Ukrainian government continues to change legislation in favor of LGBT

The Ukrainian government offered to parliamentary consideration a draft that introduces such terms as "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" despite church protests, reports the Ukrainian Institute of Religious Freedom.

It is suggested to introduce in Article 11 of the Law on Employment of Population such addition: "The state guarantees to a person a right to be protected from any manifestations of discrimination in the field of employment on gender identity and sexual orientation."

Besides, Article 24-1 "On advertising" could be re-written in a new edition: "It is banned in the advertisement of vacancies to make demands on characteristics of sexual orientation."

The government says in its explanatory note that the draft is prepared to fulfill certain EU directives.

Earlier, representatives of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations at their meeting with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko warned about the danger of introducing such terms as "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" in legislation. Metropolitan Onufriy of Kiev and All Ukraine said that "such novelties can become the first step to promoting in Ukraine a homosexual way of life and attempts to legalize unisexual marriages."

In November 2015, during the lobbying of bill № 3442, which introduced in the legislation of Ukraine new terms "sexual orientation" and "gender identity", the then chairman of the Verkhovna Rada and the current Prime Minister Vladimir Groisman announced the appearance in the Government of the Commissioner for Family Affairs and Family Values.

However, later the Cabinet of Ministers adopted Resolution № 564 of 08.23.2016 on the elimination of the position of the Government Commissioner for Family Affairs.