A Court In Ukraine Has Recognized This Same-Sex Couple As A Family In A Major Step Towards Marriage Equality
The court confirmed “the existence of marital relations between men based on living together, budget, purchased together property, lasting relationship and mutual support,”
In a historic resolution, a court in Ukraine has recognized a same-sex couple as a family, bringing the country a step closer to marriage equality.
Ukrainian diplomat, Zoryan Kis, brought the case to court after his partner, Tymur Levchuck, was denied the right to escort him as a family member when he was sent on an assignment to act as the secretary of the Ukrainian embassy in Israel in 2024, according to LGBTQ rights groups.
The couple had been living together since 2013 and had been married legally in the US in 2024.
On June 10, a court in Ukraine found that Kis and Levchuck’s relationship was a de facto marriage, recognizing them as a family.
The court confirmed “the existence of marital relations between men based on living together, budget, purchased together property, lasting relationship and mutual support,” human rights group, Insight LGBTQ NGO, wrote on Facebook.
While Ukraine still does not legally recognize same-sex marriages, LGBTQ rights organizations have welcomed the verdict, saying it “creates an important precedent in the case of legal recognition of same-sex relationships in Ukraine.”
“A small victory in our struggle for "simple family happiness",” Kis wrote on Facebook, adding, “Now we have a court ruling that affirms our feelings towards Tymur Levchuk.”
In contrast, Russia has rolled back LGBTQ rights in the country, even labeling the entire global LGBTQ movement as an “extremist” organization and banning people from changing their gender.
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