Kyiv Pride was not supposed to be held outside the capital of Ukraine, but in neighboring Poland Blue and yellow throughout Ukraine stood out among the rainbow-colored flags of Warsaw Pride.
"I'm here because I can't go to Ukraine's pride," said one participant. "We are all, no matter who you love."
Central Europe's largest pride march is Ukraine's fight against Russia and the equal rights of the LGBTQ + community. Continued to focus on the fight for.
Homosexual and front-line healthcare worker in Donetsk, Victor Pippenco is the founder of the "LGBT + Army Union" in Ukraine, which has thousands of members.
"We are all equal here," Pilpi Penco told CBS News Ramie Innosensio. "We are fighting for the freedom of the country."
Many of Pylpypenko's colleagues died on his side. He has never felt discriminated against and says it is important to go out as a homosexual.
"Openness changes things, so it changes attitudes," he said.
There is still a long way to go in changing the attitude of Ukraine. Almost one in two Ukrainians report feeling negative about the homosexual community. That percentage is declining among young people. The more religious and more pro-Russian regions of the country are the least tolerant.
"Russia left us no choice. For example, now we can't protect Ukraine's human rights without a gun," Boris Millevsky said in Kieu's Bohemian and gay-friendly Podil. I told CBS News in the district. He was about to return to the front line.
Milevskiy has fought Russia since the beginning of the war. Not because of land, money, or even gay rights, he said.
"It's my personal freedom. It's necessary to live in a free country with democracy," Milevskiy said.
Milewski told CBS News that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky united the country against the Russian war and that both the hate crime bill and the same-sex civil union bill are being considered. ..
Meanwhile, at the forefront of eastern Ukraine, Pilpipenco said his country could not afford to lose the war.
"It's going to be a complete disaster ... Putin's ideology is homosexual and disrespectful of human rights," he said.
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