Ukrainian soldiers march in Kyiv's Pride parade to push for equal rights

+ Accessibility links Skip to main content Keyboard shortcuts for audio player Open Navigation Menu --> Newsletters NPR Shop Get NPR+ Close Navigation Menu Home News Expand/collapse submenu for News National World Politics Business Health Science Climate Race Culture Expand/collapse submenu for Culture Books Movies Television Pop Culture Food Art & Design Performing Arts Life Kit Gaming Music Expand/collapse submenu for Music Tiny Desk New Music Friday All Songs Considered Music Features Live Sessions Podcasts & Shows Expand/collapse submenu for Podcasts & Shows Daily Morning Edition Weekend Edition Saturday Weekend Edition Sunday All Things Considered Up First Here & Now NPR Politics Podcast Featured Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! Fresh Air Wild Card with Rachel Martin It's Been a Minute Embedded Get NPR+ More Podcasts & Shows Search Newsletters NPR Shop Get NPR+ Tiny Desk New Music Friday All Songs Considered Music Features Live Sessions About NPR Diversity Support Careers Press Ethics Ukrainian soldiers march in Kyiv's Pride parade to push for equal rights Ukrainian soldiers and their partners march in Kyiv's Pride parade for the right to marry and enter into civil partnerships in a traditional country that's trying to modernize as it aligns with Western Europe. World Ukrainian soldiers march in Kyiv's Pride parade to push for equal rights June 22, 20264:51 AM ET Heard on Morning Edition Joanna Kakissis Ukrainian soldiers march in Kyiv's Pride parade to push for equal rights Listen &middot; 2:22 2:22 Transcript Toggle more options Download Embed Embed "> <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5865659/nx-s1-9819553" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript Ukrainian soldiers and their partners march in Kyiv's Pride parade for the right to marry and enter into civil partnerships in a traditional country that's trying to modernize as it aligns with Western Europe. Sponsor Message STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, hosted a Pride parade that included soldiers from Ukraine's war. NPR's Joanna Kakissis reports.

+ (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) UNIDENTIFIED MARCHER: (Speaking Ukrainian). UNIDENTIFIED MARCHERS #1: (Chanting) Pride. UNIDENTIFIED MARCHER: (Speaking Ukrainian). UNIDENTIFIED MARCHERS #1: (Chanting) Pride. JOANNA KAKISSIS, BYLINE: The 31-year-old soldier marching in his first Pride parade wears thick sunglasses and a balaclava. PSYCHO: (Speaking Ukrainian). KAKISSIS: "Unfortunately, no one in my brigade knows about my orientation," he says, "so I'm hiding my face." NPR is identifying him by his military call sign, Psycho, for security reasons. Next to him is Dmytro Kalinin, an IT worker whose boyfriend is on the frontline. He says they were recently harassed while holding hands in public. DMYTRO KALININ: (Speaking Ukrainian). KAKISSIS: He says, "I do not feel safe in Ukraine right now." Hundreds of police blocked off streets for the Pride march. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER: (Speaking Ukrainian). KAKISSIS: In a nearby counterdemonstration, men in black stomp on rainbow flags. They shout slogans about Jesus, order and the traditional family. Among them is far-right activist Dmytro Korchynskyi. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) DMYTRO KORCHYNSKYI: (Speaking Ukrainian). KAKISSIS: He tells a local reporter, "we are for Ukraine remaining a white Christian country." (CHEERING) KAKISSIS: Back at the Kyiv Pride march, Gediminas Navickas, a European Union official here, insists this is not a majority view in Ukraine. GEDIMINAS NAVICKAS: In the last years, Ukraine has shown big progress. LGBTI community is also contributing to the freedom of Ukraine. Many people in society recognize that. KAKISSIS: A 2024 survey says 70% of Ukrainians believe the LGBTQ community should have the same rights as others. There were also protests when an update of the civil code did not include same-sex marriage and civil partnerships. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) UNIDENTIFIED MARCHERS #2: (Chanting in Ukrainian). KAKISSIS: Olena Shatseva is a veteran. She's here with her girlfriend and teenage daughter. OLENA SHATSEVA: (Speaking Ukrainian). KAKISSIS: "My family does not count here," she says, "and my joining the military did not change that." The Pride parade is cut short by news of an incoming Russian drone. UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER: (Speaking Ukrainian). KAKISSIS: The marchers hold up their banners as they descend into the subway for shelter. Joanna Kakissis, NPR News, Kyiv. Copyright &copy; 2026 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts may vary. Transcript text may be revised to correct errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org may be edited after its original broadcast or publication. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Facebook Flipboard Email Read & Listen Home News Culture Music Podcasts & Shows Connect Newsletters Facebook Instagram Press Public Editor Corrections Transcripts Contact & Help About NPR Overview Diversity NPR Network Accessibility Ethics Finances Get Involved Support Public Radio Sponsor NPR NPR Careers NPR Shop NPR Extra Terms of Use Privacy Your Privacy Choices Text Only Sponsor Message Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor (function () { var loadPageJs = function () { (window.webpackJsonp=window.webpackJsonp||[]).push([[22],{309:function(e,n,o){o.p=NPR.serverVars.webpackPublicPath,Promise.all([o.e(1),o.e(2),o.e(3),o.e(4),o.e(81)]).then((e=>{o(15),o(770),o(154),o(175),o(93),o(448),o(253),o(128),o(130),o(755),o(174),o(756),o(254),o(77),o(774)}).bind(null,o)).catch(o.oe)},783:function(e,n,o){e.exports=o(309)}},[[783,0]]]); }; if (document.readyState === 'complete') { loadPageJs(); } else { window.addEventListener('load', function load() { window.removeEventListener('load', load, false); loadPageJs(); }); } })();