Despite constant shelling, the annual Pride Parade was held in Kharkiv. Participants rode through all three subway lines, visiting ten stations. The news website Kharkiv Today reports that many participants wore Ukrainian national clothing and carried posters condemning Russian aggression against Ukraine.
"In general, the Kharkov Pride march went safely. However, we learned about the attack on one participant of the march in the city center. He was wearing a vyshyvanka [embroidered traditional shirt] and was photographing a large flag of Ukraine, so the attack could have been based on homophobia and Ukrainophobia," the rally organizers reported.
Kharkiv Pride has been held since 2019. This year's Pride events included a renewed call for marriage equality — which has become all the more important for the LGBTQ+ community since the start of the war, CBC explains. Without it, LGBTQ+ people are not allowed to visit their significant other in hospital or to take care of their partner’s personal affairs for their partners while they are away fighting the war.