Kharkiv Holds First Pride March Since Russia’s Full-Scale Invasion
KharkivPride held its first march on foot since Russia launched its full-scale invasion, with about 200 people following a 500-meter underground route. Participants called for legal recognition of same-sex partnerships, stronger hate-crime legislation, and greater attention to equality and civilian safety.
About 200 people took part in KharkivPride's inaugural march on foot, since Russia began its full-scale invasion, as they walked through underground metro stations before gathering near the regional administration building for a protest. The 500-meter long route, carefully planned for safety, took place in Kharkiv on Saturday, a city located near the front line.
The procession began at the Derzhprom metro station, continued through an underground passage to the Universytet station, and concluded near an exit from the subway system. Participants included civil society activists, LGBTQ+ allies, active-duty service members, and veterans. The march was not open to the general public; attendees registered in advance and underwent security checks.
Organizers collaborated with regional police to prepare various scenarios and designed the route to minimize wartime security risks. KharkivPride claimed to be Ukraine's only Pride event held in a city under direct combat. The event emphasized four demands, addressed through separate performances. The first performance displayed a 28-meter scroll containing proposed amendments to Ukraine's Civil Code draft, contending that it contained discriminatory provisions and should be withdrawn.
A second performance focused on hate crimes, listing reported attacks against LGBTQ+ people and their allies, utilizing items used in prior assaults as props. The organization called for reforms to Ukraine's criminal law to ensure homophobic and transphobic motives are taken into account during investigations and court proceedings.
The third performance tackled Kharkiv city government policies, displaying a mock "Kharkiv resident card" divided into two columns. One side listed amenities the city provided, while the other highlighted unaddressed issues like shelters, armed forces funding, respect, accessibility, equality, and honesty. The final performance honored LGBTQ+ Ukrainian service members killed in the war, holding their portraits and reading their stories, emphasizing the need for legal recognition of civil partnerships as an initial step toward marriage equality.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
