Zelensky responded to the petition on the legalization of same-sex marriages

President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to a petition to legalize same-sex marriages in Ukraine. The Head of State says that he appealed to Prime Minister Denys Shmygal with a request to consider this issue and inform about the results,  says  the official Presidential website.

Zelensky mentioned Article 21 of the Constitution of Ukraine, which states that "sll people are free and equal in their dignity and rights." At the same time, he added that Article 51 says that "marriage is based on the free consent of a woman and a man." The President also noted that the Constitution of Ukraine cannot be changed under martial law.

According to Zelensky, the government, which is responsible for measures to ensure human rights and freedoms, previously worked out options for decisions regarding the legalization of civil partnerships registered in Ukraine. That is why the President decided to turn to the Prime Minister with a request to consider the issue raised in the electronic petition and inform about the relevant results.

The petition

The petition has already gathered more than 28,500 votes on the President's Office website, although 25,000 is enough for the President to answer.

The author of the petition, Anastasia Sovenko, stated its essence quite briefly:  "At this time, every day can be the last. Let people of the same sex get the opportunity to start a family and have an official document to prove it. They need the same rights as traditional couples."

In May, the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology conducted  a survey  that showed that Ukrainians have become more tolerant of the LGBT community over the past six years. More than half of the respondents have a positive or indifferent attitude towards LGBT people, and almost two-thirds of Ukrainians support equality.