"Constitution of Ukraine: the rights of a Citizen are my rights"

On July 12, 2013, a momentous occasion was held in Kyiv at the D. Kennedy Cultural Centre, located within the US Embassy in Ukraine. The US Embassy in Ukraine organized a photo contest dedicated to the protection of human rights and an award ceremony was held to honour the winners. The ceremony was a lively and festive affair, with the cultural centre prepared beautifully for the event by Mr Douglas Morrow, Deputy Attaché for Cultural Affairs of the US Embassy in Kyiv.

 

The special guest of the ceremony was the US Ambassador to Ukraine, John F. Tefft, who opened the ceremony with a rousing speech about LGBT rights in the United States. He spoke passionately about the struggles and progress made in the United States in relation to human rights and how this progress can be achieved in Ukraine. Mr Tefft congratulated the LGBT community and expressed his hope that Ukraine would move towards greater development of human rights and the rights of LGBT citizens.

 

After the speeches, the guests had the opportunity to view the photo exhibit and appreciate the works of the talented photographers. The award ceremony is followed by the announcement of the winners and the presentation of valuable prizes to the winning authors.

 

Hanna Grabarska, a photojournalist, won first place with her series of works about "rights to freedom of thought", which depicted opponents of the LGBT movement in her works. The second place was awarded to Tim's work, "A woman has the Right to Choose," and the third place was awarded to a series of photographs by Denys Nikonenko entitled "Faith. Hope. Love, love."

 

The special prize, the "Grand Prix for the most conceptual photo" was awarded to Eugen Zelman for his work "Constitution of Ukraine: the rights of a citizen are my rights."

 

The ceremony ended with guests continuing to discuss LGBT rights in Ukraine and socializing in a friendly and festive atmosphere. The event was a significant milestone in the promotion of human rights and LGBT culture in Ukraine, and it was a testament to the efforts of the US Embassy and the participating photographers to raise awareness and foster discussions on these issues