The move, however, has apparently angered some of the operators’ customers
FILE PHOTO. © Getty Images / Johner Images
Ukraine’s leading telecom providers have commemorated Pride Month by temporarily painting their logos in rainbow colors and posting messages of support for LGBTQ on social media. The move, however, elicited a backlash online, with numerous users vowing to ditch the providers over their stance.
Pride Month, which is celebrated internationally in June, was supported by the country’s top mobile operators, namely Kyivstar, boasting over 26 million customers, and Vodafone Ukraine, with more than 18 million. The companies posted messages in support of LGBTQ on social media on Wednesday, a move joined by the country’s third-largest operator, Lifecell, on Thursday.
Але ж насправді свобода не закінчується на власному Я.Бути вільним по-справжньому = давати змогу обирати й тим, хто поряд.Не засуджувати, не намагатися змінити або скоригувати поведінку.Приймати, любити й підтримувати. pic.twitter.com/0W4cPkR1ya
— lifecell (@lifecellua) June 15, 2023
The move prompted an online backlash against the operators, with some users taking to social media with vows to ditch the companies over the gesture. It was not immediately clear to what extent the proclaimed exodus has actually begun.
Given that the companies demonstrated their support for Pride Month not simultaneously but one after another, some users pledged to leave one operator in favor of another – only to have that one join in shortly thereafter. Multiple pledges to leave the purportedly “f*ggot” companies over their apparent support for “b*tt sex” went viral, with screenshots making the rounds in the respective threads announcing the Pride Month commemoration.
Over the course of the conflict with Russia, the gay rights movement in Ukraine has seemingly gained momentum, with its proponents reportedly claiming that the spread of LGBTQ in the country would somehow hurt Moscow. The drive also seems to be deriving support from abroad.
Earlier this month, for instance, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ordered Ukraine to pay damages to a gay couple after multiple unsuccessful attempts to register their marriage in the country. The court found Kiev to be in breach of the couple’s rights despite the fact that same-sex marriage remains illegal in Ukraine, with the country’s constitution defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
