Pride March in Wartime, Kiev's LGBTQ+ Community Challenges Russia
Despite the war, the Pride march in Kiev , Ukraine , took place. In fact, LGBTQ rights and the war situation have become intertwined. Today, the Pride march in Kiev took place, and it focused on supporting Ukrainian soldiers who identify as LGBTQ+ .
It looked like the march would not take place. Too many security risks , the police said. Risks of missile attacks and attacks on the march by participants in a nearby counter-demonstration, they had considered canceling it. But then the authorities, police forces and organizers of the Pride agreed to a shorter march, about 30 minutes , at noon today.
According to United24media, thousands of people marched in the center of Kiev, holding signs with slogans such as “No peace without justice in Ukraine” and “We march for those who cannot.” Local activists marched alongside diplomats, including the European Union Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova , and international observers.
All protected – and at the same time guarded – at every street corner by police forces. The march ended peacefully , just as a similar march ended in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, despite the siege by Russian forces .
The issue of gay rights is closely linked, in Ukraine, to the reality of the ongoing war. According to an organization that defends the equal rights of Ukrainian LGBTQ soldiers, there are at least 60 armed forces in the Ukrainian army that have gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or asexual members .
Protesters, in particular, are calling for legal reforms to allow those in same-sex relationships to make important medical decisions if their partners are injured during the conflict. And, in the most tragic case, to be allowed to bury their loved ones. The president of Kyiv Pride, Anna Sharyhina , said in this regard: “It often happens that in emergency situations, partners from the LGBTQ community, who do not yet have their civil union legally recognized, cannot access hospitals , cannot make urgent and vital decisions for their partners, nor retrieve their bodies, to bury them with dignity.”
The focus on LGBTQ issues marks, according to activists, a substantial difference between Ukraine and Russia , where these rights – as is known – are severely limited. “Hatred towards your own citizens, towards their rights and their diversity is not a ‘traditional’ value , but a primitive trait of Russian and other totalitarian societies,” reads the KyivPride 2025 Manifesto.
The Manifesto in question speaks highly of the ongoing war. “While our soldiers fight for freedom, we must lay the foundations for a democratic Ukraine , where every person has equal rights and opportunities. We want legislation that guarantees protection for LGBTQ people, including legal recognition of civil partners.” And it says that human rights “cannot be postponed until after victory,” suggesting that the fight for equality and freedom reflects Ukraine’s resilience and commitment to a democratic and European future.
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