In the midst of war, thousands march in Kyiv Pride calling for equal rights

Around 5,000 people took part in the Kyiv Pride march on Sunday (June 21), with participants calling for equal rights and legal recognition of same-sex partnerships in wartime Ukraine. The event proceeded peacefully despite the presence of a smaller group of counter-protesters who gathered in the city center to oppose the march.

Among the participants were military personnel and veterans, who said the lack of legal recognition for same-sex couples leaves partners without rights related to medical decisions, inheritance and military benefits.

“As a member of the military, I could have been captured or killed. My family - the family I live with, my wife - would have no right to make decisions regarding my health, my burial, or the fight for my return from captivity,” Olena Shatseva, a 47-year-old veteran of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, told Reuters.

Marchers carried Ukrainian and LGBT flags, observed a minute of silence for fallen service members and chanted slogans including “Our families are part of Ukraine” and “Ukraine is not Russia.”

The event ended after an air raid alert was declared, prompting organizers and police to ask participants to move into a nearby metro station for safety. No clashes or major incidents were reported.

Production: Anna Voitenko, Kateryna Besedina/Reuters