Treatment Of LGBT In Ukraine
Author: Alena Shautsova
Contrary to what most people think, LGBT is an acronym that was coined from a longer phrase. This is why LGBT basically stands to represent lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender respectively. LGBT technically derives its meaning from an inclusion of both sexual orientation and gender identity.
However, you should also know that LGBT is also sometimes used, as an umbrella term for mostly people who fail to directly identify as heterosexual or cisgender. Once in a while, LGBT has in inclusion an additional letter Q, which can be denoted as queer or questioning.
Proper Breakdown of LGBT
Lesbian which is represented as ‘L’ refers to an individual of the female gender, whose amatory attraction is to others who are of the same gender (women to women).
On the other hand, Gay ‘G’ stands for people who are physically attracted for romantic purposes to people of the same gender; either as a male or a female. For women, lesbian (as explained above) is a more preferable term worthy of being used to express this.
A person that is however, able to form lasting emotional connections (for sexual reasons) with another individual of the same or different gender, is represented under the ‘B’ for bisexual division.
Transgender ‘T’ is a term that significantly encompasses people who are in possession of genders that are quite contrasting to what the sex they were naturally administered at birth.
Queer ‘Q’ is an adjectival phrase that is utilized for the sole description of individuals whose sexuality are not exclusively heterosexual.
The ‘Q’ sometimes found at the ending part of LGBT can alternatively mean questioning. This basically stands to represent the group of people who are questioning not only their sexual orientation, but also their gender identity.
The State of LGBT in Ukraine
Subsequent Ukraine gaining its independence in 1991, the standing LGBT assemblage that existed in the nation has constantly experienced sequential growth. However, the development of the indepdennce and growth of the LGBT commujity in Ukraine has been interrupted: LGBT community has been portrayed as immoral, “filthy”, and even promoting pedofilism. This can be said to have been greatly supported by the opposition that is publicly staged by The Orthodox Church through teachings that are usually centered on discouraging immorality.
The birth of an increment in the rate of occurrences of these inhumanely ferocious afflictions, led to the urgent need for LGBT individuals to employ falsehood and pretense with respect to their sexuality, sexual orientation and gender identity; all in a bid to escape the public discrimination and furious disgrace that accompanies being a LGBT.Recently, for various political reasons, politicians have relentlessly endeavored to progressively scrap off freedom of speech and assembly for the LGBT community present in Ukraine, at large. This is made evident in the ordaining of “anti-propaganda” laws.
It is of utmost significance to mention that even though Ukraine, which can be said to be the first of the previous Soviet republics, to legally front the cancellation of several criminal sanctions being imposed on individuals (who are adults) having consensual homosexual intercourse; a huge percentage of the Ukrainian population till date still considers homosexuality (and its related forms) as a highly immoral conduct. This has consequentially led to the huge fall in the degree of public tolerance in recent years.
Societal Treatment of LGBT in Ukraine
Older people that make up most regions in Ukraine are known to be of less support to LGBT individuals. It is assumable, that the high degree of their moral standards prompt them into subconsciously discriminating the LGBT community at large – who tends to be more of young people. Recently, the programs director for Eastern Europe at the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) has however made declarations based on his own perspective and observations that the Ukrainian society is basically “homophobic”. He further added that their society can however, be considered to be improving towards LGBT individuals and homosexuals generally.
Diverse authentic sources have also in past times, indicated that this discrimination also affects their education of students, who are LGBT individuals in their respective endeavors to attain their academic aspirations. This is proven by a recently reported case of severe LGBT discrimination in one of the prominent regions of Ukraine, Kiev. Further information established the student’s expulsion sequel to his act of sharing leaflets or fliers, that indirectly was assumed to promote homosexuality and its related acts.
Additionally, several LGBT individuals are usually denied of some of the rights they should normally bhe entitled to. A perfect illustration of this rights’ violation are the violations of normal protocol during interrogation processes. Apprehended LGBT persons (for a reason or the other) are used to being asked to draw up names, contacts, addresses and other vital information of other individuals with the same homosexual orientation. This rights’ deprivation is further buttressed by the usage of torture, while in custody.
These hereby propose, that LGBT individuals in Ukraine, are used to being treated less than being humane coupled with them, being repeatedly deprived of their basic entitlements.