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LGBT Rights Before and After Euromaidan

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LGBT Rights Before and After Euromaidan A Revolution of Dignity? LGBT Rights Before and After Euromaidan A Qualitative Study of LGBT Rights in Ukraine Silje Fines Wannebo Master thesis in European and AmeriCan Area Studies, Department of Literature Area Studies and European Languages, FaCulty of Humanities, UNIVERSITY OF OSLO September 2017 I II A Revolution of Dignity? LGBT Rights Before and After Euromaidan A Qualitative Study of LGBT Rights in Ukraine Silje Fines Wannebo Department of Literature, Area Studies and European Languages, Faculty of Humanities, University of Oslo September 2017 Supervisor: Geir Flikke III Copyright Silje Fines Wannebo 2017 A Revolution of Dignity? LGBT Rights Before and After Euromaidan; A Qualitative Study of LGBT Rights in Ukraine Silje Fines Wannebo http://www.duo.uio.no Trykk: Reprosentralen, Universitetet i Oslo IV V Summary This thesis seeks to examine legal and public perceptions of LGBT rights in Ukraine. Ukraine was the first post-soviet country to decriminalise homosexuality, but during Ukraine’s 25 years of independence, the development of expanding LGBT rights has moved rather slowly. In 2008, however, Ukraine increased its cooperation with the EU through the signing of the Visa Liberalisation Action Plan (VLAP) and in 2014, after the Euromaidan revolution and the Russian annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula Crimea, the president of Ukraine signed the Association Agreement. Both agreements include certain anti-discriminatory measures which Ukraine is recommended or even obliged to implement. Using a qualitative interpretative approach this thesis examines how LGBT activists and parliamentarians perceive the cooperation with the EU and Ukraine’s LGBT legislation. The data from in-depth interviews is analysed and presented using a thematic analysis. These themes concern how the LGBT activists participating in this research engage in advocacy work and whether they see the effects of Ukraine’s cooperation with the EU and the Euromaidan as challenges or opportunities. Moreover, the thematic analysis includes an assessment of the Ukrainian parliament on implementing LGBT legislation. Ukrainian politicians are reluctant to address LGBT issues in public, and according to the respondents participating in this research, the sole motivation for adopting anti-discriminatory legislation to Ukraine’s Labour Code in 2015, prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity, was for Ukrainian citizens to be granted visa freedom to the Schengen countries. Here I ask what seem to be the greatest challenges in regard to addressing LGBT issues, in addition to examining the arguments in use for not implementing more LGBT rights. As a historical backdrop the thesis also includes a portrayal of the treatment of and argumentation in use for criminalising homosexuality during the Soviet Union. I also seek to explore whether this argumentation is still valid in Ukraine’s current discussions on implementing LGBT rights. Finally, nationalism in Ukraine and its possible threat against LGBT people and implementation of LGBT rights will be included in the thematic analysis. VI VII Preface I want to thank my supervisor Geir Flikke, at the Institute of Literature, Area Studies and European Languages, University of Oslo, for guidance and constructive comments during the writing process of this thesis. I also want to thank the National University of “Kyiv Mohyla Academy” for enrolling me as a research student and to my supervisor there, Tamara Martseniuk, at the Department of Sociology, for introducing and guiding me through the fieldwork of this research, as well as giving me constructive comments and literature recommendations along the way. Also, thanks to family and friends who have read drafts and supported me in this process. Last but not least, I want to thank all those who agreed to participate in this research, for that I truly am grateful. VIII Abbreviations AUCCRO All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations EHCR The European Court of Human Rights EU European Union KIIS Kyiv International Institute of Sociology LGBT Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender MSM Men who have Sex with Men NAP National Action Plan NGO Non-governmental Organisation NHRS The National Human Rights Strategy NSD The Norwegian Centre for Research Data SOGI Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity UNHCR The UN Refugee Agency VLAP Visa Liberalisation Action Plan IX X Transliteration Romanisation system from Ukrainian When transliterating from Ukrainian I have chosen to use the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine’s resolution of January 27, 2010 No 55 “On Regulation of Transliteration of the Ukrainian Alphabet by means of the Latin Alphabet” (Kabinet Ministriv Ukraini, 2010). Ukrainian Alphabet Latin Alphabet Аа a Бб b Вв v Гг h Ґґ g Дд d Ее e Єє e (initial position), ie (in other positions) Жж zh Зз z Ии y Іі i Її yi (initial position), i (in other positions) Йй y (initial position), i (in other positions) Кк k Лл l Мм m Нн n Оо o Пп p Рр r Сс s Тт t Уу u Фф f XI Хх kh Цц ts Чч ch Шш sh Щщ shch Юю yu (initial position), iu (in other positions) Яя ya (initial position), ia (in other positions) Soft sign and apostrophe are not transliterated from the Ukrainian alphabet to the Latin alphabet. Romanisation system from Russian When transliterating from Russian I have chosen to use the BGN/PCGN 1947 Romanisation system for Russian (U.S. Board on Geographic Names Foreign Names Committee Staff, 1994, pp. 93-92). Russian Alphabet Latin Alphabet Аа a Бб b Вв v Гг g Дд d Ее ye (initial position, after the vowels а, е, ё, и, о, у, ы, э, ю, я and after й,ъ, and ь.) e (in other positions Ёё yë (when the dieresis is shown: initial position, after the vowels а, е, ё, и, о, у, ы, э, ю, я and after й,ъ, and ь.), ë (in other positions). When dieresis is not shown, the character may still be romanised in the preceding manner, or alternatively, in accordance with romanisation of Ee above). Жж zh Зз z Ии i XII Йй y Кк k Лл l Мм m Нн n Оо o Пп p Рр r Сс s Тт t Уу u Фф f Хх kh Цц ts Чч ch Шш sh Щщ shch Ъъ ” Ыы y Ьь ' Ээ e Юю yu Яя ya XIII Table of Contents 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Research topic: Public and Legal Perceptions of LGBT Rights in Ukraine .............. 1 1.2 Theory ............................................................................................................................................ 3 1.2.1 Previous Research ................................................................................................................................... 3 1.3 Thesis Outline ........................................................................................................................... 10 2 Methodology: Qualitative Interviews/ Limitations and Promises ..................... 12 2.1 Research Rationale ................................................................................................................. 12 2.2 Interpretative Thematic Analysis ...................................................................................... 13 2.3 Qualitative Interviews ........................................................................................................... 14 2.4 Respondent Group 1, LGBT Activists ................................................................................ 16 2.4.1 Interview Guide ..................................................................................................................................... 17 2.5 Respondent Group 2, Members of Parliament (MPs) .................................................. 18 2.5.1 Interview Guide ..................................................................................................................................... 20 2.6 Participant Observation ........................................................................................................ 21 2.7 Validity ........................................................................................................................................ 22 2.8 Secondary Literature .............................................................................................................. 25 3 The Soviet Era – LGBT Taboos and Ideology (1917-1990) ................................... 27 3.1 The Criminalisation of Homosexuality In the Russian Empire ................................ 27 3.2 Criminalisation of homosexuality in the Soviet Union ............................................... 28 4 Independent Ukraine: European Aspirations (1990-2012) ................................. 33 4.1 Ukraine’s Adoption of European Conventions ............................................................... 33 4.1.1 New Amendment to the (Old) Labour Code .............................................................................. 37 4.1.2 The National Action Plan ................................................................................................................... 41 4.2 Are LGBT Rights a “Legal” or a “Value” Problem? ......................................................... 43 4.3 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 47 5 LGBT Rights in Contemporary Ukraine: An Inside View ....................................... 49 5.1 NGOs Pressing for Rights – Advocacy Work in Contemporary Ukraine ................ 51 5.1.1 Theme 1: Political Communication ..............................................................................................
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