A/HRC/44/53/Add.1 creating a more inclusive environment for sexual and gender diverse persons. Unfortunately, not all high-ranking officials demonstrate such unequivocal and public support or unbiased approaches to sexual orientation and gender identity. During the visit, the Independent Expert received reports of heads of district and state administrations, mayors, members of parliament and professors from public universities engaging in hate speech while exercising public functions and utilizing public resources. This is most noticeable through the campaign calling on Ukrainian authorities to ban “homosexual propaganda” under the banner of protecting the traditional family and homophobic bills submitted regularly. 28. When high-level officials engage in hate speech, they undermine not only the right to non-discrimination of affected persons, communities and populations, but also trust in State institutions and, thus, the quality and level of their participation in democracy. C. Role of churches 29. The Independent Expert is concerned by the role played by Orthodox churches and religious leaders as well as extreme right-wing groups in demonizing and portraying lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse persons as sinful, immoral and unpatriotic. To date, these actors remain the main opponents to equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse persons, and while Orthodox churches and religious leaders now refrain from inciting violence and discrimination against such persons, extreme right-wing groups continue to use violent means, putting their safety at risk. 30. Most recently, leading Ukrainian churches – except for the Moscow Patriarchate – have shifted their focus from calling openly for discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse persons towards appeals for the “protection of the traditional family” and the fight against “gender ideology” and the use of concepts of sexual orientation, gender and their derivatives in the Ukrainian legislation, including through petitions and appeals, and active lobbying of elected officials, as well as involvement in marches and festivals throughout the country. 31. In this context, the Independent Expert notes that the consultative status granted to the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches in government ministries and in most parliamentary committees – not enjoyed by any other association or non-governmental entity – offers this institution an exclusive opportunity to influence law and policymaking that is questionable in a secular State. 32. On 5 January 2019, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine was granted autocephaly (independence), formalizing the formation of a new Church, independent from the Russian Orthodox Church. According to some analyses, 15 this move will likely reduce the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine and adds another dimension to the country’s efforts to build its national identity. D. Extreme right-wing groups 33. In the post Maidan period, there has been an increase of violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse persons by extreme right-wing groups promoting hatred, putting these persons and human rights defenders, among others, at risk. The emergence of the extremist groups coincides with the rising visibility of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse community and the adoption of State measures aimed at its increased protection. 34. Reportedly, there are at least 20 far-right informal groups currently active in Ukraine that commit homophobic and transphobic crimes, and some of them stalk lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse persons, use social media to lure members of this community and organize “gay safaris” during which they attack lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans 15 See www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2019/635525/EPRS_BRI(2019)635525_EN.pdf. 7