Contact: Sharon Singh, [email protected], 202-675-8579, @spksingh
(Washington, D.C.) – Amnesty International today urged the Ukrainian parliament to reject two draft laws that are a direct assault on lesbian, gay and bisexual people's rights.
The draft laws, which purport to protect the rights of children by denying them information relating to homosexuality, are in contravention of Ukraine's international obligations to protect the right to non-discrimination. If enacted, the legislation would discriminate against lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals in their exercise of the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly.
"The draft laws appear to be the outcome of stereotypical views on homosexuality, rather than the result of a thorough process that seeks the views of children and ensures their best interest," said Heather McGill, Amnesty International's expert on Ukraine. "The Ukrainian government must strive to create a society in which diversity is viewed not as a threat, but as a source of enrichment for society as a whole."
Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 3 million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied.