The Equality March is scheduled to take place on June 16, but the final location has not yet been agreed upon. One of the organizers' proposals is to hold the event in the subway, but the Kyiv City State Administration has not approved this option. Find out about the discussion, alternatives and other events that will take place during the Pride month

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The organizers of KyivPride plan to hold the traditional Equality March on June 16, which will be the first time since the beginning of russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. However, discussions are currently underway regarding the location of the event, as the safety of the marchers is of paramount importance. 

Read this article to find out how Ukrainian companies supported the LGBTQ+ community last year.

Equality March in the subway?

The organizers of KyivPride suggested holding the march in the subway as one of the options and justified their choice by several factors:

– Safety: Given the high likelihood of rocket attacks, the organizers consider the subway to be one of the safest places to hold a mass event.

– Experience: They rely on the successful experience of KharkivPride, which also took place in the subway.

– Efficiency: The subway can accommodate a significant number of people, making it the optimal location for the Equality March.

However, the Kyiv City State Administration did not approve the initiative:

“The city authorities did not approve the holding of the Equality March in the Kyiv subway. For security reasons, the organizers are asked to choose another location. They also emphasize that in case the march is held, the responsibility for compliance with all security measures rests with the organizers,” - reads the statement on the official Kyiv portal.

The city authorities also noted that the subway is a dual-use facility and part of the city's critical infrastructure, and also has limited space, train schedules, and significant passenger traffic in the subway, which can ultimately create increased risks in the event of emergencies.

In addition, the Kyiv City State Administration refuted fakes about the suspension of subway traffic and the allocation of funds from the city budget for the March. KyivPride representatives made a similar statement, noting that they had never asked to close metro stations or allocate funds from the city budget, but only sought to engage in a dialogue with the authorities.

In the official explanation, KyivPride also noted that KyivPride 2024 could take place in the subway in one form or another and without the official approval of the Kyiv City State Administration or the subway, “but we, as organizers, always stand for a dialogue with the authorities.”

It should be noted that according to the organizers, for security reasons, a limited number of people will be able to take part in the march. No more than 500 people will be able to join it, including activists, representatives of LGBTQ+ and human rights organizations, volunteers, representatives of embassies and international human rights organizations, etc.

“The venue and time of the event will be announced to people who pre-register and will be approved by the KyivPride 2024 security team,” KyivPride added.

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Other events in June in Kyiv

On June 9, at 13:00, a charity educational festival will be organized at the Closer art center in Kyiv as part of the Pride month. The program includes lectures, discussions, creative workshops, a fair of Ukrainian brands, psychological counseling, master classes, and a music program.

It is noted that the winners of the KyivPride Awards will also be honored at the festival. To get to the event, you need to register, fill out a special form and make a charitable donation of UAH 150 or more. All the funds raised will be transferred to a 4 million hryvnia pride fundraiser for the military.

We remind you! Every year, the international organization ILGA publishes a ranking of countries by the level of tolerance towards the LGBTQ+ community. Read which country topped the ranking, what place Ukraine took, and which countries do not protect the rights of LGBTQ people at all in our previous article.

Photo: Getty Images/B. Hoffman

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