Ukrae’s gay soldiers fight Rsia—and for their rights

Contents:

• DIS: UKRAE VIOS OF GAY UPL TO IMPROVE THEIR FIGHTG SPIR
• GAY WAR VETERAN SPEAKS OUT FOR EQUAL RIGHTS UKRAE'S ARY
• UKRAE’S GAY COMBAT VOLUNTEERS ARE READY TO FIGHT FOR THEIR LIV AGAST ANTI-LGBTQ PUT‘I AM ANGRY’THE LGBTQ MUNY UKRAE BELIEV HAS EVEN MORE REASON THAN MOST TO RIST A RSIAN OCCUPATN AFTER PUT’S TROOPS POURED TO THE UNTRY. ANKH KUMARUPDATED FEB. 26, 2022 3:06AM EST / PUBLISHED FEB. 25, 2022 5:31PM EST OLENA MAKSYMENKODPERATE TO AVOID THE SHADOW OF VLADIMIR PUT’S BIGOTED REGIME FALLG OVER UKRAE, LGBTQ BAT VOLUNTEERS TOLD THE DAILY BEAST THAT MEMBERS OF THE GAY MUNY HAD BEEN SHG TO PREPARE FOR THIS VASN OF UKRAE RECENT WEEKS.NOW, THEY STAND READY TO FIGHT BACK AND RIST A RSIAN OCCUPATN IF PUT’S FORC LOOK TO REMA ON UKRAIAN SOIL.VERONIKA LIMA, WHO LIV LVIV THE FAR WT OF THE UNTRY, HAS BEEN NNG A MP, TEACHG VOLUNTEER LGBTQ TS BASIC BAT AND PARAMEDIC SKILLS. OLENA MAKSYMENKO SHE HAS SIGNED UP FOR LVIV’S TERRORIAL FENSE FORCE AND SAYS SHE IS READY TO JO THE FIGHTG, AS PUT’S FORC MOVE WT ACROSS THE UNTRY. “I AM ANGRY,” SHE TOLD THE DAILY BEAST, AS THE RSIANS BOMBED CI AND DROVE TANKS EPER TO UKRAIAN TERRORY. “WE WILL KILL PUT.”LIMA, WHO WORKS FOR AN NGO PROMOTG EQUAL RIGHTS FOR LGBT PEOPLE THE ARY, SAYS THE GAY MUNY UKRAE WILL RIST RSIAN OCCUPATN SPE NTUED DISCRIMATN AT HOME. THE ALTERNATIVE IS UNBEARABLE. “EHER WE FEND OUR UNTRY, AND WILL BEE A PART OF THE EE WORLD, OR THERE WILL NOT BE ANY EEDOM FOR AND WILL NOT BE UKRAE AT ALL.” ON SUNDAY, THE U.S. WARNED THAT RSIA HAS A “KILL LIST” OF UKRAIANS TO BE TAED OR KILLED. THE LIST REPORTEDLY NTAS MANY JOURNALISTS, LGBTQ+ PEOPLE, POLICIANS, AND ERNMENT OFFICIALS.ANDRII KRAVCH, WHO WORKS AT THE LGBTQ NASH SV CENTER, KYIV SAID THE IMPACT OF RSIA’S HOMOPHOBIA HAD BEEN FELT HIS HOMETOWN THE DONBAS REGN, WHICH HE FLED AFTER THE 2014 VASN.“WE ARE VERY NSC OF THE THREATS WHICH WE HAVE FACED—AS BOTH UKRAIANS AND LGBT+ PEOPLE. WE UNRSTAND THAT THE RSIAN OCCUPATN WOULD MEAN TOTAL LAWLSNS AND REPRSNS—WE SEE RIGHT NOW THE UKRAIAN-OCCUPIED TERRORI OF CRIMEA AND DONBAS,” HE SAID.“NOW WE HAVE ONLY TWO OPTNS: EHER WE FEND OUR UNTRY, AND WILL BEE A PART OF THE EE WORLD, OR THERE WILL NOT BE ANY EEDOM FOR AND WILL NOT BE UKRAE AT ALL.”THOUGH THE WAR BETWEEN RSIA AND UKRAE HAS BEEN GOG ON FOR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS MOSTLY THE EAST, TURNED TO A FULL VASN ON THURSDAY MORNG.“MANY LGBT+ ACTIVISTS, WHO HAVE AN EXPERIENCE OF PARTICIPATN THE EUROMAIDAN EVENTS, ARE JOG THE TERRORIAL DEFENSE FORC OR HOLDG TRAG PARAMEDIL HELP,” SAID KRAVCH. “LGBT+ PEOPLE WHO SERVED THE ARMY AND ARY VOLUNTEERS ARE READY TO E BACK TO THEIR SERVICE. WE ARE DOG THE SAME AS THE RT OF THE NATN.”RSIA HAS A HISTORY OF GROSS HUMAN RIGHTS VLATNS. THE ANTI-GAY PURGE THE RSIAN REPUBLIC OF CHECHNYA HAS DRIVEN THE LGBTQ MUNY UNRGROUND. MANY WERE TAED THE REGN, WHILE MANY MORE FLED. DEMONSTRATORS LAY ROS ON A RABOW FLAG AS THEY PROTT OVER AN ALLEGED CRACKDOWN ON GAY MEN CHECHNYA OUTSI THE RSIAN EMBASSY LONDON ON JUNE 2, 2017. JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGE IN DONBAS, A SOUTH-EASTERN RSIAN-BACKED SEPARATIST REGN OF UKRAE, THE LGBTQ MUNY HAS ALREADY SEEN WHAT HAPPENS IF PRO-PUT THUGS TAKE NTROL. BEFORE THE DONBAS WAR, THE GAY MUNY WAS FLOURISHG BUT SCE 2013, RSIA-BACKED SEPARATISTS BROUGHT CREASED HOMOPHOBIC RHETORIC TO THE REGN. IN MANY S, THE LGBTQ MUNY FACED ASSLT, TENTN, AND VLENCE.PUT HIMSELF HAS A HISTORY OF HOMOPHOBIA. WHILE SPEAKG AT THE ANNUAL MEETG OF THE VALDAI DISCSN CLUB LAST YEAR, HE SAID “GENR FLUIDY” IS A “CRIME AGAST HUMANY.” HE ALSO SIGNED A “GAY PROPAGANDA” LAW 2013, WHICH PLEDGED TO UPHOLD “TRADNAL VALU.”KRAVCH HIMSELF FLED LUHANSK, A REGN CLOSE TO THE RSIA-UKRAE BORR, 2014 AFTER SHELLG STARTED. AFTER PG, HE MOVED TO KYIV WHERE HE LIV WH HIS BOYIEND. HIS FAY REMAED AT HOME. WHILE RETURNG OM THE MARKET RECENT DAYS, HIS BROTHER WAS PTURED BY RSIAN OCCUPATN FORC AND TOLD HE WOULD BE FORCIBLY NSCRIPTED TO FEND THE PRO-RSIAN “LUHANSK PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC,” SPE HIS ARTIFICIAL KNEE JOT. EVEN THOUGH HIS BROTHER MAY BE FIGHTG FOR THE OTHER SI—AGAST HIS WILL—KRAVCH SAID HE WOULD FIGHT ON.ON FRIDAY MORNG, HE TEXTED THE DAILY BEAST: “FOR NOW, WE’RE SAFE, BUT NOBODY KNOWS WHAT MAY HAPPEN FEW HOURS.” OLENA MAKSYMENKO VALERY BROWN, WHO INTIFI AS A LBIAN, SAID SHE HAD ALSO BEEN TRAG UP TO RIST PUT’S VASN. BEFORE THE NFLICT BEGAN, SHE TOLD THE DAILY BEAST: “I AM TRYG TO DO MY BT TO BE PREPARED FOR DIFFERENT OUT.”TWENTY-FOUR HOURS AFTER THE VASN BEGAN, SHE WROTE BACK: “THIS IS HORRIBLE.”NOT ALL LGBTQ UKRAIANS ARE PREPARG TO FIGHT. SOME ARE VOLUNTEERG TO HELP ONTLE SOLDIERS AND LGBTQ CIVILIANS. VIKTOR PYLYPENKO, HEAD OF THE NGO UKRAIAN LGBT SOLDIERS, SAID MANY LGBTQ ARY FOLKS ARE ALREADY ON THE ONTLE, AND LGBTQ CIVILIANS ARE HELPG TO GATHER MONEY, EQUIPMENT, WEAPONS, AND MEDIL AID FOR ONTLE SOLDIERS.THE UKRAIAN LGBTQ MUNY IS SHOWG STRENGTH AND FEARLSNS EVEN WHEN RSIAN-BACKED SEPARATISTS HAVE ALREADY STARTED SHELLG, AND THE WTERN WORLD IS BRACG FOR ANY POSSIBLE OUTE. MANY HAVE NOWHERE TO GO—UKRAIANS AND THE LGBTQ MUNY SAY THEY WILL FIGHT TO SAVE THEIR UNTRY. ANKH KUMAR
• A GAY UKRAIAN ARY UPLE ENGAGED ONLY DAYS AGO IS BEG PULLED APART TO FACE THE FEAR AND HEARTACHE OF BAT ALONE
• UKRAE’S GAY SOLDIERS FIGHT RSIA—AND FOR THEIR RIGHTS
• IN RSIA, GAY PEOPLE ARE ROUTELY TARGETED. THAT’S WHY THIS UKRAIAN SOLDIER IS FIGHTG.
• 100 DAYS AT WAR CLARIFI UKRAE UNIRNS’ PRRI: ‘LGBT MILARY’ MEMBERS WANT TO BEAT RSIA, W UKRAE GAY RIGHTS, AND FALL LOVE

DIS: UKRAE VIOS OF GAY UPL TO IMPROVE THEIR FIGHTG SPIR

Comme nombrx homm et femm homosexuels qui se battent en Ukrae, ils pèrent une future légalisatn. Mais me la nstutn raienne déf le mariage me une unn entre un homme et une femme, l upl même sexe n'ont pas d’existence lé pétn en ligne réclamant la légalisatn du mariage homosexuel en Ukrae a reçu pl 25 000 signatur, suffisamment pour nécser l'examen du présint raien Volodymyr réponse, Volodymyr Zelensky a diqué le 2 août qu'il éta impossible modifier la nstutn en temps guerre.

Le mariage homosexuel en Ukrae do être légalisé présint t une personne merveillse, et il fa tout son possible pour qu’on puisse être légalement liés malgré l’stratn la loi martiale début la guerre. Je suis jte hrx qu'il prenne le problème sé Iagoyda dique que même s'il n'a jamais nnu l'homophobie se l'armée, nombre s maras hétérosexuels ont s préjugés sur l homosexuels qui sont urants dans la société raienne. Il père que son service dans l'armée et celui d'tr homm et femm homosexuels luttant ntre l’vasn sse ntribueront à sser c stéré n'ai pas pr d'être ouvertement gay dans l'armée!

GAY WAR VETERAN SPEAKS OUT FOR EQUAL RIGHTS UKRAE'S ARY

C't jte que beup gens ne prennent pas plètement ce qu't l'homosexualé.

UKRAE’S GAY COMBAT VOLUNTEERS ARE READY TO FIGHT FOR THEIR LIV AGAST ANTI-LGBTQ PUT‘I AM ANGRY’THE LGBTQ MUNY UKRAE BELIEV HAS EVEN MORE REASON THAN MOST TO RIST A RSIAN OCCUPATN AFTER PUT’S TROOPS POURED TO THE UNTRY. ANKH KUMARUPDATED FEB. 26, 2022 3:06AM EST / PUBLISHED FEB. 25, 2022 5:31PM EST OLENA MAKSYMENKODPERATE TO AVOID THE SHADOW OF VLADIMIR PUT’S BIGOTED REGIME FALLG OVER UKRAE, LGBTQ BAT VOLUNTEERS TOLD THE DAILY BEAST THAT MEMBERS OF THE GAY MUNY HAD BEEN SHG TO PREPARE FOR THIS VASN OF UKRAE RECENT WEEKS.NOW, THEY STAND READY TO FIGHT BACK AND RIST A RSIAN OCCUPATN IF PUT’S FORC LOOK TO REMA ON UKRAIAN SOIL.VERONIKA LIMA, WHO LIV LVIV THE FAR WT OF THE UNTRY, HAS BEEN NNG A MP, TEACHG VOLUNTEER LGBTQ TS BASIC BAT AND PARAMEDIC SKILLS. OLENA MAKSYMENKO SHE HAS SIGNED UP FOR LVIV’S TERRORIAL FENSE FORCE AND SAYS SHE IS READY TO JO THE FIGHTG, AS PUT’S FORC MOVE WT ACROSS THE UNTRY. “I AM ANGRY,” SHE TOLD THE DAILY BEAST, AS THE RSIANS BOMBED CI AND DROVE TANKS EPER TO UKRAIAN TERRORY. “WE WILL KILL PUT.”LIMA, WHO WORKS FOR AN NGO PROMOTG EQUAL RIGHTS FOR LGBT PEOPLE THE ARY, SAYS THE GAY MUNY UKRAE WILL RIST RSIAN OCCUPATN SPE NTUED DISCRIMATN AT HOME. THE ALTERNATIVE IS UNBEARABLE. “EHER WE FEND OUR UNTRY, AND WILL BEE A PART OF THE EE WORLD, OR THERE WILL NOT BE ANY EEDOM FOR AND WILL NOT BE UKRAE AT ALL.” ON SUNDAY, THE U.S. WARNED THAT RSIA HAS A “KILL LIST” OF UKRAIANS TO BE TAED OR KILLED. THE LIST REPORTEDLY NTAS MANY JOURNALISTS, LGBTQ+ PEOPLE, POLICIANS, AND ERNMENT OFFICIALS.ANDRII KRAVCH, WHO WORKS AT THE LGBTQ NASH SV CENTER, KYIV SAID THE IMPACT OF RSIA’S HOMOPHOBIA HAD BEEN FELT HIS HOMETOWN THE DONBAS REGN, WHICH HE FLED AFTER THE 2014 VASN.“WE ARE VERY NSC OF THE THREATS WHICH WE HAVE FACED—AS BOTH UKRAIANS AND LGBT+ PEOPLE. WE UNRSTAND THAT THE RSIAN OCCUPATN WOULD MEAN TOTAL LAWLSNS AND REPRSNS—WE SEE RIGHT NOW THE UKRAIAN-OCCUPIED TERRORI OF CRIMEA AND DONBAS,” HE SAID.“NOW WE HAVE ONLY TWO OPTNS: EHER WE FEND OUR UNTRY, AND WILL BEE A PART OF THE EE WORLD, OR THERE WILL NOT BE ANY EEDOM FOR AND WILL NOT BE UKRAE AT ALL.”THOUGH THE WAR BETWEEN RSIA AND UKRAE HAS BEEN GOG ON FOR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS MOSTLY THE EAST, TURNED TO A FULL VASN ON THURSDAY MORNG.“MANY LGBT+ ACTIVISTS, WHO HAVE AN EXPERIENCE OF PARTICIPATN THE EUROMAIDAN EVENTS, ARE JOG THE TERRORIAL DEFENSE FORC OR HOLDG TRAG PARAMEDIL HELP,” SAID KRAVCH. “LGBT+ PEOPLE WHO SERVED THE ARMY AND ARY VOLUNTEERS ARE READY TO E BACK TO THEIR SERVICE. WE ARE DOG THE SAME AS THE RT OF THE NATN.”RSIA HAS A HISTORY OF GROSS HUMAN RIGHTS VLATNS. THE ANTI-GAY PURGE THE RSIAN REPUBLIC OF CHECHNYA HAS DRIVEN THE LGBTQ MUNY UNRGROUND. MANY WERE TAED THE REGN, WHILE MANY MORE FLED. DEMONSTRATORS LAY ROS ON A RABOW FLAG AS THEY PROTT OVER AN ALLEGED CRACKDOWN ON GAY MEN CHECHNYA OUTSI THE RSIAN EMBASSY LONDON ON JUNE 2, 2017. JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGE IN DONBAS, A SOUTH-EASTERN RSIAN-BACKED SEPARATIST REGN OF UKRAE, THE LGBTQ MUNY HAS ALREADY SEEN WHAT HAPPENS IF PRO-PUT THUGS TAKE NTROL. BEFORE THE DONBAS WAR, THE GAY MUNY WAS FLOURISHG BUT SCE 2013, RSIA-BACKED SEPARATISTS BROUGHT CREASED HOMOPHOBIC RHETORIC TO THE REGN. IN MANY S, THE LGBTQ MUNY FACED ASSLT, TENTN, AND VLENCE.PUT HIMSELF HAS A HISTORY OF HOMOPHOBIA. WHILE SPEAKG AT THE ANNUAL MEETG OF THE VALDAI DISCSN CLUB LAST YEAR, HE SAID “GENR FLUIDY” IS A “CRIME AGAST HUMANY.” HE ALSO SIGNED A “GAY PROPAGANDA” LAW 2013, WHICH PLEDGED TO UPHOLD “TRADNAL VALU.”KRAVCH HIMSELF FLED LUHANSK, A REGN CLOSE TO THE RSIA-UKRAE BORR, 2014 AFTER SHELLG STARTED. AFTER PG, HE MOVED TO KYIV WHERE HE LIV WH HIS BOYIEND. HIS FAY REMAED AT HOME. WHILE RETURNG OM THE MARKET RECENT DAYS, HIS BROTHER WAS PTURED BY RSIAN OCCUPATN FORC AND TOLD HE WOULD BE FORCIBLY NSCRIPTED TO FEND THE PRO-RSIAN “LUHANSK PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC,” SPE HIS ARTIFICIAL KNEE JOT. EVEN THOUGH HIS BROTHER MAY BE FIGHTG FOR THE OTHER SI—AGAST HIS WILL—KRAVCH SAID HE WOULD FIGHT ON.ON FRIDAY MORNG, HE TEXTED THE DAILY BEAST: “FOR NOW, WE’RE SAFE, BUT NOBODY KNOWS WHAT MAY HAPPEN FEW HOURS.” OLENA MAKSYMENKO VALERY BROWN, WHO INTIFI AS A LBIAN, SAID SHE HAD ALSO BEEN TRAG UP TO RIST PUT’S VASN. BEFORE THE NFLICT BEGAN, SHE TOLD THE DAILY BEAST: “I AM TRYG TO DO MY BT TO BE PREPARED FOR DIFFERENT OUT.”TWENTY-FOUR HOURS AFTER THE VASN BEGAN, SHE WROTE BACK: “THIS IS HORRIBLE.”NOT ALL LGBTQ UKRAIANS ARE PREPARG TO FIGHT. SOME ARE VOLUNTEERG TO HELP ONTLE SOLDIERS AND LGBTQ CIVILIANS. VIKTOR PYLYPENKO, HEAD OF THE NGO UKRAIAN LGBT SOLDIERS, SAID MANY LGBTQ ARY FOLKS ARE ALREADY ON THE ONTLE, AND LGBTQ CIVILIANS ARE HELPG TO GATHER MONEY, EQUIPMENT, WEAPONS, AND MEDIL AID FOR ONTLE SOLDIERS.THE UKRAIAN LGBTQ MUNY IS SHOWG STRENGTH AND FEARLSNS EVEN WHEN RSIAN-BACKED SEPARATISTS HAVE ALREADY STARTED SHELLG, AND THE WTERN WORLD IS BRACG FOR ANY POSSIBLE OUTE. MANY HAVE NOWHERE TO GO—UKRAIANS AND THE LGBTQ MUNY SAY THEY WILL FIGHT TO SAVE THEIR UNTRY. ANKH KUMAR

"En Ukrae, l homosexuels sont généralement nsidérés me pl faibl.

"L soldats homosexuels ssent l stéréotyp"Dans une enquête publiée en 2019, sls 14% s Ukraiens terrogés ont déclaré qu'ils pensaient que l'homosexualé vra être acceptée par la société, so tement mos qu'aillrs en temps paix, Sergey Fontantskiy, 40 ans, t navigatr sur s navir marchands. Fontantskiy, qui t ouvertement gay, a détaillé pour la rédactn s Observatrs l stéréotyp l pl urants sur l soldats LGBT+ en Ukrae. Je nnais d'tr soldats homosexuels dans l'armée, et il y a même un groupe qui permet x soldats homosexuels muniquer, discuter lr vie personnelle, se renntrer, à la fois en ligne et en personne.

A GAY UKRAIAN ARY UPLE ENGAGED ONLY DAYS AGO IS BEG PULLED APART TO FACE THE FEAR AND HEARTACHE OF BAT ALONE

Il y a tant d'homosexuels que dans l tr profsns, je dirais 5% crois que le pourcentage d'Ukraiens qui sont prêts à accepter l personn LGBT+ t bien supérir à 14% me diqué dans l'enquête réalisée en 2019. Bien sûr, c't mon expérience personnelle, mais je n'ai jamais renntré d' existe cependant s stéréotyp éculés sur l homosexuels en Ukrae. L pl pl urants: l homosexuels seraient trop timis et pas assez uragx pour défendre lr pays avec s arm, ou ils seraient trop égoïst et ne se préoccuperaient que lr propre térê l soldats homosexuels ssent c stéréotyp.

Aleks Shadskykh, a gay Ukraian soldier, the field fightg agast Rsia. Aleks Shadskykh, un soldat homosexuel raien, sur le terra battant la Shadskykh sert me firmier se l’armée raienne. Par exemple, quand j'ai d à m maras dans l'armée que j'étais gay, personne ne m'a battu.

UKRAE’S GAY SOLDIERS FIGHT RSIA—AND FOR THEIR RIGHTS

Après la légalisatn du mariage homosexuel, je crois qu’on pourra avoir l mêm dros que l upl hétérosexuels. Changer l mentalés, dans un pays où l'homosexualé t enre très taboue.

Celui d'être stigmatisé, discrimé voire appé, dans son pays, en s'affichant ouvertement me le tout premier soldat raien ouvertement homosexuel. L'homosexualé y t taboue. "Un homme a été poignardé dans une ville d'Ukrae parce qu'il t ouvertement homosexuel.

IN RSIA, GAY PEOPLE ARE ROUTELY TARGETED. THAT’S WHY THIS UKRAIAN SOLDIER IS FIGHTG.

" Lorsqu'il t rentré missn il d avoir été choqué voir l raiens crier s slogans homophob. Être gay ne change rien. La guerre en Ukrae t ssi l’ocsn répondre x posns particulièrement rétrogras et homophob la Rsie et s dirigeants sujet la munté LGBT+.

100 DAYS AT WAR CLARIFI UKRAE UNIRNS’ PRRI: ‘LGBT MILARY’ MEMBERS WANT TO BEAT RSIA, W UKRAE GAY RIGHTS, AND FALL LOVE

Comme l’explique Oleksandr à l’époque, il éta urant dire qu’“il n’y ava pas d’homosexuels dans l’armée”. ) L personn LGBTI n’ont pas filet sécuré puis le début la guerre”, rappela Olena Shevchenko, membre l’Internatnal Lbian and Gay Associatn (ILGA), le 17 mai, à l’ocsn la journée mondiale lutte ntre l’homophobie.

The untry’s 'gay propaganda' law bans children om beg shown ntent about our liv. The horrors of the 'gay purge' Chechnya stand out as a ighteng event recent Rsian history.