Kuryliak Valentyna
A sharp discourse unfolding between theologians and pro-family activists reached its climax after the first March of Equality, organized on June 6, 2015. It should be emphasized that the attempt to organize such an event in Ukraine began in 2012, but was canceled due to the threat of clashes with pro-family activists. The cancellation of marches took place in the next two years, and only in 2015, LGBT activists were allowed to hold the event, thanks to the strong support of the authorities. Accordingly, as a result of the fact that the LGBT community of Ukraine managed to enter the public space, the media pages widely presented the topic of otherness, along with the positions of categorically determined activists with traditional ideas about the family.
Thus, the main task of our work is to establish how much Protestant Christians themselves understand and realize their own motivation for protecting family values and how sincerely they talk about it. The methods of protecting the family by Ukrainian Protestants and other pro-family activists will depend on this.
Below are the main slogans and appeals made in 2018 by both street activists and their opponents from among the most Protestants.
Pro-family activists pointed to:
- Illegality of the actions of Ukrainian officials (at the end of March, the petition for the protection of the family and family values was removed from the website of the Presidential Administration, which collected almost 24,000 signatures from the required 25,000).
- Christians became martyrs (for the first time in the history of independent Ukraine, police beat peaceful protesters against a gay parade in Kiev on June 17).
- The concept of «fatherhood and motherhood» may disappear from educational programs (the Ministry of Education conducted an anti-discrimination examination of school textbooks, which was perceived by society as ambiguous, the information boom around this examination fell on June) — the whole institution of the family (activists attracted attention with the screaming name of the brochure «A family is being cut out in Ukraine! A knife has already been raised») [1].
What to do? Leaders and activists of the pro-family movement propose: they will unite for protection the family values of all people of good will (not only Christians of different churches, but also those who are outside the Church). Mobilize as many citizens as possible and thus show the will of the people.
In turn, some theologians and representatives of the Protestant educational sphere took a different position, which can be considered critical, informing about the actions of pro-family activists. According to Aleksey Gordeev, «the internal opposition within the Protestants consists of two groups: either the faithful with higher education who have achieved something, or theologians who prefer systematic work rather than vivid actions» [2].
Opponents pointed to:
- The lack of critical thinking among activists, a naive attitude towards politicians who seem to be easily manipulated by Christians (using family promises or slogans).
- The lack of formation of domestic political theology, the priority of quick action over the analysis of the situation, reflection (first we do, then we think).
- Fundamentalist intolerance that can be seen in the pro-family movement;
- Even Christofascism (evangelical Christians were suspected of creating an unnatural alliance with the right-wing political forces – Ukrainian radical nationalists).
What to do in this regard? Using well-known saying, opponents of the street pro-family movement advice activists: «You need not to fight against the darkness, but to increase the light — in your life, in your family, in your church, in your community» [3]. «A conversation using biblical language with society will lead to nothing. Secular society does not perceive the Bible — it is a logical fact» [2].
Therefore, we have listed only the main issues raised by Protestants who have different positions regarding the response to the onset of the LGBT lobby in Ukraine. It is interesting to consider in a more detailed form some argumentation, again, on both sides, because each of them has its own apologetics, or protests against a misunderstanding or distortion of their true motives or actions.
Literature:
- In Ukraine, cut out the family. The site of the civic movement All Together. 2018. Access Mode: http://www.vsirazom.ua/dontcut/.
- Gordeev, A. Church on the Maidan. Kiev: Bookkeeper, 2015. 304 p.
- Woodpecker, T. Darkness and light, LGBT people and Christianity. T. Woodpecker. Personal site. 2018. Access Mode: http://taras.dyatlik.net/mrak-i-svet-lgbt-i-hristianstvo/.