A protester sporting a masks bearing the colours of the LGBTQ neighborhood flag, seems to be on as they participate within the “Kyiv Delight 2024” in Kyiv on June 16, 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Agence France-Presse
KYIV — Beneath the pouring rain and overshadowed by warfare, Dina Ivanova joined the few hundred who gathered in Kyiv on Sunday for the Ukrainian capital’s first Delight march because the Russian invasion, guarded by a heavy police presence.
Shortly after Ivanova and different contributors dispersed after a short rally that happened behind a police cordon, nationalist militants set off for a counter-demonstration by the streets of Kyiv the place they shouted homophobic slurs.
The opposing rallies happened greater than two years into the warfare, which is commonly portrayed as an existential struggle to affix European liberal values, although a few of Ukraine stays deeply conservative.
READ: LGBTQ+ Ukrainians struggle for his or her nation and their rights
“Even by the assaults, we have to come and present up. We’re such a rustic, such a nation, we don’t quit. If our rights are taken, we struggle for them,” mentioned 27-year-old Ivanova.
She contrasted the state of affairs in Ukraine with that of Russia, the place the Kremlin has accelerated its repression of the LGBTQ neighborhood since launching its full-scale invasion in 2022.
“I’m very glad that I reside in a rustic the place I may even go to Delight,” Ivanova mentioned.
“These damned Russians can’t.”
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The timing and placement of the Delight march had not been publicly introduced till Sunday morning for safety causes.
In the long run round 500 folks had been registered for a largely static gathering inside a tightly policed perimeter. In distinction to such gatherings world wide, the slogans they chanted mirrored a rustic at warfare: “Arm Ukraine Now” and “United towards victory”.
‘Like an alien’
Among the many contributors had been a number of overtly LGBTQ troopers, together with 28-year-old Petro Zherukha, whose unit gave him depart to attend the rally.
Polls present a rising acceptance of homosexual, lesbian and transgender folks because the outbreak of the warfare, with LGBTQ troopers becoming a member of the ranks of the armed forces.
“For a lot of of my comrades, I used to be the primary LGBT individual that they had ever seen, Zherukha mentioned. “It was as if that they had come into contact with an alien.”
“There have been loads of questions, however I feel that after we talked rather a lot… all the pieces grew to become very cool,” he mentioned.
A few of these in uniform carried a big banner bearing the pictures of fallen servicemen and girls.
One demand shared by many within the crowd was for the federal government to permit same-sex civil partnerships.
The dearth of a authorized framework for same-sex {couples} signifies that the companions of LGBTQ troopers killed or wounded could not even be told of what occurred to their family members.
“Is that honest, when individuals are sacrificing their lives? No,” mentioned Marlene Scandal, a drag queen topped with rainbow flowers and a blue-and-yellow Ukrainian trident.
‘Conservatism and custom’
A number of diplomats additionally attended the march. Denmark’s ambassador Ole Egberg Mikkelsen famous that one of many situations for European Union membership required the safety of minorities.
An amazing majority of Ukrainians need to be part of the European Union, with polls hovering round 80 % in favor.
However the thought of EU membership in addition to same-sex marriage sparked the ire of the counter-protesters.
Proper because the Delight rally ended, a couple of hundred militants ran down the principle Khreshchatyk avenue towards the empty avenue the place the rally had been held.
Police then escorted them across the neighbourhood, whereas they shouted slogans in opposition to Russia, and loss of life threats in opposition to homosexual folks.
One of many organizers of the march, standing subsequent to a person sporting a swastika on his cap, denied the loss of life threats had been homophobic.
And 21-year-old Oleksandr Tymoshenko, from the Proper Sector youth group, mentioned he was protesting “not in opposition to gays” however in opposition to the LGBTQ motion “combating for particular rights”.
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“All nations in Jap Europe, and particularly the post-Soviet states, are very a lot characterised by conservatism and custom. Ukraine is not any exception,” he mentioned.
