Anna Borysivna Sharyhina (born c.1978) is a Ukrainian feminist and LGBT activist. She is a cofounder of the Sphere Women's Association, a lesbian feminist organisation in
Kharkiv, and of the NGO
Kyiv Pride
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Ukraine face discrimination in various ways; historically, the prevailing social and political attitudes have been intolerant of LGBT people, and strong evidence suggests this attitude rema ...
, the organizing committee of the
Pride Parade
A pride parade (also known as pride march, pride event, or pride festival) is an outdoor event celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer culture, queer (LGBTQ) social and self-acceptance, achievements, LGBT rights by country o ...
in
Kyiv.
[Claire Gaillard]
Anna Sharyhina – Ukraine, Hope for the Future
''Les Spread the Word'', 5 October 2015. Translated by Leanne Ross.
Sharyhina has been born into a
Russian speaking family.
Sharyhina and her partner, Vira Chemygina, have been involved in the Ukrainian LGBT community and lesbian organizations for over a decade. They organized Kyiv's first walks for equality. Kyiv's second walk for equality, held in 2015, was accompanied by police and had the support of a range of public figures. However, the march only lasted 15 minutes because of extreme-right violence against the marchers.
[ Ten people, including police officers guarding the event, were injured.][Clara Marchaud]
Kyiv Pride week events to raise awareness, defend LGBTQ rights
'' Kyiv Post'', June 8, 2018.
Sharyhina's feminist and LGBT activity has faced continued opposition in Ukraine. When she gave a lecture on LGBT movements at a Kharkiv bookstore, the meeting needed to be relocated twice: first to Kharkiv’s Nakipelo press centre and then to Kyiv’s Izolyatsiya centre.[Ganna Grytsenko]
What are the real barriers to freedom of assembly in Ukraine?
openDemocracy, May 16, 2018. PrideHub, a Kharkiv community center, was attacked by masked men with smoke grenades in July 2018; the building was later vandalised with graffiti and animal blood. Though complaints were made to police, and over 1,000 letters of complaint addressed to Interior Minister
An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and identification, emergency ...
Arsen Avakov, nobody has been punished for the offence.[Anna Nemtsova]
Mike Pompeo Snubs Ukraine’s Embattled LGBTQ Community
'' The Daily Beast, Jan 31, 2020.[Lily Wakefield]
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo refuses to meet with LGBT activists in Ukraine
'' Pink News'', February 1, 2020.
In March 2019 Sharyhina was amongst those organizing a Week of Women's Solidarity in Kharkiv for the first week of March:
In January 2020 Sharyhina criticized (then) United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for visiting Ukraine without meeting LGBTQ community leaders.[
Sharyhina has been criticized by Ukrainian nationalists for cooperating with russian organizations like Russian LGBT Network.
]
See also
*LGBT rights in Ukraine
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Ukraine face discrimination in various ways; historically, the prevailing social and political attitudes have been intolerant of LGBT people, and strong evidence suggests this attitude rema ...
References
External links
Story no.11. Anna Sharyhina
''Gay Alliance Ukraine'', Nov 25, 2015.
* Chanelle Grand
Portrait : Anna Sharyhina, militante et directrice de la marche de la fierté LGBT en Ukraine
STOP Homophobie, 5 October 2015.
* Hanna Sokolova
anna-sharyhina-interview-en/ “When we compromise, it’s as if we admit we’re not equal”: Anna Sharyhina on feminism and LGBT rights in Ukraine
openDemocracy, 22 May 2019.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharyhina, Anna Borysivna
1978 births
Living people
Ukrainian feminists
Ukrainian LGBTQ rights activists
21st-century Ukrainian LGBTQ people
Ukrainian lesbians