Hate Speech by High Ranking Politician in Ukraine

From Maidanua.org

Hate speech by high ranking politician in Ukraine

February 10, 2007Kyiv, Ukraine

NASH MIR (Our World) Gay and Lesbian Center

P.O. Box 173, Kyiv,

02100, Ukraine

E-mail: ourworld@gay.org.ua

Tel/fax: +380-44-573-54-24

Contact person: Mr. Andriy Maymulakhin, Coordinator

Media Release

Leader of Committee on Human Rights of the Ukrainian Parliament names homosexual people “perverts” and calls for a fight against them

In November, 2006 the Head of the Committee on Human Rights, National Minorities and International Relations of the Supreme Council (Parliament) of Ukraine, communist Mr. Leonid Grach in an interview stated that “homosexuality is an anomaly, which is caused by the amorality and the depravity of man”. He expressed confidence that the present Parliament will not vote for a law legalizing same-sex families and permitting them to adopt children. According to his opinion, in the next Parliament this question will not be raised at all, “and we (in Ukraine) will have a healthy society”.

In reply to his statement Ukrainian organizations of gays and lesbians addressed a letter to Mr. Grach in which we called for him to respect and protect the rights of homosexual people. However, Mr. Grach not only didn’t change his attitude, he recently expressed new insults toward homosexuals.

On February 9, 2007 in particular he said: “Me and my colleagues in the Parliament have to defend society from infringements upon morality, and not admit into the consciousness and souls of people of any age the thought that the state is on the side of the people who are sowing debauchery, propagandising for dissoluteness, for sexual permissiveness, and for bringing the abomination of seduction into society”. In the opinion of Leonid Grach, the “state must protect society from an evil, from violence, including such evil as homosexuality, lesbianism and suchlike others”. The MP considers that Ukrainians must observe the norms of moral cleanness, “bequeathed to us from ancient times by orthodox ancestors”.

We consider that such public statements by a high ranking politician, whose duty it is to protect human rights, are simply inadmissible in civilized democratic society.

We call upon you to draw the attention of your governments to this dangerous situation — and to demand from Ukrainian authorities that they observe and respect the rights of homosexual people equally with other members of broad society. We also ask you to send your letters of protest to Mr. Leonid Grach, and also to Victor Yushchenko, President of Ukraine and to Olexandr Moroz, Chairman of Ukrainian Parliament. Thank you.

Addresses for letters of protest:

Mr. Leonid Grach

Chairman of the Committee on Human Rights, National Minorities and International Relations of the Supreme Council (Parliament) of Ukraine

5 Grushevs’kogo Str.

Kyiv 01008, Ukraine

E-mail: Hrach.Leonid@rada.gov.ua, chihrin@rada.gov.ua

Fax: +380-44-255-40-68, +380-44-255-49-02

Mr. Victor YushchenkoPresident of Ukraine

11 Bankova Str.

Kyiv 01220, Ukraine

Send e-mail from http://www.president.gov.ua/en/content/200_e.html

Telephone: +380-44-226-20-77

Mr. Olexandr Moroz

Chairman of the Supreme Council (Parliament) of Ukraine

5 Grushevs’kogo Str.

Kyiv 01008, Ukraine

E-mail: Moroz.Oleksandr@rada.gov.ua, karpus@rada.gov.ua

Fax: +380-44-255-36-45