Ukrainian lawmakers on Thursday Nov 12,2015 have approved a bill that bans discrimination of
homosexuals, key legislation intended to help pave the way for visa-free
travel between Ukraine and the European Union.
Ukraine’s parliament has passed a law banning discrimination in the
workplace, including that based on sexual orientation. It is the last of
a package of ten laws that had to be approved for the European Union to
consider visa-free travel for Ukrainians.
The speaker of parliament assured deputies that the law would not
threaten “family values”, saying: “I hear some fake information which
says that there may be same-sex marriages in Ukraine. God forbid, this
will ever happen. We will never support this.” In response to the vote,
Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko tweeted: “Ukraine is breaking free
from the shackles of discrimination from the Soviet past. Meanwhile,
family values remain inviolable.”
The 450-seat parliament approved the bill with 234 votes.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko hailed parliament’s action as a
“historic” move that brought the nation close to its longtime goal of
winning the visa-free regime.
Ukrainian authorities have sought to forge closer ties with the EU amid a
conflict with Russia, which annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and
supported pro-Russia insurgents in eastern Ukraine.
The bill banning discrimination of homosexuals at workplace had been
rejected on four previous attempts, reflecting a strong opposition from
those in parliament who saw the document as a challenge to the country’s
Orthodox Christian traditions.
No comments:
Post a Comment