Kyiv Pride march takes place, gathers international representatives, faces counterprotesters
Kyiv Pride held a parade with over 1,500 participants in the Ukrainian capital on June 14, which was met with counterprotests.
“Other Ukrainian Prides also participated — including Kharkiv Pride and Ukraine Pride. Kyiv’s student community was represented, among others, by the Student Parliament of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and Ukraine Global Scholars,” Kyiv Pride said in a post to Facebook.
On June 7, a drone charity event for Kyiv Pride took place outside the Foreign Ministry building and was met with a nearby counterprotest.
The march was joined by representatives from the EU, Canada, the U.K., and various other countries, including France, Germany, and Spain.
The march was joined by the LGBT+ Military non-governmental organization (NGO) as Russia’s war against Ukraine continues.
“Among the marchers was veteran Viktor Pylypenko, head of the NGO LGBT+ Military for Equal Rights. He drew public attention to the growing loss of military personnel and veterans who are dying at war — while their families remain unrecognized by law,” Kyiv Pride said in its statement.
The march raised 20,000 hryvnia for the Serhiy Sternenko Foundation to purchase drones for the military.
Representatives, including Canada’s ambassador to Ukraine, Natalka Cmoc, joined the event.
“Ambassadors, the Canadian embassy team, along with many diplomats, joined (the) Kyiv Pride march this morning,” Cmoc said.
The Kyiv Pride event was met with a nearby counterprotest.
“With regret, we must note that those who incite violence still have broader access to public space and freely walk through the central streets, while participants of Kyiv Pride March are surrounded by police and restricted in their route. We continue to witness the spread of hate speech,” Kyiv Pride said.
Kyiv Pride held a march in June 2024 for the first time since Russia began its full-scale war against Ukraine in February 2022.
The Kyiv IndependentAnna Fratsyvir