite the presence of the anti-gay protesters. "There are lots of homophobes and because of these homophobes and their homophobic commanders these people cannot come out," he said in televised remarks. He said more gay soldiers wanted to join the event but could not leave the frontline in eastern Ukraine, adding that life for gay soldiers was tough. Viktor Pylypenko, who led the column of troops and veterans, said: "There are more than 30 of us here." "Every citizen should feel safe and should not be subjected to violence," it said in a post on Facebook early Sunday.Īctivists at the parade said that things have been gradually improving for gay people in Ukraine.īut homophobia is still commonplace, even though Kiev authorities have allowed gay pride marches to be held, unlike in neighbouring Russia. Zelensky's office urged law enforcement agencies to ensure order. Turnout was higher than last year, when around 5,000 people took part. The event was the first "March of Equality" to take place since Volodymyr Zelensky, a comedian without previous political experience, took over as president in May.
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Some 1,000 far-right and Orthodox activists, who were kept away from the marchers, held up anti-gay banners and shouted "Shame!" as the procession began. "Freedom is our religion" and "We all look the same from space", read some of the banners held up by the march participants.
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The marchers were joined by politicians and foreign ambassadors as thousands of police and National Guard troops stood by to ensure order.įor the first time, several dozen Ukrainian troops and veterans of war with Russia-backed separatists in the east walked in a separate column - some in military dress. The participants, waving rainbow and Ukrainian flags and sporting colourful costumes, marched through the centre of the capital as far-right and Orthodox activists sought to disrupt the event. Troops in military uniform joined more than 8,000 people marching in Kiev's Gay Pride parade amid tight security on Sunday, the biggest ever annual celebration of diversity in ex-Soviet Ukraine.