Why is homosexuality illegal in Ukraine?

Homosexuality is not illegal in Ukraine, but same-sex marriages and civil partnerships are not recognized. This poses particular problems for LGBT people who signed up to serve in the military after the Russian invasion. For example, under Ukrainian law, if someone in a same-sex relationship dies, their partner cannot collect their bodies or bury them.

"In times like these, every day could be the last," the petition reads. An LGBT organization described the petition as a "big moment" for community members.

"It is important that LGBTQ people have the right to see their partners and take their bodies from the morgue and seek compensation if needed," Oksana Solonska, media communications manager for Kyiv Pride March, told the BBC. "All married couples have these rights. We really want same-sex marriage to be legalized so people can look after each other," she added.

In Ukraine, any petition that collects more than 25,000 signatures automatically triggers the presidential decision-making phase. However, this does not guarantee any changes to existing laws, and it is unclear whether Mr Zelensky will move to legalize same-sex marriage.

While Ukraine has made some efforts to protect LGBT people in Ukraine – such as an anti-discrimination law introduced in 2015 – its LGBT community suffers from homophobia, intolerance and violence. In 2013, the country's first official Pride parade was held in Kiev despite protests - the parade was supposed to take place in 2012 but was canceled after a skinhead rally threatened participants. In 2018, march participants were attacked by far-right militants at a transgender rally in Kiev.

But despite the risks, Pride marches are growing in popularity, with organizers estimating that more than 7,000 people took part in marches in the capital last year. The number of people with a "negative view" of the LGBT community fell from 60.4% to 38.2% over the past six years, according to a May poll conducted by the International Institute of Sociology in Kyiv. About 12% now have a positive view — up from 3% in 2016. About 44% said they had no special views on LGBT.

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Supplement: Right Analysis of the results of the poll described in the article: UKRAINIANS HAVE DRAMATICALLY IMPROVED THEIR ATTITUDE TOWARDS LGBT PEOPLE