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ReadAnalytical report · LGBTIQ+ · Ukraine · 2024
Impact of the Full-Scale War in Ukraine on LGBTIQ+ People
The report by Bureau "We Are!" shows how the war has intensified legal, social, economic and psychological vulnerability among LGBTIQ+ people in Ukraine, and why legal recognition of partnerships, non-discriminatory access to services and an effective institutional response are matters of security and human rights.
Methodology
What this survey measures
The report is based on an online survey of 353 respondents conducted from 20 July to 31 August 2024. The sample was formed through civil society networks and participant self-selection, so the findings should not be extrapolated to the entire LGBTIQ+ community in Ukraine. At the same time, the data identify clear patterns of vulnerability, legal needs and barriers to accessing services under wartime conditions.
Sampling limitation: this is not a nationally representative survey. It is an analytical snapshot of experiences shared by people who responded through civil society networks.
353sample size
20.07–31.08fieldwork period
onlinequestionnaire through civil society networks
34questions
self-selectionparticipation was voluntary
no mapno public oblast-level cut sufficient for a map
Key findings
The war intensified existing vulnerability
The full-scale war did not create every problem from scratch. It amplified pre-existing legal and social insecurity of LGBTIQ+ people: unrecognised partnerships, unequal access to services, discrimination risks, dependence on civil society support and weak institutional response in critical life situations.
77.3%reported deterioration of their psychological condition.
61.6%reported deterioration of their material situation.
46.5%are in long-term partnership or family relationships.
84.8%among those in stable relationships fully support civil partnership and are ready to register it.
73.8%feel vulnerable regarding access to full medical information about a partner in a critical moment.
64.7%actively donate to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other needs related to resisting aggression.
Data
What the survey data show
All indicators below are rendered as accessible charts with labels and data tables. For multiple-answer questions, values do not have to sum to 100%.
Respondent profile
Age, gender identity, sexual orientation, employment and displacement.
War as a multiplier of vulnerability
The most widespread effects were deterioration of psychological condition, material stability and health.
Partnerships and legal invisibility
For many respondents, same-sex partnerships are de facto family unions, yet the state does not provide sufficient legal certainty.
Institutions and responsibility
Respondents do not see protection of LGBTIQ+ rights as a task for civil society alone.
Access to assistance
Respondents rated assistance from civil society, charitable and international organisations much higher than state assistance.
Civic participation and volunteering
Respondents demonstrate high civic engagement, while fear of condemnation, risk of attacks and lack of resources remain barriers.
Why there is no regional map
The survey included respondents from different regions of Ukraine, but the public report does not contain an oblast-level cut sufficient for a representative regional map.
24 February 2022Start of Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine.
20 July 2024Start of the online survey.
31 August 2024End of data collection.
Legal framework
LGBTIQ+ rights during war depend on legal certainty
The legal section preserves the report’s 2024 legislative context. This is why Draft Law No. 5488 appears here rather than later legislative initiatives.
Constitutional equality
The Constitution of Ukraine protects equality before the law. The anti-discrimination law has an open list of protected grounds but does not explicitly name sexual orientation and gender identity in the basic statute.
Direct SOGI references
Special legislation already includes direct references to sexual orientation and gender identity, including labour and media regulation.
Draft Law No. 5488
The report refers to Draft Law No. 5488 because in 2024 it was a relevant legislative initiative on improving administrative and criminal-law responses to discrimination. This number is preserved for historical accuracy.
Draft Law No. 9103
Draft Law No. 9103 on registered partnerships is the key legislative initiative for legal recognition of same-sex and different-sex partnerships.
ECtHR case-law
Fedotova and Others v. Russia and Maymulakhin and Markiv v. Ukraine connect legal recognition of same-sex couples with states’ positive obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.
Protocol No. 12
Protocol No. 12 to the European Convention on Human Rights is not a Ukrainian draft law; it is a Council of Europe treaty instrument on the general prohibition of discrimination.
Recommendations
What should change in public policy
The recommendations are framed as practical policy directions for Ukrainian authorities and partners.
Anti-discrimination law
Close legislative gaps and explicitly account for SOGI in protection mechanisms.
Legal frameworkLegal recognition of couples
Protect same-sex couples in property, inheritance, healthcare, burial and social guarantee issues.
Partnership dataInstitutional response
Strengthen response to discrimination and violence, including effective use of Criminal Code Article 161.
InstitutionsState services
Improve non-discriminatory access to administrative, military-registration, police, court and healthcare services.
State interactionMedical and social assistance
Improve access to medical, psychosocial and social services for LGBTIQ+ people.
AssistanceLGBTIQ+ IDPs
Develop targeted solutions for LGBTIQ+ internally displaced people and other war-affected groups.
IDP statusSafe participation
Support different levels of civic participation without forcing visibility and with attention to security risks.
ParticipationParticipation of organisations
Institutionalise participation of LGBTIQ+ organisations in policy formation and evaluation.
PartnershipInternational coordination
Strengthen coordination with international partners on human rights, social policy and EU integration.
EU and human rightsDownload the full report
The full PDF version will include methodology, all quantitative indicators, legal analysis and recommendations to Ukrainian authorities on reducing the vulnerability of LGBTIQ+ people under wartime conditions.
FAQ
Short answers about the report
What does this report examine?
It analyses how the full-scale war affected LGBTIQ+ people in Ukraine: psychological and material wellbeing, access to services, partnerships, legal vulnerability, interaction with institutions, volunteering and the need for a state response.
Are the findings representative of the entire LGBTIQ+ community in Ukraine?
No. The survey is not statistically representative of the entire community. However, data from 353 respondents reveal important patterns of vulnerability, legal needs and barriers to assistance.
Why does the report refer to Draft Law No. 5488 rather than No. 13597?
Because this is a 2024 report. Draft Law No. 5488 was relevant to the administrative and criminal-law response to discrimination in the period analysed by the report. Later initiatives should not replace the historical frame of the document.
What is Draft Law No. 9103?
It is the draft law on registered partnerships, registered on 13 March 2023. It concerns legal recognition of partnerships, including same-sex couples, and is crucial for inheritance, property, social protection, medical representation and rights in critical life situations.
Why are civil partnerships important during war?
In wartime, legal non-recognition of partnerships creates practical risks: people may lack access to medical information, decision-making rights, compensation, inheritance or the ability to address burial issues.
What does the data show about civic participation?
The data show a high level of engagement: 64.7% of respondents actively donate to the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other needs related to resisting aggression. Visible advocacy is still constrained by fear of condemnation, persecution, attacks and lack of experience.