LGBTQ rights in Ukraine

LGBTQ rights in Ukraine
Location of Ukraine (green)

in Europe (dark grey)   [Legend]

Legal statusLegal since 1991
Gender identityTransgender people allowed to change gender
MilitaryGays, lesbians and bisexuals allowed to serve
Discrimination protectionsSexual orientation and gender identity protections in employment (see below)
Family rights
Recognition of relationshipsNo recognition of same-sex relationships
RestrictionsSame-sex marriage constitutionally banned
AdoptionSingle people allowed to adopt; same-sex couples banned

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in Ukraine face challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ individuals. Since the fall of the Soviet Union and Ukraine's independence in 1991, the Ukrainian LGBTQ community has gradually become more visible and more organized politically, holding several LGBTQ events in Kyiv, Odesa, Kharkiv, and Kryvyi Rih. In the 2010s and 2020s, positive treatment of LGBTQ people has been on the rise in Ukrainian society.

In a 2010 European study, 28% of Ukrainians polled believed that LGBT individuals should live freely and however they like, the lowest number of all European countries polled apart from Russia. In the 2011 UN Human Rights Council declaration for LGBT rights (A/HRC/RES/17/19), Ukraine express its support, along with neighbouring countries Poland, Hungary and Slovakia, while Russia and Moldova voted against it. In 2015, the Ukrainian Parliament approved an employment anti-discrimination law covering sexual orientation and gender identity, and in 2016, Ukrainian officials simplified the transition process for transgender people and began allowing gay and bisexual men to donate blood.

In late 2022, parliament unanimously approved a media regulation bill that banned hate speech and incitement based on sexual orientation or gender identity. In March 2023, a parliamentary bill was introduced for civil unions. In 2023 the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association ranked Ukraine 39th out of 49 European countries in terms of LGBTQ rights legislation, similarly to EU members Lithuania and Romania. Marriage remains limited to heterosexual couples under the 1996 constitution.

On 14 May 2025, the government approved a road map for joining the EU, which featured additional LGBTQ-inclusive legislation.