If passed the bill will see fines and potentially jail time for those convicted.
Earlier this year, the Christian Movement for Life tabled a petition in Ukraine which sought to ban Pride marches and terms like sexual orientation.
However, the petition was stopped in its tracks by Ukraine’s anti-discrimination ombudsman, Aksana Filipishyna. About the petition she wrote: “This petition calls to restrict human rights and elements of incitement to restrictions on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity (belonging to the LGBT community).”
Filipshyna also cited Article 68 of the Ukrainian constitution, saying that the petition “encroached upon the rights and freedoms, honour and dignity of other persons.”
Unfortunately though, the petition is back in draft legislation that has been submitted by Ukraine’s former deputy prime minister, Oleksandr Vilkul.
Vilkul is an MP for the Opposition Bloc party, who hold 43 seats in Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada. Much like the original petition, Vilkul says that his bill aims to tackle “the artificially created problem of discrimination against people with non-traditional sexual orientation.”
Open Democracy reported that the bill also calls for a ban on Pride marches and other LGBTQ events as they are forms of “deviant behaviour.” The bill also wants to remove terms like sexual orientation or gender identity from Ukrainian legislation.
And if someone is caught “demonstrating same-sex relationship” they can be fined anywhere from 1,000 to 1,500 rubles, but that would be doubled if the person caught was a public official. Repeat offenders would face a jail sentence of between three to five years, and this would be increased to four to six years for public officials.
The bill also calls for jail sentences of up to three years for those found to have been importing, distributing or owning publications that “promote same-sex relationships.”
However, before the bill has any chance to become law it has to pass several parliamentary hurdles, including several select committees. The committees it needs to pass are the Committees on Family Issues, Youth Policies, Sport and Tourism and Freedom of Speech and Information Policies.
It also has to pass the Committee on Human Rights, Ethnic Minorities and Inter-Ethnic Relations. Open Democracy reports that as Vilkul’s bill contains things like providing free school meals he’s hoping that it, and similar measures, will balance out the ban on homosexuality. But Open Democracy predict that the bill will either be sent back to be reworked or outright rejected by the committee.
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