The Kyiv Metropolis of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) called the holding of the LGBT event "KyivPride Park" near the St. Michaelʼs Golden-Domed Monastery in the capital a "cynical anti-church provocation".
This was reported by the press service.
The KyivPride Park event was originally scheduled to take place at the Whale pavilion at VDNH. However, it was canceled due to a police warning about a terrorist attack and moved to Mikhailivska Square, where the Mikhailivska Monastery is located.
OCU stated that the KyivPride event is aimed at "supporting and promoting in society the sin of sodomy (homosexuality) and gender ideology". Therefore, the fact that they want to organize an LGBT event under the walls of the Michaelmas Monastery on the eve of the Trinity holiday is not considered a "coincidence of circumstances", but rather a "conscious provocative and anti-church intention of the organizers".
So the Orthodox Church of Ukraine protested against this event. Meanwhile, KyivPride says that Mikhailivska Square was chosen because the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine is located there. And this is a “key government body” that supports LGBTIQ+ rights and contributes to improving the human rights situation in Ukraine. The event was not canceled because it “would jeopardize the future of all LGBTIQ+ events throughout Ukraine”.
- The Sunny Bunny Film Festival was held in Kyiv from April 18 to 25, showcasing feature-length queer-themed films from around the world. The festival was criticized online for being held on Easter, and debated over its appropriateness. Clashes broke out.
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