Fleeg Ukrae, LGBTQ refuge face untri' anti-gay laws and discrimatn : NPR

Contents:

• LGBTQ REFUGE FLEEG UKRAE FACE DISCRIMATN UNTRI WH ANTI-GAY LAWS
• UKRAIAN GAY PORN VIOS
• A GAY DATG APP IS HELPG TO HOE QUEER PEOPLE FLEEG UKRAE
• GAY LIFE UKRAE 2008
• ‘I’M GAY UKRAE AND MY UNTRY SPIS ME’
• THIS GAY TEEN ROMANCE FILM IS SENDG FAR-RIGHTERS INTO A RAGG FRENZYTHE PRINCE AND THE PETULANTDISGNTLED BY THEM THE UPG UKRAIAN MOVIE “MY YOUNG PRCE,” SOME FAR-RIGHTERS HAVE RORTED TO HURLG VILE THREATS AND SULTS AT EVERYONE VOLVED THE PROJECT. ANNA NEMTSOVAUPDATED NOV. 13, 2021 4:05AM EST / PUBLISHED NOV. 13, 2021 12:16AM EST IVAN TSUPKO/REAL PICTURKYIV—A UKRAIAN FILM DIRECTOR OF ARMENIAN ORIG, 29-YEAR-OLD KHACHATUR VASILIAN, IS FACG A WAVE OF VIC ATTACKS OM PRO-RSIA POLICIANS AND NEO-NAZI THUGS ALIKE FOR HIS NEW FILM, MY YOUNG PRCE, AN ARTFUL MOVIE ABOUT A GAY TEENAGER WHO FALLS LOVE WH ANOTHER MAN.WHEN THE FILM, WHICH IS SET TO BUT 2023, WAS ANNOUNCED EARLIER THIS YEAR, VASILIAN AND HIS TEAM WERE WELL AWARE THAT THEY MIGHT FACE BACKLASH—PECIALLY OM UKRAE’S FAR-RIGHT CIRCL. WHAT HE DIDN’T EXPECT WAS THAT HIS LIFE WOULD BE THREATENED, NOT ONLY FOR BEG THE FIRST UKRAIAN DIRECTOR TO FILM MEN MAKG LOVE, BUT ALSO FOR BEG ETHNILLY ARMENIAN AND NON-SLAV. ON MONDAY, VASILIAN WAS AT A CENTRAL KYIV THEATER WHERE CROWDS OF FANS HAD GATHERED TO WATCH THE TEASER FOR HIS MOVIE. WHILE HE WAS THERE, A FLOOD OF HATEFUL MSAG, CLUDG THREATS OF RAPE AND MURR, BOMBARD VASILIAN’S INSTAGRAM. “WHILE PEOPLE AROUND ME WERE ENJOYG THE PRENTATN OF OUR NEW MOVIE ABOUT A 17-YEAR-OLD UKRAIAN MAN, WHO IS LOST NER IMMIGRATN, I WAS READG AWFUL THREATS ON MY PHONE,” THE DIRECTOR SAID AN TERVIEW WH THE DAILY BEAST.WHILE VASILIAN N’T DISCLOSE TOO MUCH ABOUT THE FILM JT YET, IS CENTERED ON THE CHARACTER OF PL, A 17-YEAR-OLD UKRAIAN OM A WEALTHY FAY WHO HAS GROWN DISILLNED WH HIS LIFE. THAT IS, UNTIL HE FALLS LOVE—AND THE OBJECT OF HIS AFFECTN IS SUBSEQUENTLY VOLVED MURR. MY YOUNG PRCE IS SET TO BUT 2023."IVAN TSUPKO/REAL PICTUR MOST OF THE HATE MSAG VASILIAN RECEIVED ARE TOO AWFUL TO BE QUOTED. A LS EXTREME EXAMPLE ON INSTAGRAM READ: “THE SMOKED ONE IS FUCKED,” HTG AT THE LOR OF VASILIAN’S SK. ANOTHER MENT SAID: “THE HOUR OF THE MORAL URT IS G FOR YOU.” ONE INSTAGRAM ER SENT AN EVEN MORE CHILLG THREAT: HE SAID THE FILM HAD OFFEND “THE CHILDREN OF CATHARSIS.”THE FAR-RIGHT TELEGRAM CHANNEL “CATHARSIS” IS KNOWN FOR ATTACKG IMMIGRANTS, NON-SLAVIC UKRAIANS, DG ADDICTS, AND LGBTQ DIVIDUALS. “THIS TELEGRAM CHANNEL REFLECTS THE RADIL VIEWS OF ALL ULTRA-RIGHT UKRAIAN GROUPS, CLUDG TRADN AND ORR, THE RIGHT SECTOR, THE BAS FOR THE FUTURE, C14 AND A NUMBER OF OTHER GROUPS. MANY OF THEM EMERGED AFTER THE 2014 EUROMAIDAN REVOLUTN,” AN EXPERT ON UKRAE’S FAR RIGHT AT ZABORONA MEDIA, POLA VERNIGOR, TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. “I AM A FORMER BOXER, I ULD REALLY PUNCH THE THUGS FOR SUCH DIRTY MENTS.” TERRIFYGLY, CATHARSIS’ RAGG SPRE SOMETIM TRANSCEND THE REALMS OF THE TER—AND TO THE REAL WORLD.ON SATURDAY, A IEND OF ME OM CHIGO WAS PLANNG TO CELEBRATE HIS 60TH BIRTHDAY HIS HOME CY OF KYIV AT A HIP NIGHTCLUB LLED CLOSER. HIS PLANS ME TO A HALT AFTER THE CATHARSIS TELEGRAM CHANNEL MA A LL TO S MEMBERS, ASKG THEM TO ENGAGE A “CSA” AGAST “DG ERS” THAT TARGETED NIGHTCLUBS, CLUDG CLOSER.THE TELEGRAM POST BROUGHT DOZENS OF FAR-RIGHT RADILS TOGETHER. CROWDS OF THEM DRSED BLACK WALKED THE STREETS OF KYIV HOLDG A LONG BANNER THAT READ: “DEATH.” THEY SHOT FIRECRACKERS AND CHANTED, “DEATH TO THE RICH!” AND PUT A SIGN ONT OF THE CLOSER NIGHTCLUB THAT READ “NAYEM SHOP,” A RACIST REFERENCE TO MTAFA NAYEM, A RPTN-FIGHTER, JOURNALIST, AND POLICIAN OF AFGHAN ORIG WHO SERV AS UKRAE’S PUTY MISTER OF ASTCTURE.THE FOUNR OF ZABORONA NEWS MEDIA, EKATERNIA SERGATKOVA, TOLD THE DAILY BEAST THAT ONE OF THE KEY LEARS BEHD UKRAE’S ULTRA-RIGHT MOVEMENT IS EVGEN KARAS, THE FOUNR OF THE VLENT NEO-NAZI GROUP C14, WHICH HAS BEEN ACCED OF KILLG THE EDOR--CHIEF OF A PRO-RSIAN NEWSPAPER AS WELL AS A SERI OF VLENT ATTACKS ON ROMA PEOPLE. SHE ALSO MENTNED SERGEI KOROTKYKH, KNOWN AS BOTSMAN, AN EX-MEMBER OF THE RSIAN NSS (NATNAL-SOCIALIST SOCIETY) WHO HAS BEEN ACCED OF KILLG TWO MEN ONT OF A NAZI FLAG.“THEY ARE NEO-NAZI ACTIVISTS, PATG SWASTIKAS ON THE WALLS, ATTACKG ETHNIC MORI AND LGBT [PEOPLE],” SERGATKOVA TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. ”ON THURSDAY, CATHARSIS PUBLISHED THE ADDRS VASILIAN’S INSTAGRAM ACUNT ON TELEGRAM, LEADG TO A BARRAGE OF NEW HATE MSAG SO SEVERE THAT THE DIRECTOR HAD TO MAKE HIS PUBLIC ACUNT PRIVATE.THE SCREEN WRERS AND PRODUCERS BEHD MY YOUNG PRCE BELIEVE THAT IS IMPORTANT FOR GAY MEN TO BE REPRENTED UKRAE, WHERE, ACRDG TO A RECENT SOCIAL POLL, 47 PERCENT OF POPULATN ARE TOLERANT TOWARD THE LGBTQ MUNY. "THE UPG UKRAIAN MOVIE MY YOUNG PRCE.IVAN TSUPKO/REAL PICTUR “A FEW WEEKS AGO A PRO-RSIAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER, VADIM RABOVICH, WAS THE FIRST TO CRICIZE OUR FILM FOR S LGBT THEME AND IMMEDIATELY, RSIAN PROPAGANDIST TELEVISN JOURNALIST, OLGA SKOBEYEVA, MENTNED THAT HER SHOW, MOCKG UKRAE FOR S LOVE FOR GAY MEN,” ONE OF THE PRODUCERS, REGA MARYANOVSKA-DAVIDSON, TOLD THE DAILY BEAST.EARLIER THIS YEAR, MY YOUNG PRCE WON A PETN AMONG HUNDREDS OF UKRAIAN MOVIE PROPOSALS AND RECEIVED ABOUT $770,000 STATE FUNDG. BUT SHORTLY AFTER THAT, MORE THAN 3,000 PEOPLE SIGNED A PETN LLG FOR THE FUNDS TO BE REVOKED AND CRICIZG THE FILM FOR SCEN FEATURG ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN SYMBOLS.“WE WERE SPIRED BY MICHELANGELO’S PIETà, BY RENE MAGRTE’S KISSG FIGUR, WHICH SEEMED PROVOTIVE FOR OUR HATERS,” VASILIAN TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. “I AM A FORMER BOXER, I ULD REALLY PUNCH THE THUGS FOR SUCH DIRTY MENTS,” THE DIRECTOR ADD AFTER TAKG A GLANCE AT THE HATEFUL MSAG HE RECEIVED ON INSTAGRAM. “BUT THAT ISN’T GOG TO STOP OM PRODUCG THIS FILM UKRAE, AS THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO CHANGE THE SHORT-SIGHTED PUBLIC VIEWS AND STOP ATTACKS ON LGBT,” OLEKSO GLADHEVSKY, ANOTHER PRODUCER, TOLD THE DAILY BEAST.MYKHAILO PODOLYAK, A MUNITNS ADVISER WH THE PRINTIAL ADMISTRATN, ADMTED THERE WAS AN ISSUE WH TOLERANCE UKRAE AND SAID THAT RABOVICH AND THE CRICS ARE TRYG TO “DISCRED ALL ELEMENTS OF LIFE THE NTEMPORARY WTERN WORLD—LIBERAL MOCRACY AND OPEN SOCIETY,” AS WELL AS TOLERANCE.“OF URSE, UKRAE SHOULD NOT BE VOLVED ANY SORT OF CENSORSHIP AND MANUALLY MANAGE FILM PRODUCTN,” PODOLYAK TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. “AND THE CURRENT ERNMENT IS NOT DOG THAT.”THE STAR ACTOR PLAYG YOUNG PL’S PART, PETER NOVSKY, SISTED THAT HE HAD NO TENTN OF OFFENDG THE FEELGS OF ORTHODOX BELIEVERS.“I SAY THIS AS A BELIEVER. ON THE NTRARY, OUR FILM FEATUR THE PLITED ROAD TO GOD OF A MAN WHO GENUELY WANTS TO FD HIS WAY,” NOVSKY TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. “THE PETN SIGNED BY 3,000 PEOPLE AGAST OUR FILM MONSTRAT THAT THERE IS A PAFUL SPOT, BUT FOR A UNTRY WH A 40 LN-PERSON POPULATN, THIS IS NOT A HUGE NUMBER.” ANNA NEMTSOVA
• UKRAE HOSTS BIGGT EVER GAY PRI PARA
• 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
• GAY DATG APP ROMEO IS HELPG UKRAIANS FD LGBTQ-IENDLY SHELTER EUROPE
• UKRAE’S GAY COMBAT VOLUNTEERS ARE READY TO FIGHT FOR THEIR LIV AGAST ANTI-LGBTQ PUT
• GAY LIFE KIEV? - KYIV FOM
• GAY DATG UKRAE

LGBTQ REFUGE FLEEG UKRAE FACE DISCRIMATN UNTRI WH ANTI-GAY LAWS

”Over the last two s, Rsian Print Vladimir Put has waged an all-out asslt on the LGBTQ muny, amg as part of a larger mpaign to protect Rsia’s “tradnal culture” om what he scrib as an onslght of morn valu promoted by the has lled genr fluidy “a crime agast humany, ” and equated homosexualy wh pedophilia. A “gay propaganda” law passed Rsia 2013 ma illegal to promote gay rights and has been ed to jail activists and shut down LGBTQ support groups.

UKRAIAN GAY PORN VIOS

And durg a seri of anti-gay purg Rsia’s Mlim-majory Chechen Republic, which officials kidnapped, tortured and some s killed men spected of havg sex wh other men, the Kreml turned a bld the same time, life for LGBTQ people Ukrae has slowly been, wh tens of thoands of Rsian troops encirclg major Ukraian ci, gay, lbian and transgenr people are worried about what a Rsian takeover might mean for them. As Put has ma gay people the boogeymen for all of Rsia’s ills, Reid said, he has also fueled “a monstrable crease discrimatn and vlence. (Courty Yura Dvizhon) “If we were unr Rsian le, we’d have to shut our mouths, we wouldn’t be able to drs how we want, we would never have gay pri, ” said Yura Dvizhon, 29, a well-known Ukraian director.

A GAY DATG APP IS HELPG TO HOE QUEER PEOPLE FLEEG UKRAE

(Daniel Leal / AFP via Getty Imag) Ukrae was never a utopia for gays and transgenr people, Dvizhon marriage is illegal Ukrae, LGBTQ people are not protected by anti-discrimatn laws, and the fluential Christian Orthodox Church views homosexualy as a s. Last year’s annual gay pri para Kyiv drew 7, 000 people — a victory, even if police were lled to fend off anti-gay protters. Opn polls show Ukraians have bee more acceptg of gay rights over the last .

In 2019, Print Volodymyr Zelensky snapped back at a homophobic heckler who had terpted his speech. ”While there are still ncrete laws — an anti-discrimatn bill foremost among them — that the natn’s LGBTQ muny is wag for, everybody knows that the suatn for gay people Rsia is “much, much, much worse, ” said Natsya Kosach, a lbian DJ Kyiv.

“I know gay guys who are the Terrorial Defense [Ukrae’s ary rerve force] and nobody is sayg anythg to them. She believ anti-gay and trans discrimatn has s roots the Orthodox Church but also the Soviet Unn, which broke up Soviet society, nformy was prized. An activist's silhouette is seen through a rabow flag durg a gay pri para Kyiv on May 25, 2013.

GAY LIFE UKRAE 2008

Women also fight Ukrae's ary, and people are not expelled for beg gay or transgenr, although they are not necsarily weled. Many Ukraians are fleeg to Poland and Hungary, and activists say they will face particular challeng there, sce the European Unn has nmned both untri for havg anti-gay laws. In 2019, an opn poll found that almost a quarter of Polish people believe that homosexualy mt not be tolerated, and there are so-lled "LGBTQ-ee" zon across the untry.

‘I’M GAY UKRAE AND MY UNTRY SPIS ME’

"We don't want them to be kept refugee mps or big buildgs or huge plac where they are not safe bee of urse homophobia is still existg Poland. Although some ers poted out that Ukrae is nscriptg men between the ag of 18 to 60, and so the group might not be as helpful as one would thk, a Romeo spokperson told Queerty that the group was not tend strictly for the app’s erbase, which is largely gay men.

Ined, LGBTQ+ refuge fleeg Ukrae are hopg to pe poundg threats: the Rsian vadg forc themselv, as well as the tense homophobia of the Rsian ernment. Then there’s the fact that Ukrae’s neighborg natn, Poland, to which over a ln Ukraians have fled, is notorly homophobic as well, wh the nonprof advocy group ILGA-Europe rankg the untry ad last s rankg of the most gay-iendly untri the EU.

From the far reach on the stepp of Eurasia, a Amerin gay uple ridg Ukrae wre about their experience this difficult new natn: “For the gay male tourist, you are tly the land of betiful boys (no attu and no body fascism).

THIS GAY TEEN ROMANCE FILM IS SENDG FAR-RIGHTERS INTO A RAGG FRENZYTHE PRINCE AND THE PETULANTDISGNTLED BY THEM THE UPG UKRAIAN MOVIE “MY YOUNG PRCE,” SOME FAR-RIGHTERS HAVE RORTED TO HURLG VILE THREATS AND SULTS AT EVERYONE VOLVED THE PROJECT. ANNA NEMTSOVAUPDATED NOV. 13, 2021 4:05AM EST / PUBLISHED NOV. 13, 2021 12:16AM EST IVAN TSUPKO/REAL PICTURKYIV—A UKRAIAN FILM DIRECTOR OF ARMENIAN ORIG, 29-YEAR-OLD KHACHATUR VASILIAN, IS FACG A WAVE OF VIC ATTACKS OM PRO-RSIA POLICIANS AND NEO-NAZI THUGS ALIKE FOR HIS NEW FILM, MY YOUNG PRCE, AN ARTFUL MOVIE ABOUT A GAY TEENAGER WHO FALLS LOVE WH ANOTHER MAN.WHEN THE FILM, WHICH IS SET TO BUT 2023, WAS ANNOUNCED EARLIER THIS YEAR, VASILIAN AND HIS TEAM WERE WELL AWARE THAT THEY MIGHT FACE BACKLASH—PECIALLY OM UKRAE’S FAR-RIGHT CIRCL. WHAT HE DIDN’T EXPECT WAS THAT HIS LIFE WOULD BE THREATENED, NOT ONLY FOR BEG THE FIRST UKRAIAN DIRECTOR TO FILM MEN MAKG LOVE, BUT ALSO FOR BEG ETHNILLY ARMENIAN AND NON-SLAV. ON MONDAY, VASILIAN WAS AT A CENTRAL KYIV THEATER WHERE CROWDS OF FANS HAD GATHERED TO WATCH THE TEASER FOR HIS MOVIE. WHILE HE WAS THERE, A FLOOD OF HATEFUL MSAG, CLUDG THREATS OF RAPE AND MURR, BOMBARD VASILIAN’S INSTAGRAM. “WHILE PEOPLE AROUND ME WERE ENJOYG THE PRENTATN OF OUR NEW MOVIE ABOUT A 17-YEAR-OLD UKRAIAN MAN, WHO IS LOST NER IMMIGRATN, I WAS READG AWFUL THREATS ON MY PHONE,” THE DIRECTOR SAID AN TERVIEW WH THE DAILY BEAST.WHILE VASILIAN N’T DISCLOSE TOO MUCH ABOUT THE FILM JT YET, IS CENTERED ON THE CHARACTER OF PL, A 17-YEAR-OLD UKRAIAN OM A WEALTHY FAY WHO HAS GROWN DISILLNED WH HIS LIFE. THAT IS, UNTIL HE FALLS LOVE—AND THE OBJECT OF HIS AFFECTN IS SUBSEQUENTLY VOLVED MURR. MY YOUNG PRCE IS SET TO BUT 2023."IVAN TSUPKO/REAL PICTUR MOST OF THE HATE MSAG VASILIAN RECEIVED ARE TOO AWFUL TO BE QUOTED. A LS EXTREME EXAMPLE ON INSTAGRAM READ: “THE SMOKED ONE IS FUCKED,” HTG AT THE LOR OF VASILIAN’S SK. ANOTHER MENT SAID: “THE HOUR OF THE MORAL URT IS G FOR YOU.” ONE INSTAGRAM ER SENT AN EVEN MORE CHILLG THREAT: HE SAID THE FILM HAD OFFEND “THE CHILDREN OF CATHARSIS.”THE FAR-RIGHT TELEGRAM CHANNEL “CATHARSIS” IS KNOWN FOR ATTACKG IMMIGRANTS, NON-SLAVIC UKRAIANS, DG ADDICTS, AND LGBTQ DIVIDUALS. “THIS TELEGRAM CHANNEL REFLECTS THE RADIL VIEWS OF ALL ULTRA-RIGHT UKRAIAN GROUPS, CLUDG TRADN AND ORR, THE RIGHT SECTOR, THE BAS FOR THE FUTURE, C14 AND A NUMBER OF OTHER GROUPS. MANY OF THEM EMERGED AFTER THE 2014 EUROMAIDAN REVOLUTN,” AN EXPERT ON UKRAE’S FAR RIGHT AT ZABORONA MEDIA, POLA VERNIGOR, TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. “I AM A FORMER BOXER, I ULD REALLY PUNCH THE THUGS FOR SUCH DIRTY MENTS.” TERRIFYGLY, CATHARSIS’ RAGG SPRE SOMETIM TRANSCEND THE REALMS OF THE TER—AND TO THE REAL WORLD.ON SATURDAY, A IEND OF ME OM CHIGO WAS PLANNG TO CELEBRATE HIS 60TH BIRTHDAY HIS HOME CY OF KYIV AT A HIP NIGHTCLUB LLED CLOSER. HIS PLANS ME TO A HALT AFTER THE CATHARSIS TELEGRAM CHANNEL MA A LL TO S MEMBERS, ASKG THEM TO ENGAGE A “CSA” AGAST “DG ERS” THAT TARGETED NIGHTCLUBS, CLUDG CLOSER.THE TELEGRAM POST BROUGHT DOZENS OF FAR-RIGHT RADILS TOGETHER. CROWDS OF THEM DRSED BLACK WALKED THE STREETS OF KYIV HOLDG A LONG BANNER THAT READ: “DEATH.” THEY SHOT FIRECRACKERS AND CHANTED, “DEATH TO THE RICH!” AND PUT A SIGN ONT OF THE CLOSER NIGHTCLUB THAT READ “NAYEM SHOP,” A RACIST REFERENCE TO MTAFA NAYEM, A RPTN-FIGHTER, JOURNALIST, AND POLICIAN OF AFGHAN ORIG WHO SERV AS UKRAE’S PUTY MISTER OF ASTCTURE.THE FOUNR OF ZABORONA NEWS MEDIA, EKATERNIA SERGATKOVA, TOLD THE DAILY BEAST THAT ONE OF THE KEY LEARS BEHD UKRAE’S ULTRA-RIGHT MOVEMENT IS EVGEN KARAS, THE FOUNR OF THE VLENT NEO-NAZI GROUP C14, WHICH HAS BEEN ACCED OF KILLG THE EDOR--CHIEF OF A PRO-RSIAN NEWSPAPER AS WELL AS A SERI OF VLENT ATTACKS ON ROMA PEOPLE. SHE ALSO MENTNED SERGEI KOROTKYKH, KNOWN AS BOTSMAN, AN EX-MEMBER OF THE RSIAN NSS (NATNAL-SOCIALIST SOCIETY) WHO HAS BEEN ACCED OF KILLG TWO MEN ONT OF A NAZI FLAG.“THEY ARE NEO-NAZI ACTIVISTS, PATG SWASTIKAS ON THE WALLS, ATTACKG ETHNIC MORI AND LGBT [PEOPLE],” SERGATKOVA TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. ”ON THURSDAY, CATHARSIS PUBLISHED THE ADDRS VASILIAN’S INSTAGRAM ACUNT ON TELEGRAM, LEADG TO A BARRAGE OF NEW HATE MSAG SO SEVERE THAT THE DIRECTOR HAD TO MAKE HIS PUBLIC ACUNT PRIVATE.THE SCREEN WRERS AND PRODUCERS BEHD MY YOUNG PRCE BELIEVE THAT IS IMPORTANT FOR GAY MEN TO BE REPRENTED UKRAE, WHERE, ACRDG TO A RECENT SOCIAL POLL, 47 PERCENT OF POPULATN ARE TOLERANT TOWARD THE LGBTQ MUNY. "THE UPG UKRAIAN MOVIE MY YOUNG PRCE.IVAN TSUPKO/REAL PICTUR “A FEW WEEKS AGO A PRO-RSIAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER, VADIM RABOVICH, WAS THE FIRST TO CRICIZE OUR FILM FOR S LGBT THEME AND IMMEDIATELY, RSIAN PROPAGANDIST TELEVISN JOURNALIST, OLGA SKOBEYEVA, MENTNED THAT HER SHOW, MOCKG UKRAE FOR S LOVE FOR GAY MEN,” ONE OF THE PRODUCERS, REGA MARYANOVSKA-DAVIDSON, TOLD THE DAILY BEAST.EARLIER THIS YEAR, MY YOUNG PRCE WON A PETN AMONG HUNDREDS OF UKRAIAN MOVIE PROPOSALS AND RECEIVED ABOUT $770,000 STATE FUNDG. BUT SHORTLY AFTER THAT, MORE THAN 3,000 PEOPLE SIGNED A PETN LLG FOR THE FUNDS TO BE REVOKED AND CRICIZG THE FILM FOR SCEN FEATURG ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN SYMBOLS.“WE WERE SPIRED BY MICHELANGELO’S PIETà, BY RENE MAGRTE’S KISSG FIGUR, WHICH SEEMED PROVOTIVE FOR OUR HATERS,” VASILIAN TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. “I AM A FORMER BOXER, I ULD REALLY PUNCH THE THUGS FOR SUCH DIRTY MENTS,” THE DIRECTOR ADD AFTER TAKG A GLANCE AT THE HATEFUL MSAG HE RECEIVED ON INSTAGRAM. “BUT THAT ISN’T GOG TO STOP OM PRODUCG THIS FILM UKRAE, AS THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO CHANGE THE SHORT-SIGHTED PUBLIC VIEWS AND STOP ATTACKS ON LGBT,” OLEKSO GLADHEVSKY, ANOTHER PRODUCER, TOLD THE DAILY BEAST.MYKHAILO PODOLYAK, A MUNITNS ADVISER WH THE PRINTIAL ADMISTRATN, ADMTED THERE WAS AN ISSUE WH TOLERANCE UKRAE AND SAID THAT RABOVICH AND THE CRICS ARE TRYG TO “DISCRED ALL ELEMENTS OF LIFE THE NTEMPORARY WTERN WORLD—LIBERAL MOCRACY AND OPEN SOCIETY,” AS WELL AS TOLERANCE.“OF URSE, UKRAE SHOULD NOT BE VOLVED ANY SORT OF CENSORSHIP AND MANUALLY MANAGE FILM PRODUCTN,” PODOLYAK TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. “AND THE CURRENT ERNMENT IS NOT DOG THAT.”THE STAR ACTOR PLAYG YOUNG PL’S PART, PETER NOVSKY, SISTED THAT HE HAD NO TENTN OF OFFENDG THE FEELGS OF ORTHODOX BELIEVERS.“I SAY THIS AS A BELIEVER. ON THE NTRARY, OUR FILM FEATUR THE PLITED ROAD TO GOD OF A MAN WHO GENUELY WANTS TO FD HIS WAY,” NOVSKY TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. “THE PETN SIGNED BY 3,000 PEOPLE AGAST OUR FILM MONSTRAT THAT THERE IS A PAFUL SPOT, BUT FOR A UNTRY WH A 40 LN-PERSON POPULATN, THIS IS NOT A HUGE NUMBER.” ANNA NEMTSOVA

Kiev boasts a lively gay dis, sna, a few simple bars, even a nu/gay part of our very own “beach” along the Dnipro river…” Wh slow and reful luck a “Gay Life Ukrae” n quietly be achieved.

Sce 1933 the Soviet Unn male homosexualy was illegal and prosecuted by USSR Penal Co. Consensual male homosexual anal terurse was punished by imprisonment of up to three years (Article 122 of the Penal Co of the Ukraian Soviet Socialist Republic).

UKRAE HOSTS BIGGT EVER GAY PRI PARA

Although Soviet legislatn has moved the gay populatn to the edge of social life, gay men had several advantag those years (excludg the Stal perd of Soviet history of urse).

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

First of all they were visible for the rt of populatn bee Soviet propaganda never spoke about any gay issu.

GAY DATG APP ROMEO IS HELPG UKRAIANS FD LGBTQ-IENDLY SHELTER EUROPE

Homosexualy as a human behavr didn’t officially exist the former Soviet Unn. Most Soviet gay men and lbians felt safer stayg unrground wh their experienc as now.

Bee the Soviet people didn’t know anythg about gay sex was not hard to fd one night stands wh straight partners.

Beg on the wave of general mocratic mov the Soviet society gay liberatn gave polil birth to such well-known and disputable lears as Roman Kal or Valeria Debryanskaya.

UKRAE’S GAY COMBAT VOLUNTEERS ARE READY TO FIGHT FOR THEIR LIV AGAST ANTI-LGBTQ PUT

Unfortunately Soviet gay people have lost this unique chance to w equaly and teem. However the Ukrae was the first among the former Soviet republics to repeal crimal rponsibily for non-vlent male homosexual terurse between adults.

So this year we anticipate celebratg a full sce the Repeal of crimal prosecutn for nsensual homosexual terurse between adult men our untry.

GAY LIFE KIEV? - KYIV FOM

Many gay and straight Ukraians were supervised listeng to the rad return about new Parliament cree that eveng. Article 122 henceforward provid punishment only for homosexual ntacts that volve vlence.

However the hop of Ukraian gay men for better life and social acceptance were absolutely va.

GAY DATG UKRAE

Ukraian gay muny was prepared neher for such kd of polil propaganda nor for mocratic stggle for own rights. Frh tablished gay liberatn groups such as Lilia Taranenko’s “Hanymed” Kiev or Oxana Bocharnikova’s Foundatn Kharkov (aka “Pk Panther Group”) haven’t ga any thory among gay populatn bee of s fear to be exposed.