Kyiv Pride held a parade with over 1,500 participants in the Ukrainian capital on June 14, which was met with counterprotests.

"Other Ukrainian Prides also participated — including Kharkiv Pride and Ukraine Pride. Kyiv’s student community was represented, among others, by the Student Parliament of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and Ukraine Global Scholars," Kyiv Pride said in a post to Facebook.

On June 7, a drone charity event for Kyiv Pride took place outside the Foreign Ministry building and was met with a nearby counterprotest.

The march was joined by representatives from the EU, Canada, the U.K., and various other countries, including France, Germany, and Spain.

The march was joined by the LGBT+ Military non-governmental organization (NGO) as Russia's war against Ukraine continues.

"Among the marchers was veteran Viktor Pylypenko, head of the NGO LGBT+ Military for Equal Rights. He drew public attention to the growing loss of military personnel and veterans who are dying at war — while their families remain unrecognized by law," Kyiv Pride said in its statement.

The march raised 20,000 hryvnia for the Serhiy Sternenko Foundation to purchase drones for the military.

Representatives, including Canada's ambassador to Ukraine, Natalka Cmoc, joined the event.

"Ambassadors, the Canadian embassy team, along with many diplomats, joined (the) Kyiv Pride march this morning," Cmoc said.

The Kyiv Pride event was met with a nearby counterprotest.

"With regret, we must note that those who incite violence still have broader access to public space and freely walk through the central streets, while participants of Kyiv Pride March are surrounded by police and restricted in their route. We continue to witness the spread of hate speech," Kyiv Pride said.

Kyiv Pride held a march in June 2024 for the first time since Russia began its full-scale war against Ukraine in February 2022.

‘Europe hasn’t decided what to do if US steps back’ — key takeaways from Zelensky’s closed-door briefing

“Both teams are working to ensure we meet,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

The Kyiv IndependentAnna Fratsyvir

A charity event for Kyiv Pride took place on June 7 outside the Foreign Ministry building and was met with a nearby counterprotest.

The event collected donations, with proceeds going toward FPV drones for Ukraine's Armed Forces provided by the Serhiy Sternenko Foundation.

On April 19, a clash broke out between police and far-right protesters outside the Zhovten cinema in Kyiv, where the Sunny Bunny LGBTQ+ film festival took place.

"This is a cultural and educational charity event. Today we will have several educational lectures, during which we will collect money for drones," Kyiv Pride organizers told local media.

Counterprotesters stood nearby, chanting anti-LGBTQ+ slogans as the Kyiv Pride charity event took place outside the Foreign Ministry building.

Kyiv Pride's previously planned event was cancelled amid police pressure on the National Expo Center of Ukraine (VDNG), the event organizers said.

"This year, the police did everything they could to cancel our event. They even intimidated the management of VDNG — the National Expo Center of Ukraine... Unfortunately, under such pressure, VDNG made the decision to cancel our event," Kyiv Pride said in a post to Facebook on June 6.

Public support for LGBTQ+ rights in Ukraine has grown in recent years, but the community continues to face frequent threats and violence, particularly from far-right groups. Events such as Pride marches and queer cultural festivals are often targeted by the far right.

A 2023 poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found that over 70% of Ukrainians believe LGBTQ+ people should have the same rights as others.

Kyiv Pride held a march in June 2024 for the first time since Russia began its full-scale war against Ukraine in February 2022.

Wondering where to start with Dostoevsky? Try his Ukrainian contemporaries instead

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a growing debate has emerged over the cultural and political legacy of Russian literature — particularly the global reverence for classic Russian authors, which critics argue has long served to promote the imperial narratives embedded in their work. As

The Kyiv IndependentKate Tsurkan