LGBT News Ukrainian Parliament chooses homophobia over EU integration

Aussie792 · Nov 10, 2015

Ukraine 'chooses homophobia over EU integration'

Kyiv Post said:

Even after the European Union reminded Ukraine that a visa-free regime would depend on the adoption of certain human rights bills, Ukraine’s parliament on Nov. 5 failed to pass a landmark bill on discrimination – a move that activists say may scare Europe off for years to come...

Far from being seen as a beacon of human rights victories, Ukraine has long struggled with a stigma against homosexuals, and the most recent gay rights protest over the summer ended in violence and bloodshed after homophobes attacked the march.

The attack was a stark reminder of the Soviet Union’s imprint on Ukraine. Homosexuality was a criminal offense in the USSR, and even after its collapse, “archaic” takes on the issue have maintained a tight grip on large portions of society, as the publicist and commentator Vitaly Portnikov said. The EU’s encouragement to change the Labor Code was a way to shed that skin and move closer to European norms.

The anti-discrimination bill submitted to parliament was prescribed in the EU-Ukraine Action Plan on visa liberalization. Not only did the legislation lay out protections for homosexuals; it also prohibited discrimination on the basis of skin color and religious belief.
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Ukraine Chooses Homophobia Over Europe | Foreign Policy

Foreign Affairs Magazine said:

"You keep reforming and we will keep supporting. That is the contract we are making with you,” is how Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, put it during a visit to Kiev earlier this year.

There is a not-so-veiled flip side to that statement: Support, dear Kiev, is conditional. You stop reforming, we stop supporting.

When it comes to explaining the glacial pace of Ukraine’s anti-corruption reforms, the Rada has excuses — the country is involved in a war with Russian-backed separatists, the entire system needs to be changed, old views must be rooted out, and so on.

But when it comes to throwing away the privilege of visa-free travel to Europe, the Rada has no excuse. It should not, therefore, be surprised to discover that Europe (which has a history of Christianity at least as long as Ukraine’s) has no time for a country that places a higher value on discrimination than European integration.

The ultimate irony in all this is that Eastern Europe already has a country with organizations of homophobic thugs and politicians who use conservative Christian traditions to justify an atrocious record of violating the rights of the LGBT community. That is the very country Ukraine is trying to separate itself from: Russia.
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Only two parties in the Rada had a majority vote for the bill. It's really disheartening that the rest of them are being so petty that they're willing to give up a major boost to Ukraine's relations with the EU and workforce mobility for the sake of a single provision that would have enshrined only the most basic protections for LGBT people in the workplace.

It even seems fairly liberal MPs voted against the measure because of their fear of electoral repercussions.

Quem · Nov 13, 2015

Surprised to see that no one has commented here.

In essence, it's not too odd that some have rejected the anti-discrimination bill. Quite some homophobia in Ukraine unfortunately, and then there are MPs who vote against it for their public image (which is very unfortunate).

Yet, like you said, those that rejected it have chosen this over EU integration. I think they either didn't see it like that (in favour of the bill versus anti EU integration), or they are simply not in favour of the European Union. I'm not aware of the parties' stances towards the EU, but from what I have read, Ukraine would like to join the EU.

Seems like a "we want the benefits, but without the cultural/ideological changes". Quite saddening to be fair.

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A supplementary article: Ukrainian Parliament Will Never Support Same-sex Marriage, PinkNews

During a debate on legislation that would outlaw LGBT based workplace discrimination Groysman was reported saying “You and we stand for family values.

“under no circumstances will there be same-sex marriages.”

The anti-discrimination bill passed the vote, but Groysman appeared to make it clear that this will not be the start of a move towards legalising same-sex marriage.
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(The Wall Street Journal gives a better read, but a subscription is required for that website. I don't think all of you would be able to read that, so I decided to include a PinkNews article)

Invidia · Nov 13, 2015

Not too surprising, unfortunately... The Ukraine gov isn't exactly open-minded in general, is it.

LGBT News Ukrainian Parliament chooses homophobia over EU integration

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