Zelensky opens doors for same-sex civil unions in Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky opened the door to legalizing same-sex civil unions in the country, in response to a petition for equal marriage to be introduced in the war-torn nation.

In a written response online, Zelensky explained that it would be impossible to legalize same-sex marriages while the country remained at war, because doing so would require a change to the constitution.

But he said his government “has drawn up solutions regarding the legalization of registered civil partnership in Ukraine as part of the work to establish and guarantee human rights and freedoms.”

The call to introduce same-sex marriage into the country has been accelerated by the war, given the number of LGBTQ+ people serving in the military and the greater legal protections married civilians have.

“The Family Code of Ukraine defines the family as the primary and main unit of society. A family consists of people who live together, are connected by common life, have mutual rights and obligations. According to the Constitution of Ukraine, marriage is based on the free consent of a woman and a man (Article 51),” Zelensky wrote on the Ukrainian Presidency website.

“The Constitution of Ukraine cannot be changed during a martial law or a state of emergency (Article 157 of the Constitution of Ukraine),” he explained.

However, Zelensky said he would work with his ministers to “guarantee the rights and freedoms” of all Ukrainians.

“In the modern world, the level of democratic society is measured, among other things, through state policies that aim to guarantee equal rights for all citizens. Every citizen is an inseparable part of civil society, entitled to all rights and freedoms enshrined in the Constitution of Ukraine,” Zelensky said. “All people are free and equal in their dignity and rights.”

Zelensky also thanked the more than 28,000 people who signed the petition for their “active civic stance.” Under Ukrainian law, the president must review petitions that have more than 25,000 signatures.

In June, the UN (United Nations) identified LGBTQ+ people as a group specifically affected by the war and said that the country’s LGBTQ+ refugees “often are at greater risk of exclusion, exploitation, violence and abuse, and face distinct protection risks.” ”.

Ukraine legalized homosexuality after the fall of the Soviet Union, but anti-LGBTQ attitudes and laws remain in place in the country. Discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation is prohibited, but there is no legal recognition of same-sex relationships, and same-sex couples are barred from adopting children and unprotected by hate crime laws, according to the ILGA-Europe.

The organization ranks Ukraine 39th out of 49 European nations for LGBTQ+ rights.

A Pride parade usually takes place in Kiev every year, but in June organizers joined forces with the equivalent event in neighboring Poland, celebrating in Warsaw amidst the war at home.

Source: CNN Brasil

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