On June 16 , KyivPride 2024 march will take place in Kyiv. The organizers have published a three-point manifesto, UNN reports.
"The KyivPride 2024 march will take place on June 16 in Kyiv. It is needed now for a better future for the LGBTQ+ community and for Ukraine.
The march will be held with the belief that we, Ukrainians, have more in common than we have differences. It will be held with the conviction that homophobia and transphobia are always out of time, especially during a full-scale war in Ukraine," the statement reads.
According to the organizers, this year's KyivPride march is going to be different:
Together to victory
The LGBTQ+ community is part of and a reflection of Ukrainian society. It is also involved in Ukraine's fight against Russia. LGBTQ+ people are fighting and dying in the war, they volunteer for the military and donate to the collection. They raise funds for Ukraine and provide humanitarian support to the civilian population, relieving the state.
LGBTQ+ people, together with the whole of Ukraine, are taking the necessary steps for the victory of our country, and we must have the right to be protected from discrimination.
The KyivPride march demands to ensure protection against hate crimes by adopting draft law 5488 "On Amendments to the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses and the Criminal Code of Ukraine on Combating Discrimination.
Together to equality
At present, LGBTQ+ people are unequal before the law compared to other citizens of Ukraine. First of all, in the field of family law. Taking into account all the challenges of a full-scale war, the draft law 9103 "On the Institute of Registered Partnerships" was proposed, which will allow, in particular, LGBTQ+ military personnel to have the necessary guarantees in critical situations and bring our country closer to marriage equality.
The KyivPride march demands the adoption of draft law 9103 as soon as possible!
Together to equality and victory
"We are coming out for the sake of the whole community. We are doing the march to give us visibility and to declare the importance of respecting our rights. For all the LGBTQ+ people who are fighting at the front, who were forced to go abroad, who were killed, who are in captivity or under occupation, who still do not feel safe to be themselves in Ukraine, who are not ready to come out to the March.
Each year, the KyivPride march has been one of the most visible events that has attracted the attention of international organizations, diplomats, and the media. This year, we are drawing the world's attention to the problems relevant to Ukraine, namely: providing weapons and appropriate resources for military victory, international support for the return of prisoners, and attracting resources to help the civilian population," the statement reads.
In addition, the organizers of the march have worked out all the possible challenges that a peaceful action may face. To protect the event from a missile attack, the march will take place in close proximity to a certified shelter.
"As for the threats of attack on a peaceful event and threats to make the KyivPride march ‘not peaceful’, we believe that this cannot be an obstacle to the event. As it is the task of the police and other security agencies to address these risks, and in our experience, they have the appropriate skills and expertise," the organizers summarized.