XVII national LGBTQI+ conference: ZMINA held a panel on coverage of the topic in media
On December 5, 2024, within the framework of the XVII National LGBTQI+ Conference, the Human Rights Centre ZMINA held a panel “Policy of Coverage of LGBTQI+ Issues in Media. Counteracting Hate Speech”, during which they discussed the problems, achievements and prospects of covering LGBTQI+ topics in the Ukrainian information space.
Photo: Dmytro HolovchenkoThe panel was moderated by Iryna Yuzyk, Project Manager of ZMINA.
Among the speakers were:
- Anastasiia Hudyma, Head of the Department for Diversity, Inclusion and Equal Opportunities at Public Broadcasting (Suspilne);
- Ana More, Executive Producer and Host of Hromadske Radio;
- Yana Honcharenko, Director of Communications and Sustainable Development of Starlight Media (STB, Novy Channel, ICTV).
Yana Honcharenko, Ana More, Anastasiia Hudyma, Iryna Yuzyk. Photo: Dmytro HolovchenkoAnastasiia Hudyma presented the experience of the National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine. She stressed that 2024 was a breakthrough year for Public Broadcasting in supporting the LGBTQI+ community: “This year, for the first time, we supported Pride month on a large scale across all platforms. We even hung a flag on a building in Kyiv on Khreshchatyk. This is an important step for us. In 2025, we plan to organise meetings of our colleagues with representatives of different communities in the format of a living library so that journalists better understand the specifics of this topic.”
The Suspilne team is also working on the Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Strategy, which will become the basis for covering LGBTQI+ topics.
Ana More spoke about the editorial policy of Hromadske Radio and the special emphasis on gender issues in small media.
She shared the success of the podcast “Someone Loves Someone”, which highlights stories of love and acceptance. This product of Hromadske Radio has become an important platform for discussing topics related to the LGBTQI+ community. It tells the stories of people, their experience of love, self-realisation and acceptance in society. Among its advantages are simplicity, sincerity and an emphasis on personal stories.
Photo: Dmytro HolovchenkoYana Honcharenko shared the experience of Starlight Media, which includes STB, ICTV and Novy Channel. She reminded that the media group began implementing changes with the adoption of the Gender Equality Strategy in 2019, and the Diversity and Inclusion Strategy in 2020: “This changed our corporate policies and introduced a ban on discrimination both internally and externally. CEO Oleksandr Bohutskyi publicly supports these initiatives at business forums.”
Among Starlight Media’s television projects, she highlighted the series Early Swallows, In Her Car, and the upcoming product Partially Fit, which is scheduled for release in 2025.
Photo: Dmytro HolovchenkoThe speakers also shared the difficulties they face when covering LGBTQI+ topics, including hate speech in society.
The panel of the Human Rights Centre ZMINA was another step in the fight for equality and inclusion, demonstrating that media can be an effective tool for change in society.
It is worth noting that, according to the Rainbow Map ranking by ILGA-Europe, Ukraine ranks 41st out of 49 European countries, dropping two positions compared to 2022. Russia holds the last position.
Photo: Dmytro Holovchenko
