Statement of Taras Karasiichuk, President, APO “Gay-Alliance Ukraine” on the seventh periodic report of Ukraine on its implementation of the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

«The speech of Nazar Kulchytskyy to the UN Human Rights Committee in Geneva give us hope that the government of Ukraine seriously intends to fulfill international obligations and our country’s European integration strategy. The statement that the bill on the “propaganda of homosexuality” will be vetoed by the President, if adopted by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine given by such a high-level official at the United Nations, look quite convincing, − notes Taras Karasiichuk, the leader of APO “Gay-Alliance Ukraine”. – But the statement of Arseniy Yatsenyuk, the leader of the “United Opposition”, and backroom conversations how there are now enough votes in the parliament to override a presidential veto, as I hope, will remain no more tan just the idle talk.

Since the current government demonstrates teamwork, conflict between its deputies and the executive branch of the government is highly unlikely. The fact that deputies are planning to appeal to the Constitutional Court for clarifications whether Constitution and legislation of Ukraine protects LGBT-people from discrimination or not, is certainly a positive initiative for the LGBT movement. Any decision of the Constitutional Court on this matter would be a win-win: either way it can successfully be used both to protect the rights of LGBT citizens and for public campaigns and advocacy if they are not protected. I am encouraged by the fact that the debate on the rights of LGBT people in Ukraine has reached such unprecedented scale, “- comments Taras Karasiichuk.

Автор: Press Service of APO “Gay-Alliance Ukraine”