Ukrainian Parliament Stalls 2023 Same-Sex Partnership Bill Despite War-Time Pressure
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 26
Ukrainian Parliament Stalls 2023 Same-Sex Partnership Bill Despite War-Time Pressure
2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 26
Summary
A 2023 bill to create registered partnerships for same-sex couples remains stuck in Ukraine’s Parliament, leaving partners of L.G.B.T.Q. soldiers without legal standing if they are wounded or killed.
That gap means partners can be treated as legal strangers—unable to receive medical information, make emergency decisions, arrange burials, inherit property or claim benefits.
The bill followed a 2023 European Court of Human Rights ruling that Ukraine’s failure to recognize same-sex couples was discriminatory and violated private and family life rights.
Russia’s full-scale invasion intensified pressure for change as queer Ukrainians served and died on the front, but opponents said wartime priorities should come first and sexuality should remain private.