The Verkhovna Rada's Committee on the Health of the Nation supported the draft law on same-sex marriages

The Council committee supported the bill on same-sex marriage. Photo: EPA/UPG

The Verkhovna Rada's Committee on National Health, Medical Care and Medical Insurance supported draft law №9103, which regulates the issue of civil partnerships.

This was reported by People's Deputy Dmytro Hurin, one of the initiators of the document.

The committee recommended the draft law for consideration in the first reading. Hurin noted that in the process of working on the draft law, the authors often encountered the position of some deputies who consider same-sex families to be «abnormal». However, it is this committee responsible for medical evaluation that emphasizes that homosexuality is neither a disease nor a disorder. Various forms of sexuality are part of the medical norm, so the right to create a family should not depend on sexual orientation.

It will be recalled that 22 countries in Europe have already legalized same-sex marriages.

The General Synod of the Church of England has allowed priests to bless same-sex marriages and civil partnerships, while church weddings for such couples will continue to be prohibited. This decision shows a compromise between the conservative and liberal wings of the Church of England.

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church said that the Fiducia Supplicans declaration, which was approved by Pope Francis and allows for the blessing of same-sex couples, «has no legal force» for its believers.

It was previously reported that Ukrainians have an increased neutral and positive perception of representatives of the LGBT community.