Foreign Ministry calls on Rada to take into account Ukraine's obligations before banning propagation of homosexuality

The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine expects that the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, will take into account Ukraine's international obligations while considering at second reading a bill prohibiting the propagation of homosexuality.

"Certainly the people's deputies of Ukraine are free to propose any legal initiatives based on their understanding of public opinion. However, the Foreign Ministry expects that Ukraine's international obligations in the spheres human rights protection and particularly the protection of [sexual] minorities' rights would be taken into account in this bill during its further consideration," director of the Foreign Ministry's information policy department Oleh Voloshyn said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine, while commenting on the passing of the bill at first reading by the Verkhovna Rada.

As reported, on October 2 the Verkhovna Rada passed at first reading a bill amending some legal documents regarding protection of children's right to safe information space. Some 289 of the 350 MPs registered in the sitting hall supported the bill.

The authors of the draft law propose to introduce responsibility for actions that propagate homosexual relations, abuse of freedom of speech in the printed media, and the propagation of homosexuality on television and radio.

In addition, the authors of the document propose to add to the article of the Criminal Code of Ukraine on punishments for the import, production or distribution of products propagating violence, cruelty, racial, national or religious intolerance and discrimination a relevant provision on responsibility for the propagation of homosexuality.

The draft law was developed by people's deputies Yevhen Tsarkov (Communist Party parliamentary faction), Kateryna Lukyanova (Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense faction), Pavlo Unhurian (BYT-Batkivschyna faction), Yulia Kovalevska (Regions Party faction), Taras Chornovil (independent deputy), and Lilia Hryhorovych (Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense faction).