Yanukovych proposes to take balanced approach to ban on homosexuality propagation

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has said that opinions of the society, the clergy and parliament should be taken into account in the situation with the bill prohibiting the propagation of homosexuality. 

"The EU is waiting for our decision on the issue… We need to take into account the point of view of society and believers. We have to take balanced approach to this issue," the president said on Wednesday at a meeting with the clergy and heads of religious organizations.

"It is very difficult to make them [members of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament] press or not press the button [to vote], especially in a situation in which they have their own inner convictions, regardless of political positions," he said.

As reported, on October 2, 2012 the Verkhovna Rada passed at first reading a bill amending some legal documents regarding protection of children's right to safe information space.

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).