Kyiv Pride: rainbow march between diversity and police

ita eng
25 June 2019

"It was the celebration that we wanted, and it had to be, because – the organisers reiterated – freedom is in our tradition". The 2019 edition of Kyiv Pride closes with about 8,000 estimated participants – almost twice than in 2018 – and without the violence that had characterised the previous editions. A photo story by Monica Ellena

The rainbow flag, symbol of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, fanned out on the Ukrainian capital on Sunday, June 23rd, with a massive presence of anti-riot police that kept some hundreds of conservative and religious groups in check. Only a couple of saboteurs tried to sneak into the Equality March, which unfolded in the heart of the city.

Corteo
Chanting "Freedom is our tradition", the parade unfolded through the centre of Kiev. A kaleidoscope of people, colours, and banners: "Diversity is wonderful", "Human rights = happy country", "No to violence – yes to equal rights!", "Who decides what's normal?".
Arcobaleno
Two young men wrapped in the rainbow flag, symbol of the LGBT community, designed in 1978 by gay rights icon Gilbert Baker.
Polizia
A triple police cordon protects the march on Shevchenko Avenue. The day before the parade, the police arrested 9 men who were presumably planning a violent protest during the event. In 2018, law enforcement stopped 56 persons belonging to nationalist groups that had organised clashes before the march.
Bandiera transgender
The three-colour flag of the transgender community has made its first appearance at Kyiv Pride. Designed in 1999 by Monica Helms, a transgender woman and former official of the US Navy, the flag has a precise meaning: the blue stripes indicate the colour traditionally assigned to males, the pink ones the colour for females, while the white in the middle stands for those who have transitioned – or are considering to – or see their gender as neutral or indefinite.
Libertà di espressione
"Sodomy is the road to hell", reads the slogan on the long black banners used by conservative and religious groups to surround the parade. The police did not prevent counter-demonstrators from expressing their dissent. "As it should be – everyone has the right to say what they think, as long as their opinion does not turn into violence", explained an activist. "Freedom of expression is not a one-way street".
Drag queen
Striscione
The banner "Free and equal" prepared by international organisations and carried by the United Nations. In 2015, the Ukrainian Parliament adopted the law on anit-discrimination, including in the workplace, as part of a series of provisions needed to allow Ukrainian citizens to travel visa-free in the Schenghen area for 3 months.
Nuove regole
In 2016, decree n. 1041 changed the norms on sex change, cancelling some obligations such as sterilisation or the permission by an ad hoc committee, but maintaining the requirement of psychological assessment.
Omofobia
Although the post-Maidan government has supported LGBT rights since 2014, homophobia remains widespread. According to a survey carried out last December by think-tank Democratic Initiatives on a sample of 1998 people, 47% of Ukrainians supports the restriction of rights for sexual minorities. 37,5% opposes the restrictions and 15,6% has no opinion on the matter.
Tbilisi pride
A participant wears the t-shirt of the Tbilisi Pride, which was scheduled for Saturday, June 22nd in the Georgian capital, but was postponed indefinitely by organisers. The ongoing protests against Russian presence in the separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia led the team to cancel the March of Dignity and join those protesting in front of the Parliament since last June 20th.
Volontari
A group of participants listens to the instructions by one of the hundreds of volunteers who managed the logistics of the event. Most participants were under 35.
Presidente
The municipal administration openly supported the event and president Volodymyr Zelenskiy exhorted the police to guarantee security and prevent violence. In a Facebook post, Zelenskiy stated that "the Ukrainian Constitution grants equal rights and liberties to all citizens".
Amore
"I don't love a man. I don't love a woman. I love humanity"
Drag queen 2