Kyiv Pride 2019.
Written by Karl Afrikian, current Peace Corps Volunteer and In-Country Committee Member.
Peace Corps Ukraine was loud and proud at Kyiv Pride 2019 this year, which was held on June 23. A total of 23 volunteers and 6 Peace Corps Staff (including all three American PC Ukraine staff) marched under the protective umbrella of the US Embassy at the parade, which was held successfully and mostly peacefully. Their presence alongside other international delegations and around 8,000 Ukrainians showed that there is a strong force for equality growing within Ukraine that will hopefully change the conversation towards promoting LGBTQIA rights in the country.
The parade was held in downtown Kyiv on a beautiful Sunday morning. I have been to other Pride Parades in the United States, but this one was different. In America, most Pride celebrations are just that – celebrations; in Kyiv, this was a profound moment at which LGBTQIA Ukrainians and their allies stood against the status quo and fought for their rights as citizens of this beautiful country. You could notice the tension between them and much of Ukrainian society due to the need for a large police force needed to protect marchers from the scores of protestors who eagerly wanted to disrupt the event. The entire parade was surrounded by police in riot gear, who were seen at multiple points ready to fight off protestors trying to storm the parade. There were protestors standing against those walking in the parade holding homophobic signs and chanting slurs, but overall most of us felt safe marching. We were nevertheless able to march with our peers holding rainbow flags and a flag of the USA through downtown Kyiv.
The name of the march this year was the “Марш Рівності”, or the March of Equality. Kyiv Pride placed advertisements on the Kyiv metro to publicly show the presence of LGBTQIA Ukrainians within society. The parade had a dedicated volunteer staff that worked constantly to steer and direct marchers through the streets of Kyiv with last-minute adjustments made for safety reasons. The march went from the Opera House to Leo Tolstoy Square looping back towards Opera but ending at Kreshchatyk due to a last-minute route change.
It was truly amazing to stand up for LGBTQIA rights in the middle of downtown Kyiv. We saw supporters standing in apartment balconies and hotel windows waving at us which was uplifting and showed the Ukrainian community that they do have allies. The experience was overall very rewarding, but it was tough knowing that most of us would be leaving at the conclusion of our service back to a more accepting America where we do not have to fight this hard for our rights as LGBTQIA citizens. Despite this, being able to march with them to fight for their freedoms was truly moving and I hope that our presence will help open the door for a more open Ukrainian society.
We were all also truly grateful for the Ukrainian police force for protecting us and the fellow marchers throughout the entire process. None of this could have happened without the support of our Country Director Michael Ketover, along with Pilar Robledo and Amy McGoldrick, who with our amazing Ukrainian staff ensured the safety and logistics of the PC marchers. We would also like to thank the US Embassy for providing us the ability to participate through their security services.
I will never forget this opportunity and I am so glad and proud to stand with my LGBTQIA siblings this crucial moment in the history of Ukraine. I will remember this event for the rest of my life and I am excited to march again next year!
To read more about Kyiv Pride, and to see photos of volunteers marching that made it onto international media, check the links below!