Power blocks petitions calling to stop LGBT “propaganda” on state TV – media

Logo of the state channel "Suspilne Movlennia"

Ukrainian citizen Iryna Stepanovych has repeatedly tried to submit petitions calling for an end to what she describes as LGBT “propaganda” by Suspilne Broadcasting (JSC “NSTU”), but has faced systematic blocking on official state platforms, the civic organization “Vsi Razom” reports.

Stepanovych says she began paying special attention to Suspilne Broadcasting’s handling of LGBT-related topics after the broadcaster’s Khmelnytskyi branch produced an entire series of stories about the cohabitation of two lesbians from Kamianets-Podilskyi. She also claims that, during a certain period, the broadcaster started “coloring” its logo in the colors of the LGBT flag.

Her attempts to post a petition on the President of Ukraine’s website allegedly ended in a block: the system would not allow the petition to be submitted, and on a repeated attempt the text disappeared without any explanation. A similar situation, she says, occurred on the website of the Verkhovna Rada, where the petition was rejected as “not meeting the posting requirements.” Stepanovych insists she complied strictly with all official requirements.

In her petition, Stepanovych proposed suspending state funding for Suspilne Broadcasting until legislative amendments are adopted that would strengthen public oversight. She argued that NSTU violates provisions of its own Charter as well as Ukraine’s law “On Public Television and Radio Broadcasting,” by promoting LGBT topics in a one-sided manner, cooperating with relevant organizations, and orienting its work toward the expectations of foreign grant-givers rather than the preferences of Ukrainian society.

Stepanovych called on the President to initiate legislative changes that would rule out politically tinted use of the broadcaster’s logo, introduce public monitoring, and require clear labeling of content produced specifically for reporting to donors. She also proposed dissolving NSTU’s advocacy unit and holding a parliamentary review of the activities of the broadcaster’s governing bodies.

She emphasized that a petition by Petro Zherukha supporting registered partnerships for same-sex couples was published on the President’s website without difficulty. Moreover, she says it was promoted by Suspilne Broadcasting itself.

NSTU receives its primary funding from the state budget. In April 2024, the broadcaster reportedly created a Department for Diversity, Inclusion, and Equal Opportunities tasked with implementing the DEI concept. Suspilne Broadcasting publicly presents itself as one of the key media partners of LGBT initiatives in Ukraine and has received an award from Kyiv Pride Awards.

Previously, the UOJ reported that Suspilne Zaporizhzhia aired a laudatory segment about a lesbian wedding in Zaporizhzhia.

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