Pride flag projected onto Ukrainian government buildings to highlight anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime

Two Ukrainian consulate buildings were lit up with projections of the Pride flag to highlight increasing LGBTQ+ hate crime in the country.

Against a backdrop of increasing hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community in Ukraine, Amnesty International UK took the action to urge authorities to do more to protect those being affected.

In recent months, LGBTQ+ groups such as Sphere have been subjected to dozens of discriminatory attacks.

Sphere, which provides a safe space for women and LGBTQ+ people in Kharkiv, Ukraine, has been targeted by people who have urinated on walls, spread faeces on doorknobs, broken windows and chanted homophobic slurs.

Anna Sharyhina, co-founder of Sphere, said: “We are sure that hate crimes on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity are not solely aimed at Sphere – they are aimed at terrorising the entire LGBT+ community.

“The impunity that follows speaks volumes of the government’s disregard of human rights. We demand the authorities to do their work and hold perpetrators of hate crimes accountable.”

Amnesty International UK has also launched a petition as part of its Write for Rights campaign calling for the protection of these groups, as well as a demand that the attackers be brought to justice.

The rainbow projections – which took place on Ukrainian government buildings in Bangkok and London on 29 November – raise awareness of Amnesty’s campaign and shine a spotlight on the dangerous levels of harassment, violence, and hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people in the country.

“Last night, we lit up Ukrainian government buildings in rainbow colours to send a message to the authorities that enough is enough: we will not tolerate hate crimes against LGBTI people in our country,” said Oksana Pokalchuk, Amnesty International’s Ukraine Director.

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