Pride Month is a call to ensure inclusion in principle and in practice

June marks Pride Month, and we are invited to look back on joint achievements with LGBTIQ+-led organizations, government, partners, and donors, and also to uphold our shared responsibility to advocate for access to essential rights. We must continue removing barriers, ensuring that every LGBTIQ+ person can receive humanitarian support, equal opportunities, and live with dignity. 

When rights mean safety 

Despite important progress, many individuals still encounter prejudice and exclusion simply for who they are. Many people from the LGBTIQ+ community are continuously refused in their rights. In the context of Ukraine, where war has been raging for more than four years and in some territories for more than thirteen, this is a matter of life and death. 

What would you do if you were refused lifesaving assistance just because your documents did not correspond to your identity? Or you don’t have a place to go, as an attack destroyed your house, and you’re excluded from shelters? Or you’re suffering from domestic violence and can’t seek help because the help you need doesn’t exist? 

The right to humanitarian aid, the right to security, and the right to a free life are the key rights of people belonging to the LGBTIQ+ community that should be at the heart of the response, not only humanitarian, but in transition and recovery for the UN in Ukraine and beyond. 

This year’s global theme, “Everyone, Everywhere,” reminds us of the value of inclusion and that the members of marginalized communities can bring to society, giving a chance to feel safe, be heard, be included, and participate wherever they are. The United Nations stands with every member of humanity fighting against hate and discrimination of any kind. For us, it is important to align our work with the Leave No One Behind principle. 

Rising to an unprecedented challenge 

Ukraine is a country with one of the strongest civil societies and well-established LGBTIQ+-led organizations that have been doing excellent work for many years. However, everything changed within the first days of the full-scale invasion in 2022. The organizations working with the LGBTIQ community faced an unprecedented challenge: how to respond to the rising needs of their communities, having no experience to do so in the context of war? In addition, many organizations lost funding overnight and had to adapt to unprecedented hardship. 

Guided by the need for inclusion in humanitarian response, the UN, international and local NGOs started to work together without any roadmaps or guidance, driven by the experience of people within LGBTQI+ communities who ended up face to face with the challenges of the attacks, destructions, the loss of livelihoods, means, and oftentimes loved ones. In 2023, guidance on engagement with LGBTQI+ communities was developed, placing Ukraine at the forefront of inclusive practices and opening opportunities to share valuable lessons learned with countries facing similar challenges. 

The launch of the National Forum of LGBTQI organizations has highlighted gaps in the humanitarian system’s ability to meet the needs of LGBTQI+ people affected by the war. As a result, many remain unable to access essential services such as shelter, cash, food, and hygiene items, even though lifesaving support is critical to their survival. 

Beyond immediate inclusion in humanitarian support, LGBTIQ+ communities continue to face persistent challenges in inclusion in the recovery process, participation in the decisions that impact their communities, as well as constant discrimination, stigma, and hate attacks from far-right groups. While local LGBTQI+ organizations continue to carry out work on a volunteer basis, they could serve as a powerful drivers of regional development provided effective cooperation with local authorities and sufficient funding. 

How the UN supports LGBTIQ+ voices in Ukraine 

The UN follows the “Nothing about us without us”– principle in advocating for the interests of marginalized communities, including LGBTIQ+. No one knows a community's needs better than the community itself. 

In 2024, the UN in Ukraine brought together LGBTIQ+ activists and UN teams for open conversations about the challenges they face, especially in accessing quality services. These meetings were supported by agencies like UN Women, UNFPA, and UNHCR. 

 As a result, in 2025, an important step was taken: the first LGBTIQ+ Technical Working Group was established within the humanitarian support system. LGBTIQ+ people were also officially recognized as a vulnerable group in the national humanitarian response plan for 2025–2026. On top of that, various events and training sessions were held to identify concrete steps toward more inclusive services and a better understanding of the needs and requirements of LGBTIQ+ communities. These conversations also help find practical solutions and remove barriers over time. 

There are also many programs supporting this work. For example, UNHCR supports community organizations created by these groups, and UN agencies like UN Women provide training and consultations. There are also growing international opportunities available to LGBTIQ+ people. In addition, in 2025, 28 online training sessions were conducted for approximately 450 workers from civil society organizations on working with LGBTIQ+. 

More broadly, the UN in Ukraine is making a real effort to include all minority groups. This means creating spaces where people, whether from LGBTIQ+, Roma, or other communities, can speak directly with UN leadership and share their experiences and needs. 

Local organizations understand their communities and people’s needs in ways outsiders often cannot. They are the key instrument of the practical implementation of the Leave-Noone-Behind principle. Without their involvement, vulnerable groups would face further risks.  

For example, the NGO Norma Vita, together with local partners, has pushed for updates to in-kind assistance guidelines, demonstrating that voucher systems are the most effective way to reach hard-to-access areas. Meanwhile, the NGO Projector has strengthened accountability efforts by creating a practical guide to document war crimes, helping ensure that evidence of gender-based and conflict-related sexual violence is collected to pursue justice. 

Real inclusion requires real funding 

Human rights can’t be applied selectively. We cannot protect the rights of some groups and leave others behind. For the United Nations, this is a matter of principle and values. The LGBTIQ+ community is part of society. In Ukraine, they showed their dedication to helping people in the worst of circumstances and to continuing to fight for equal rights. 

Their needs must be recognized alongside those of other vulnerable groups, such as ethnic minorities and persons with disabilities. Although the partnership has shown substantial success, in practice, equal access to services means running support centers, protection means funds for safe premises and legal help, and opportunities means teachers, business grants, and safe workplaces. This all requires funding. 

 We call on donors to invest in inclusive programs and meaningful participation, ensuring that all communities, including LGBTIQ+ people, can access services safely, contribute to decision-making, and live with dignity. A more inclusive, fair, and resilient society for everyone doesn’t happen overnight, but it is built by brave men and women who don’t tolerate injustice.