Globally, since 1976, there have been only 179 openly LGBTQI+ MPs, and only five openly LGBTQI+ Prime Ministers. LGBTQI+ individuals have faced many roadblocks to political inclusion and equity. Political parties can pose some of the most visible obstacles because they generally determine who stands for elective office and most parties have made insufficient efforts to integrate LGBTQI+ citizens into their structures and processes. In March 2024, NDI  brought together political parties and civil society organizations (CSOs) from Ukraine and Slovakia for a transformative dialogue on LGBTQI+ inclusion in politics. These two countries were selected for their emerging opportunities for growth in the area of inclusion of LGBTQI+ people in political life (in Ukraine, for example, NDI polling suggests increasing levels of public support for equal rights). Participants from across the political spectrum of Slovak and Ukrainian political parties embarked on a three-day learning journey, confronting biases and redefining their approach to LGBTQI+ inclusion while making connections across borders and party divides. This cross-border and cross-party event, held in Bratislava, Slovakia, demonstrated Ukrainian policymakers’ dedication to furthering democratic reforms, even while Ukraine fights for its survival on the battlefield. The training, co-hosted with the NDI Political Parties Program, NDI/Ukraine/Slovakia, and the Victory Institute, enabled participants to share best practices, evaluate the current level of inclusion within their parties, and consider locally relevant strategies for promoting inclusion. Following the training, parties in both Ukraine and Slovakia are poised to use their learnings and newly built connections in order to raise awareness about inclusion within their ranks and beyond, as well as take steps towards internal reforms.

As the political party representatives evaluated their organizations’ current level of LGBTQI+ inclusion and developed action plans, CSO activists discussed how to best support these efforts. The key maxim for parties that emerged: “Listen to LGBTQI+ people and be proactive in working with us.” CSOs also suggested that parties have designated focal points at every level for overseeing LGBTQI+ inclusion policies, as well as advisers on gender. 

“There’s a lot we can offer to the parties: expertise, policies already developed, messaging ideas, research, and, of course, access to voters. They’ve got to just have respect for our work, reach out and ask us,” a CSO representative said during the discussion. 

Political party participants engaged in a role-play scenario in which they had to “pitch” the benefits of LGBTQI+ inclusion to their party leadership (for example, by arguing that a commitment to supporting civil partnerships for both queer and heterosexual couples would attract new voters without new party expenditures). Participants recognized the intersectionality of LGBTQI+ rights within broader movements, such as women's empowerment and minority rights advocacy, and the importance of acknowledging LGBTQI+ inclusion during wartime. 

“Political advisors and strategists might say that we might lose votes, or ‘it’s not the right time,’ but when is the right time then? Real people’s lives and rights are at stake here,” a participant said. 

As a result of this collaborative workshop, Slovak and Ukrainian party members were inspired to prioritize and deepen their championship of LGBTQI+ inclusion. In Ukraine, plans are already underway for parties and CSOs to meet and discuss joint actions that would build legal protections for homosexual couples amid wartime risks. In Slovakia, political parties are working to bolster the role of youth wings in reaching party reform goals and incorporating LGBTQI+ inclusion efforts into party documents. NDI will continue to support the participants through virtual consultations, helping them refine their action plans and navigate implementation challenges. In the words of one participant: "How can something so simple be so hard to change?" Indeed, the challenges are many, but as the Bratislava event demonstrated, with collective commitment, meaningful progress towards LGBTQI+ inclusion is within reach.

 

Author: Svitlana Iukhymovych, Senior Program Officer for NDI Ukraine

NDI’s engagement with this program is implemented with the support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) programs through the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS) and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

 

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NDI is a non-profit, non-partisan, non-governmental organization that works in partnership around the world to strengthen and safeguard democratic institutions, processes, norms and values to secure a better quality of life for all. NDI envisions a world where democracy and freedom prevail, with dignity for all.