The domestic and international politics of the United States is set to change drastically after the Jan. 20, 2021, inauguration of Joe Biden as president and Kamala Harris as vice president.
While Biden is still in the process of selecting the team, the platforms of both Biden and the Democratic Party hint at what their main policies will look like. Ukraine appears to be on the priority list.
One of the Biden team’s main messages is that the U.S. will return to active geopolitics and big diplomacy, which means that after four years of isolationism led by President Donald J. Trump, the country will get re-established as a major player in advocating for democracy and human rights internationally.
The backgrounds of Biden and Harris suggest as much. The two are well-known advocates for human rights and the LGBTQ community. Biden advocated for same-sex marriage while serving in the U.S. Congress and has systematically fought for equal rights for same-sex couples since 1992. One of Biden’s priorities for the next four years in office is to push for equal rights and counter discrimination towards the LGBTQ community on the world stage.
And the human rights movement in Ukraine will likely benefit from that.
The Ukrainian-American relations are expected to tighten in general, since Biden is well-versed in the Ukrainian social and political landscape. It is already possible to predict a future Biden trip to Ukraine, and President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to the White House.
The Democratic Party defined supporting Ukraine as one of the priorities in its political platform. They also intend to support democratic reforms and Ukraine’s advancement to NATO, which further signals Ukraine as a priority for U.S. international policy over the next four years. In contrast, the Republican Party removed support for Ukraine from the party platform back in 2016.
What will change?
In contrast to domestic policy, a U.S. president has more tools at his disposal for deployment in the international arena. Biden will be able to act quickly, and in most cases, on his own without getting approval from Congress, particularly through the use of Executive Orders, which take immediate effect and are binding on the U.S. government agencies.
During his first week in office, Biden plans to sign a special memorandum on the prioritization of human rights for LGBTQ people in his administration’s international agenda. This will be a signal to both the U.S. government and international partners that the U.S. plans to restore its leadership position regarding the advancement of human rights for the LGBTQ community around the world.
Biden’s campaign platform also promised to create several new positions, including a special high-level commissioner in the Department of State to coordinate the U.S. government’s efforts to ensure human rights for LGBTQ people internationally. He also intends to appoint a National Security Council official who will be working with high-level politicians and governments, as well as a special representative at USAID who will oversee LGBTQ programs in projects implemented by the agency in other countries.
If we take a closer look at Biden’s political platform, it is full of promises for the LGBTQ community. And it’s no surprise since Biden was part of President Barack Obama’s administration, which brought the greatest progress in equal rights for the LGBTQ community in U.S. history. Gay people were allowed to serve openly in the armed services since the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy was abolished. The discrimination based on sexual orientation for federal employees was banned, while same-sex marriage, adoption by same-sex couples have been approved.
In the context of the U.S. international policy, the Biden administration promises to be the most progressive and liberal administration in the country’s history. In particular, we can expect a very active U.S. State Department, funding programs to support local LGBTQ communities, exchange and training programs for LGBTQ human rights defenders.
LGBTQ issues will also return to the West Wing, with Biden restoring a special human rights department set up by Obama but later ditched by Trump. The White House will be actively involved in human rights issues on international platforms, including the United Nations Human Rights Committee. We can expect that equal rights for the LGBTQ community will be on the agenda of many international events where the U.S. will seek to regain its lost leadership, such as the Davos Economic Forum.
In particular, the key program priorities for the Biden administration are the following:
- Protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination.
- Supporting young LGBTQ people.
- Protecting LGBTQ from violence and discrimination in the workplace.
- Work internationally to promote human rights for LGBTQ people in the world.
Even if Biden’s team succeeds in carrying out just a modest portion of these initiatives, the 46th president will go down in world history as one of the most progressive and liberal world leaders advocating for LGBTQ rights.
Chance for Ukraine
One can safely expect that the human rights issues and the rights of the LGBTQ community will emerge in the discourse of Ukrainian-American relations. There is no doubt that Ukraine is a key partner of the Democratic Party and the U.S. in the region. In particular, the Democratic Party and Biden will advocate for Ukraine’s advancement towards NATO by providing financial assistance for reforms in the Ukrainian military. Marcy Kaptur, a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives and co-chair of the Ukrainian caucus in the U.S. Congress will play a key role in this dialogue. Kaptur has successfully advocated for several programs providing various assistance and support for Ukraine.
But unlike the Obama administration, Biden’s will be even more pragmatic and more prudent in helping Ukraine. The future of Ukrainian-American relations will likely be based on the principle of “more for more,” and the current Ukrainian government won’t be able to continue on its usual trajectory of “walking between the raindrops.”
Ukraine will have to show significant progress in reforming and adopting democratic human rights norms and standards. The key step in cooperation with the U.S. might be passing effective legislation to combat hate crimes, which would protect the LGBTQ community and other minorities. Other demands to Ukraine might include the approval of same-sex partnerships and a support program for LGBTQ military and veterans.
Following the two seats up for grabs in the Jan. 5 Georgia runoff election, the next U.S. Senate election will take place in two years and Democrats have an optimistic plan to get a majority in both chambers of Congress, which will allow Biden’s administration to carry out a number of important reforms and have a chance for a second term.
Ukraine can become one of Biden’s key success stories in the international arena. On the one hand, Ukraine has a number of problems with human rights abuse. On the other hand, after the 2013-2014 Euromaidan Revolution, which ousted Kremlin-backed President Viktor Yanukovych, Ukrainian society has shifted to become much more open, inclusive and pro-Western. One of the great demonstrations of the transformation is that Ukraine is one of few post-Soviet countries that has an annual LGBTQ Pride, held both in the capital and in smaller cities.
With the help of the U.S. and European partners, Ukraine has an opportunity to demonstrate significant progress on human rights and quickly become a regional leader in Eastern Europe. There is no doubt that the new U.S. administration desires to make Ukraine a success story for democracy. It will be up to Ukraine to show determination and make the final decisive step towards its European dream.
