Ukraine will host the final stages of
the Eurovision Song Contest this weekend without completing
transformation of a Soviet-era monument into a symbol of diversity.
According to Reuters, work on the arch
in the center of Kiev stalled after opponents held a protest rally
last month.
The 100-foot high arch was originally
dedicated to the unification of Russia and Ukraine within the Soviet
Union. For Eurovision, city leaders planned on temporarily
transforming the monument into a celebration of diversity by painting
it rainbow colors and renaming it the “Arch of Diversity.”
But critics, including some religious
leaders, say the rainbow theme amounts to “gay propaganda.”
“The perverted symbolism that has
spoiled the colors of the rainbow has provoked indignation among
Ukrainians with traditional values,” the conservative nationalist
group Right Sector, which took part in the protests, said in a
statement.
LGBT activist Zoryan Kis told the AFP
that the unfinished rainbow was “a perfect metaphor of celebrating
diversity in Ukraine.”
“We are almost done. We have made
lots of progress. You may not want to fly a rainbow flag everywhere,
but at Eurovision locations you can be yourself,” Kis said. “You
can be with a rainbow flag and it will actually be a huge support for
Ukrainian LGBT community.”