Gay rights in Ukraine

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Ukraine is a very conservative country, due to the history of being a part of the Soviet Union. The country is also dominated by religious Orthodox. The situation regarding gay rights in Ukraine is comparable to the United Kingdom in the 1950's.

1 Protection based on sexual orientation in law
2 Recognition of same sex couples
3 Gay life in the country
4 External link

[edit] Protection based on sexual orientation in law

There are no anti-discrimination laws, but president Viktor Yushchenko supports gay rights. The Ukrainian Constitution states that citizens are equal before law, but sexual orientation is not specifically mentioned. However, the list of grounds of discrimination includes an "on other basis", which could be used for gay protection, but it has never been tested in court.

Homosexual sex was legalised and the age of consent equalized in 1991. Gays are exempt from the military which is considered an advantage allowing gays to avoid otherwise compulsory military service.

[edit] Recognition of same sex couples

No recognition with respect to gay marriage or civil unions is currently legal. Gay activists have been lobbying for improvements on gay and lesbian rights but so far they have been ignored by the political establishment [1].

[edit] Gay life in the country

There is rather well-established gay scene in Kiev and Kharkiv. Ukrainians in general are not very accepting of gays: only 15% agree with the existence of same-sex couples [2]. Public attitudes towards homosexuals tend to be quite liberal in Kiev and Kharkiv, but in rural areas, people are often extremely conservative and quite homophobic.

[edit] External link

www.Ukrainito.com - Art by Ukrainito - Ukraine's first openly gay artist
A gay guide to Ukraine - (English)

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