AUCCRO opposes criminal liability for pro-family actions

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine plans to introduce amendments to the Criminal Code on crimes motivated by gender intolerance. Photo: zn.ua

On April 17, 20202 the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (AUCCRO) called on the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to hold a broad public discussion of Bill No 3316 "On Amendments to the Criminal Code of Ukraine (on combating crimes motivated by hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity)" and to send this law for revision, reports the website of the AUCCRO.

The All-Ukrainian Council of Churches opposed the introduction of gender ideology in the legislation of Ukraine and drew the attention of the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Dmitry Razumkov and members of the parliamentary Committee on Law Enforcement to the fact that such a law would threaten the constitutional right of citizens to freedom of speech.

The new law not only provides for the strengthening of criminal liability for crimes motivated by intolerance on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity but also proposes to add an article on criminal liability to the Criminal Code for “humiliating the dignity of individuals or groups of persons on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity”.

This may be used against those who hold peaceful actions in defense of traditional family values, noted the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches. It recalled how on June 17, 2018, in Kyiv during the so-called "March of Equality" held by supporters of gender ideology, police officers groundlessly suppressed peaceful alternative actions in defense of family values.

Those religious figures who criticize same-sex relationships and talk about their immorality and sinfulness or call for limiting the propaganda of such an unnatural way of life may also be at risk of facing criminal prosecution, added AUCCRO members.

They also mentioned that Ukrainian legislation does not explicitly include the concept of "gender identity", which can also lead to abuse.

Earlier, the Ukrainian public organization Insight LGBTQ NGO, which protects the rights of the LGBT community, filed a lawsuit against the head of the UOC-KP Filaret Denisenko for his words that one of the reasons for coronavirus is the sinfulness of humanity and same-sex marriages.

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