Ukraine’s justice ministry took the first steps towards codifying gay marriage by approving Bill No. 9103, titled “On the Institution of Registered Partnerships” on October 22. The ground-breaking bill would establish in law registered partnerships as a voluntary family union for two adult individuals, regardless of gender. Homophobia is widespread across all of the Former Soviet Union (FSU) and LGBT people are regularly abused or discriminated against as so many of the cultures are rooted in conservative Orthodox Christian “family” values. While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has not publicly advocated for LGBT rights, which remains a politically sensitive topic, he issued a measured statement of support ahead of the 2021 Pride. However, he was more outspoken when dealing with a homophobic heckler at a rare pre-war meet the press event.