Ukrainian parliament will never back same-sex marriages - speaker

15:52, 12.11.2015 1 min read

The Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada will never legalize same-sex marriages in the country, says Rada Chairman Volodymyr Groysman.

"You and we stand for family values. I've heard some fake [suggestions] that there could be some same-sex marriages in Ukraine. God forbid this should happen. And we'll never support this," Groysman said while the parliament was considering anti-discriminatory amendments to the Labor Code on Thursday.

The speaker emphasized the importance of strengthening family values and did not rule out that the office of a special commissioner for family affairs could be instituted within the government.

At the same time, Groysman said the adoption of the anti-discriminatory amendment would open to Ukrainians the path toward visa-free travel with the EU.