What we do
The National LGBTI Consortium #LGBTI_PRO #MSM_PRO is a platform for organisational interaction of Ukrainian civil society leaders working to expand human rights and freedoms, as well as to ensure a decent standard of living and high quality of services.
Our consortium work was launched in 2018 and is based on a Memorandum of Cooperation.
We respect freedom of expression, condemn any form of violence against the human person and support conscious and ethical attitudes in society. The activities of the Consortium are inclusive of all social movements that work for the expansion of human rights and freedoms and for an increase in the level of personal responsibility of citizens.
We believe that the key to a happy and prosperous society is to build adult and partnership relationships between the state and the citizen, as well as among citizens themselves. We respect freedom of conscience and seek constructive dialogue with all participants in the social and political life of the country in order to build mutual understanding and join forces to build and strengthen Ukrainian society.
Equal rights and freedoms
We work with government officials and representatives at all levels of government and use all possible means to integrate into the government decision-making system.
The National LGBTI Consortium #MSM_PRO #MSM_PRO is a platform for organizational interaction of Ukrainian civil society leaders working to expand human rights and freedoms, and to ensure a decent standard of living and high-quality services for people most at risk of HIV infection.
-
Registered civil partnership
A modern and relatively new legal institution in international law, which is one of the flexible forms of regulating relations in domestic partnerships, regardless of the sex of the persons in such a union.
More -
Crimes motivated by intolerance
The current Criminal Code of Ukraine only recognizes the existence of three signs of intolerance in the order in which they were declared in Soviet times – racial, national and religious intolerance – and puts an end to this, because in the Soviet Union there were 'no' (in quotes) crimes against migrants, LGBT people or people based on their health status, such as people living with HIV.
So, our bill addresses these shortcomings, or as lawyers say, fills in the gaps in the legislation. On 9 April, our colleague Olha Vasylevska-Smagliuk registered a bill on amendments to the Criminal Code entitled "On combating hate crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity". We are absolutely convinced that the signs of sexual orientation and gender identity should not stand alone. Yes, they must be included in the list of possible grounds for intolerance, but they must be separated by a comma from all the other grounds that are missing. If we, as MPs, believe that our colleague is presenting an imperfect bill, then, according to the Rules of Procedure, we have two weeks to present an alternative bill on the same subject.
We have exercised this right. -
Advocacy for blood donation for LGBT people
As of 3 June 2021, the Ministry of Health confirmed that Ukraine has lifted the ban on homosexuals donating blood. The Ministry added that in accordance with the fifth paragraph of the Order of the Ministry of Health No. 207, from the date of entry into force of the new Order (6 April 2021), all persons who have been permanently or temporarily suspended from donating blood will be reinstated and allowed to continue donating, provided that they comply with the provisions of this Order. The discriminatory term “homosexual relations” has been in blood donation legislation for more than fifteen years! Although there is still much work to be done, we can celebrate this victory with confidence.
Position of the state
After many years of discussions and delays, the government has finally shown the political will to adopt the draft law on registered civil partnerships. The signatories include both committee chairmen and party leaders. This is a strong signal that the long-awaited partnerships, including for same-sex couples, are not just around the corner, but just over the hill!
More
Public health
In 2022, the government of Ukraine adopted a new HIV law. It guarantees universal access to HIV services for everyone who is physically present in Ukraine, including people without Ukrainian citizenship and refugees.
The law introduces pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, into the legal framework.
The law introduces self-testing into the legal framework: you can test yourself for HIV - either alone or with the help of a counsellor - and it is as simple as taking your temperature.
