KharkivPride & Basidon Pride announce “Twinning” partnership

KharkivPride (Ukraine) and Basildon Pride (UK) are delighted to announce the launch of their new “Twinning” Partnership as they both head towards their main Pride celebrations of the year.

KharkivPride is the most prominent LGBTQ+ event in the east of Ukraine – this year, it will be the only one taking place in Ukraine with the slogan “We Unite for Victory”. The goal of KharkivPride 2023 is to strengthen the involvement of LGBTQ+ and our allies in the fight for the victory of Ukraine, as well as to share with the Kharkiv residents the knowledge, connections, and resources that the Ukrainian LGBTQ+ community currently has. Basildon Pride based in Essex, UK, was founded in 2018 as a positive response to a rise in Hate Crime against the LGBTQ+ Community. On 2nd September they will celebrate their annual Basildon Pride Festival and Parade with 4 performance areas, a marketplace, food court and a Fairground. However, the local charitable organisation also has a significant programme of work that takes place throughout the year which will shortly be expanded further to include Networking for different ages, Mental Health Support, Hate Crime Awareness and Support and Trans, non-binary and gender diverse awareness and support.

Co-organiser of KharkivPride Anna Sharyhina said

“Holding Pride is a great honour because it is Pride that strengthens the voice of the LGBTQ+ community the most. Organising Pride during the war is also a huge responsibility! We are happy we are not alone in this and are grateful to our partners for their support. Currently, Pride in Ukraine and the UK are entirely
different events, but we are united by the fight for human rights and against discrimination of our communities, so happy Pride, Basildon!”

David Burton-Sampson, Chair of Trustees for Basildon Pride said

“We are incredibly excited and honoured to have been chosen by KharkivPride to develop this special relationship. We know that the LGBTQ+ community in Kharkiv will not be able to celebrate Pride like we will be here in the UK due to the brutal full-scale war that Russia is currently waging against their country and we will hold them in our thoughts on 2nd September. Between us we have many ideas on how to make this relationship a successful one beyond the war and we look forward to the incredible ways in which we will support each other over the coming years.”

Flags have been exchanged and will be included at the front of each of the twin Pride’s respective Parades. A link up interview between Kharkiv and Basildon will also be broadcast on the Basildon Pride Festival Main Stage.