Harvey Milk initiative
“Rights are won only by those who make their voices heard” H. Milk
In today’s world of post-truth, propaganda, and hgeightened political confrontation, human rights issues for the LGBTQ community in Ukraine have stalled. Despite some progress in promoting and upholding human rights from 2013-2016, the LGBTQ community has not received full equality yet.
Ukraine has not reformed criminal legislation, which still lacks effective punishment and does not address hate crimes against LGBTQ persons. Ukraine has no form of civil partnership for same-sex couples, denying them equal rights and protections under law. At the same time, the Ukrainian LGBTQ community is underserved by the international community. QUA 's Harvey Milk Initiative works to heighten the profile of LGBTQ Ukrainian issues globally by linking Ukrainian and American lawmakers.
The Harvey Milk Initiative is an intercultural bridge between Washington and Kyiv, helping lawmakers find common ground and create new political ties between the LGBTQ political spheres in the United States and Ukraine. These connections provide both sides with tools and information to support Ukraine’s advancement of human rights for LGBTQ community.
QUA will help Ukrainian human rights defenders and LGBTQ activists to build working ties on Capitol Hill, as well as to establish cooperation between LGBTQ initiatives of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the US Congress.
Our activities involve:
help and comprehensive assistance to Ukrainian LGBTQ activists in establishing cooperation with the US Congress;
support and help Ukrainian LGBTQ activists participate in various state exchange programs;
creating an inclusive political platform for dialogue between LGBTQ activists and politicians
informing US government agencies and institutions about the human rights situation for LGBTQ in Ukraine;
promoting the development and implementation of cultural programs related to the LGBTQ community in Ukraine;
exchange and cooperation programs between democratic and liberal deputies of the Ukrainian Parliament and the US Congress;
establishing cooperation between members of the LGBTQ Caucus (US Congress) and the parliamentary group of the Ukrainian Parliament “For equal opportunities”;
The Harvey Milk Initiative will help LGBTQ activists to:
hold a special training session on international policy and the implementation and observance of human rights for LGBTQ;
get contacts of US government officials responsible for LGBTQ policy;
get information on special US training programs for LGBTQ activists;
meet representatives of the US Congress.
The Harvey Milk Initiative will help people’s deputies (their assistants or representatives of the administrative office of the Verkhovna Rada) to:
establish working contacts with representatives of the US Congress;
organize working meetings on Capitol Hill with representatives of government agencies and institutions
receive training materials on human rights advocacy for LGBTQ people at different levels;
hold educational meetings at US universities or think-tanks in Washington D.C. and New York;
develop special information materials in specific areas.
