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Despite the country being in shambles at the hands of Russian arms, Ukraine could soon take one step closer to legalising same-sex marriage.
Finally, some good news for the eastern European country.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that it’s impossible to legalise same-sex marriage while the war is still going on as it would require a change in the constitution.
However, he is working 'out solutions regarding the legalisation of registered civil partnership in Ukraine as part of the work on establishing and ensuring human rights and freedoms’, according to CNN.
The Ukraine leader wrote on the Ukrainian Presidency website: “The Constitution of Ukraine cannot be changed during martial law or a state of emergency (Article 157 of the Constitution of Ukraine).”
However, he stated he would work toward guaranteeing the ‘rights’ of all Ukrainians.
He said: “In the modern world, the level of democratic society is measured, among other things, through state policy aimed at ensuring equal rights for all citizens.
“Each citizen is an inseparable part of civil society, he is entitled to all the rights and freedoms enshrined in the Constitution of Ukraine.
"All people are free and equal in dignity and rights.”
President Zelenskyy’s remarks are in response to a petition created in light of many members of the LGBTQI+ community signing up for the Ukraine military following Russia’s invasion.
ОДНОСТАТЕВИМ ПАРТНЕРСТВАМ В УКРАЇНІ – ТАК! Zelenskyy said yes to same-sex partnerships!
— KyivPride (@KyivPride) August 2, 2022
Офіс Президента відповів на петицію: планується розробити законопроєкт щодо реєстрових партнерств для ЛГБТ+ пар в Україні!
Вітаємо спільноту, прайд-рух та дякуємо владі! 🌈 pic.twitter.com/cZEmmSsIUU
Without legalising gay marriage, those in same-sex relationships aren't allowed to collect their partner's bodies or bury them in the event of death, leading to many problems amid the war.
More 28,000 people have signed the online petition demanding an ‘active civic stance’ as ‘every day can be the last'.
According to Reuters, if a petition garners over 25,000 signatures, the President must respond officially within 10 days.
Media communications manager at Kyiv Pride Oksana Solonska told the BBC: "It is important that LGBTQ people have the right to see their partner and take their body from the morgue, and seek compensation if needed."
She added: "All married couples have these rights. We really hope that same-sex marriage will be legalised, so people will be able to take care of each other.”
According to a study conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, it found that Ukraine’s attitudes toward same-sex marriage have ‘dramatically’ improved in the past couple of years.
They found that 38.2 per cent of Ukrainians did not support legalisation, which was down from 60.4 per cent in 2016.
Featured Image Credit: Edijs Palens / Xinhua / Alamy Live News. Frances M. Roberts / Alamy Stock Photo.
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