Poltavs'ka Oblast' is governed by federal Ukraine law. Learn more
    Homosexuality
    ✔ Legal
    Gay Marriage
    ✖ Banned
    Censorship
    ✔ No censorship
    Changing Gender
    ✖ Legal, but requires medical diagnosis
    Gender-Affirming Care
    ✔ Legal
    Non-Binary Gender Recognition
    ✖ Not legally recognized
    Discrimination
    ✖ Illegal in some contexts
    Employment Discrimination
    ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
    Housing Discrimination
    ✖ No protections
    Adoption
    ✖ Single only
    Intersex Infant Surgery
    ✖ Not banned
    Military
    ✔ Legal
    Donating Blood
    ✔ Legal
    Conversion Therapy
    ✖ Not banned
    Age of Consent
    ✔ Equal
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Public Opinion

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History

Homosexual activity in Poltavs'ka Oblast'

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Homosexual activity in Poltavs'ka Oblast' is legal.

Current status
Since Dec 12, 1991
Legal
Same-sex sexual activity has been legal in Ukraine since 1991.
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Mar 7, 1934–Dec 12, 1991
Male illegal, female legal
An article under which sodomy was punishable by imprisonment from 5 to 8 years appeared in the Soviet Criminal Code on March 7, 1934 - number 154-a: “Sexual intercourse between a man and a man (sodomy) - imprisonment for a term of three to five years. Sodomy committed with the use of violence or taking advantage of the dependent position of the victim - imprisonment for a term of five to eight years."

Same-sex marriage in Poltavs'ka Oblast'

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Same-sex marriage in Poltavs'ka Oblast' is banned.

Current status
Since Jun 28, 1996
Banned
Article 51 of the Constitution of Ukraine, adopted in 1996, defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. However, things may change soon. The country’s current president Zelensky stated that Ukraine’s government may allow civil partnerships for same-sex couples in the future.
Until Jun 28, 1996
Unrecognized
Before Ukraine's Constitution of 1996 went into effect, there were no laws that defined marriage as between a man and a woman.

Censorship of LGBT issues in Poltavs'ka Oblast'

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Censorship of LGBT issues in Poltavs'ka Oblast' is no censorship.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 2022
No censorship
In 1999, the former President of Ukraine, Leonid Kravchuk, stated that there are more important issues than LGBT rights to discuss in Parliament and that homosexuality is caused by a mental illness or the corrupting influence of foreign films.
In 2007, the leader of the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights called gay men "perverts" who must be stopped. Other MPs, namely Communist MP Leonid Grach, have listed homosexuality and lesbianism as evils the state must stop.
A draft law that would make it illegal to talk about homosexuality in public and in the media and to import, distribute, and broadcast video, photo, and audio products that "encourages homosexuality" (with penalties of up to five years in prison and fines for up to ₴5,000 (US$616)) was passed in first reading in the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) on 2 October 2012. An estimated 20 community activists representing several organizations protested outside of the Verkhovna Rada building during the vote. On 4 October 2012, a second vote was tentatively scheduled for 16 October. This law was deemed homophobic by the LGBT community and human rights organisations and condemned by Amnesty International, the European Union, and the United Nations. The Venice Commission concluded in June 2013 that the bill was "incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights and international human rights standards". In January 2015, the bill was removed from the agenda. A petition was subsequently started by anti-gay groups, calling for "measures to be taken to stop the propaganda of homosexuality and for defending family values". In March 2018, Ukraine's Anti-Discrimination Ombudsperson removed the petition from the electronic petitions section. By then, the petition had received 23,000 signatures and support from various religious organisations. The Ombudsman described the petition as "anti-freedom", and deleted it due to "containing calls to restrict human rights".
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Right to change legal gender in Poltavs'ka Oblast'

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Right to change legal gender in Poltavs'ka Oblast' is legal, but requires medical diagnosis.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 2016
Legal, but requires medical diagnosis
Since December 2016, new identity documents are issued before surgery is conducted. This followed an August 2016 ruling which ordered changes requested by two transgender people to their passports and all other documents without requiring them to undergo surgery. Transgender individuals who are married or have an underage child can also apply for transition. Previously, all applicants needed permission from a special commission of the Ministry of Healthcare, had to spend 30 days in a psychiatric hospital (usually placed in the same wards with patients considered "mentally ill"), and needed to be "diagnosed with transsexuality"; this is no longer required.
Apr 5, 1972–Jan 1, 2016
Legal, but requires surgery
Under Soviet law, after the fall of the Soviet Union, the regulations were not changed.
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Until Apr 5, 1972
Illegal
Legal gender change is impossible
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Gender-affirming care in Poltavs'ka Oblast'

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Gender-affirming care in Poltavs'ka Oblast' is legal.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 2005
Legal
In 2005, Ukraine adopted the ICD-10 classification, which contains codes for diagnosing transsexualism in adulthood and childhood, which authorize the initiation of medical transition.
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Jan 1, 1983–Jan 1, 2005
Legal, but restricted for minors
In 1983, transsexualism began to be professionally diagnosed in the Soviet Union, which allowed the prescription of hormone therapy
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Restricted
In 1926, the Soviet Union's Ministry of Internal Affairs legalized sex reassignment surgery
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Until 1926
Banned
Medical transition is not possible
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Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Poltavs'ka Oblast'

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Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Poltavs'ka Oblast' is not legally recognized.

Current status
Not legally recognized
Ukraine does not legally recognize a non-binary gender on official documents.
Sources:
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LGBT discrimination in Poltavs'ka Oblast'

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LGBT discrimination in Poltavs'ka Oblast' is illegal in some contexts.

Current status
Since Nov 12, 2015
Illegal in some contexts
LGBT discrimination is prohibited at the employment level
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Jun 28, 1996–Nov 12, 2015
No protections
No protections afforded
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LGBT employment discrimination in Poltavs'ka Oblast'

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LGBT employment discrimination in Poltavs'ka Oblast' is sexual orientation and gender identity.

Current status
Since Nov 12, 2015
Sexual orientation and gender identity
The Ukraine parliament voted to change the country's labor code to include protection against employment discrimination regardless of "race, colour, political, religious and other beliefs, sex gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnic, social and foreign origin, age, health, disability, or suspected presence of HIV/AIDS, family and property status, family responsibilities, place of residence, or participation in a strike."

LGBT housing discrimination in Poltavs'ka Oblast'

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LGBT housing discrimination in Poltavs'ka Oblast' is no protections.

Current status
Since Nov 12, 2015
No protections
like in Poland, Protections in Ukraine are unfortunatley highly limited
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Same-sex adoption in Poltavs'ka Oblast'

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Same-sex adoption in Poltavs'ka Oblast' is single only.

Current status
Since Oct 31, 2016
Single only
No restrictions. No laws in place for same sex couples. Legalization pending.
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Until Oct 31, 2016
Illegal
Same-sex marriage is not legal, and only married couples can adopt.
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Intersex infant surgery in Poltavs'ka Oblast'

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Intersex infant surgery in Poltavs'ka Oblast' is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
There is no official ban on unnecessary sex reassignment operations in infants in Ukraine.
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Serving openly in military in Poltavs'ka Oblast'

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Serving openly in military in Poltavs'ka Oblast' is legal.

Current status
Since 2022
Legal
All able-bodied male citizens from ages 20–27, must serve either 18 months in the navy or one year in all other services. After serving out the term of service Ukraine's conscripts become part of the inactive reserve and are eligible to be recalled for mobilization until they reach age 55 or age 60 for officers.

According to law, homosexuality is not a reason for exemption from the army. However, many young gay men try to avoid call-up to military service, as they are afraid to face unauthorized relations and other difficulties. In 2018, Viktor Pylypenko, who had served in the Donbass area for two years during the Russia–Ukraine war, became the first Ukrainian soldier to come out publicly. In 2019, several gay soldiers in the Ukrainian army participated in a photo exhibition called "We are here". In 2021, Pylypenko was trying to organize a special unit in the Ukrainian army for LGBT soldiers.[42] In July 2021, Pylypenko stated there were 16 open LGBT soldiers in the Ukrainian army.

The 2022 Russian invasion resulted in an increased influx of openness and acceptance regarding LGBTQ soldiers in the Ukrainian military. A growing number of soldiers disclosed their identity, believing that they could fight not just for their home country but also against existing stereotypes. The invasion also saw the spread of "unicorn insignia" which Ukrainian LGBTQ soldiers sew onto their uniforms. The unicorn was chosen due to its nature as "fantastic 'non-existent' creature", sarcastically countering claims about there being no LGBT+ individuals in the Ukrainian military.
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Blood donations by MSMs in Poltavs'ka Oblast'

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Blood donations by MSMs in Poltavs'ka Oblast' is legal.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 2016
Legal
No deferral.
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Conversion therapy in Poltavs'ka Oblast'

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Conversion therapy in Poltavs'ka Oblast' is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
No laws outlawing this practice.
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Equal age of consent in Poltavs'ka Oblast'

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Equal age of consent in Poltavs'ka Oblast' is equal.

Current status
Since Sep 1, 2001
Equal
Age of consent is equal at 16 years old.
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