Poll: More than 70% of Ukrainians say LGBTQ people should have same rights as any other citizen

More than 70% of Ukrainians believe that LGBTQ people should have the same rights as other citizens, representing a 3% increase from 2023, according to a poll released by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) on June 18.

Support for LGBTQ rights in Ukraine has grown significantly in recent years. A poll conducted by the European Social Survey in 2010 found that only 28% of Ukrainians thought that "gay men and lesbians should be free to live their lives as they wish." The figure was the lowest of all European countries polled aside from Russia.

The new poll by KIIS indicates broader support for LGBTQ rights, particularly among young people. At the same time, the majority of respondents either expressed indifference (47.3%) or negative personal attitudes (32.1%) toward LGBTQ people.

When asked about the possible introduction of civil partnerships, which would afford LGBTQ couples the same rights as heterosexual couples, minus the ability to adopt, 28.7% said they supported the idea, while 35.7% said they would be opposed. Another 25.6% said they did not care.

Ukrainian lawmaker Inna Sovsun introduced a draft law in March 2023 to recognize civil partnerships of LGBTQ couples, but the parliament has yet to pass the bill.

A commanding majority (68.3%) of respondents said they felt positively about the participation of LGBTQ soldiers in the defense against Russian military aggression. Only 7.1% said they felt negatively.

Meanwhile, in Russia, the country's Supreme Court declared "the international LGBT social movement" to be "an extremist organization" in November 2023 and banned all its activities.

Since then, several cases have been recorded of individuals convicted of "extremism" for displaying LGBTQ symbols.

Kyiv held its first pride rally since the beginning of the full-scale war on June 16. The event occurred with strict security measures, and only registered participants were informed of the location.

About 500 participants joined the rally.

Women hold symbolic wedding to show lack of rights for same-sex couples

Two women held a symbolic wedding in Kharkiv on Aug. 25 to protest the lack of marriage equality for same-sex partners in Ukraine. The Ukrainian state does not recognize same-sex marriages or civil unions.

The Kyiv IndependentElsa Court