Legalizing gay marriage will improve the image of Ukraine
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine plans to develop a bill to legalize same-sex civil partnerships . On it the officials there two years. This bill, in particular, will include the ownership and inheritance of property, as well as the content of one partner to another in the event of disability. The task set by order of the government in November last year, but the order was published only now.
Read more about this bill a radio station “Voice of Capital” spoke with the head of the advocacy center of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union Borisom Zaharovym.
– In Ukraine, the need to create a bill to legalize registered civil partnerships for heterosexual and same-sex couples based on economic and moral rights. Now we have it is not provided?
– Absolutely right, and it must be done according to our international obligations. But not necessarily to legalize same-sex marriage is, at least, it is necessary to settle the property relations. Already there have been cases when two people live together for many years, one suddenly dies, and he had no relatives, and the house that they had bought with his partner, goes to the state. And the lawyer beating, and he could do nothing, because there are no legal grounds to the property of the deceased to convey his inner man.
– As far as this issue is relevant and important today in Ukraine? Others have no problems?
– It is impossible due to the fact that we have an acute, urgent problems, a blind eye to everything else. We have to go to Europe, we need to change the legislation to reform our country in all spheres. We have specialized organizations, experts, and they need not sit idly by, it is also necessary to change the country in their respective fields.
– Is it possible to say that the future law will be the beginning of legitimizing same-sex marriages?
– Firstly, I do not see any problems. Second, if our society in the current environment is still not ready for this, then the solution of the problem with property rights for some time delay the legalization of marriages, calm down the situation. In this case, same-sex families will not be allowed to adopt children, etc., that is, it is only on property rights. But after some time, when our society will be more developed, more ready to change, perhaps there will be some new changes, a new strategy. So far, the National Human Rights Strategy and Action Plan for its implementation lies just such a formula.
– It is no secret that often the same marches of representatives of sexual minorities meet a strong reaction of society …
– So everywhere, and in Europe there are conservative forces, right-wing forces, religious communities, which are strongly opposed to such things. I am a supporter of liberalism, so I do not care that it is impossible to promote gay marriage and the like. But many people it hurts. It seems to me that if the society is not ready, it is not necessary to drive the whip, to take all at once, what Europe was for centuries. Sooner or later it will happen. At the moment of the 47 Council of Europe countries 24 have adopted similar laws. Part fully legalized same-sex marriages, and some have enacted laws similar to the one that is going to take Ukraine. But strategically, the historical process is that sooner or later same-sex marriage will be legalized everywhere.
– In November last year, Cabinet approved an action plan for the National Strategy in the field of human rights until 2020. What does this strategy?
– The strategy was developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice, the Ombudsman’s Office and civil society organizations. It is a comprehensive document that provides for changes in legislation and law enforcement practice in completely different areas and enhancing the role of the person and of human rights in the state, switching attention from the government on human rights. Here affected all spheres – and the right to life and freedom from torture and ill-treatment, and disability rights, women’s rights, children’s rights – is a comprehensive document. Disadvantage is the quality of the document, how to write it all the civil society, it is the average temperature in the hospital. Maybe, if they were written ten experts, it would have been written better. But since we have a strong civil society and all wanted to participate, it turned out well, too, got what we got.
– If same-sex marriage will be legalized, as it will change the international image of Ukraine?
– This is not the legalization of same-sex marriage and civil partnership. This clearly raise our rating in the eyes of Europe.
– Do you feel in this decision a political connotation?
– Of course. Now the authorities are very difficult, because the vast majority of people tuned in one way, and our European partners, with whom we have to work, set up differently. Therefore, quite found a compromise solution. This is not the legalization of same-sex marriage, this is legalization of civil partnerships, property rights, to avoid any legal conflicts. It should have been done long ago.
By the way, before the air 106 FM political analyst Alexei Yakubin said that Ukrainian politicians use the topic of sexual minorities to fill their electoral points .
Sourse, 14/03/2016
