A Public-Event Safety Guide for LGBTQI+ Activists and Allies
Safety is one of the main concerns for members of the LGBTQI+ community, their allies, and those working in human rights.
According to a 2020 study by several Ukrainian civil society organizations, defending LGBTQI+ rights remains the riskiest kind of work for human rights defenders and civic activists in Ukraine. Despite this, the number of public events and peaceful assemblies dedicated to LGBTQI+ rights and equality has grown in Ukraine over the past few years. The most successful examples include the Women’s Marches, the Equality March in Kyiv, large human rights actions in Odesa and Kharkiv, and a variety of discussions, film screenings, and workshops.
Given how pressing safety issues are for LGBTQI+ activists and allies, the Freedom House team in Ukraine, together with Anna Lytvynova, lawyer at Insight NGO, developed this guide to train and support organizers of LGBTQI+ public events, with the aim of effectively preventing and helping resolve security threats. The guide contains best practices, practical guidelines, and recommendations for organizing a public event or peaceful assembly on LGBTQI+ issues in the Ukrainian context.