Gay Teen Romance Film ‘My Young Prce’ Sends Ukrae’s Far-Righters Into Ragg Frenzy

Contents:

• LGBTQ REFUGE FLEEG UKRAE FACE DISCRIMATN UNTRI WH ANTI-GAY LAWS
• A GAY DATG APP IS HELPG TO HOE QUEER PEOPLE FLEEG UKRAE
• UKRAIAN GAY PORN VIOS
• ‘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
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• 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
• “PEOPLE ARE NOT COMG BACK TO THE CLOSET”: THE FIGHT FOR UKRAE IS ALSO A FIGHT FOR LGBTQ RIGHTSVLADIMIR PUT’S ASSLT ON LGBTQ RIGHTS MA HIM A HERO TO THE GLOBAL FAR RIGHT AND A PARIAH UKRAE. AS THE VASN ENTERS S SEND WEEK, QUEER UKRAIANS ARE FIGHTG BACK.BY J. LTER FERMARCH 4, 2022FACEBOOKTWTEREMAILSAVE STORYPORTRA OF OLENA SHEVCHENKO.COURTY OF OLENA SHEVCHENKO.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEON THE SEVENTH DAY OF THE WAR, OLENA SHEVCHENKO POSTED A MSAGE OF SPAIR ON FACEBOOK.SHEVCHENKO, WHO LEADS THE LGBTQ ANIZATN INSIGHT, WAS NOT JT VOICG THE HEARTBREAK OF WATCHG HER CY STROYED, FEELG THE BOMB BLASTS DOWNTOWN KYIV. OR FEARG WHAT THE PROSPECT OF RSIAN OCCUPATN MIGHT MEAN FOR HER AND OTHER QUEER ACTIVISTS. IT SOUND LIKE SHE HAD LOST FAH, QUTNG WHETHER ALL THE TOOLS SHE HAD ED OVER YEARS OF FIGHTG FOR LGBTQ RIGHTS, UKRAIAN SELF-TERMATN, AND MOCRACY HAD PROVED FUTILE.“I DO NOT KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN TOMORROW OR THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, THE ONLY THG I KNOW IS THAT THIS WORLD HAS BEEN FUCKED UP, TERNATNAL STCTUR ARE NOT EFFECTIVE,” SHE WROTE. “THERE IS NO SYSTEM THAT N STOP THIS SH.”LGBTQ PEOPLE HAVE BEEN AT THE CENTER OF THE TUG-OF-WAR OVER UKRAE’S FUTURE OM THE MOMENT VLADIMIR PUT LNCHED HIS CSA TO PRY OM EUROPE.I FIRST MET SHEVCHENKO THE FALL OF 2013, WHEN I ME TO KYIV TO WRE A STORY HEADLED “THE RSIAN PLOT TO TAKE BACK EASTERN EUROPE AT THE EXPENSE OF GAY RIGHTS.” THAT WAS A BIG MOMENT BOTH UKRAE AND RSIA. UKRAE WAS ON THE VERGE OF SIGNG A FORMAL POLIL-ASSOCIATN PACT WH THE E.U., A STEP PUT AND HIS ALLI UKRAE WERE DOG THEIR BT TO RAIL. RSIA WAS PREPARG FOR WEEKS THE TERNATNAL SPOTLIGHT WH THE OLYMPIC GAM SOCHI AROUND THE RNER. AND GLOBAL LGBTQ RIGHTS ADVOT HAD BEEN HAMMERG PUT FOR MONTHS, FOLLOWG RSIA’S ENACTMENT OF S SO-LLED “GAY PROPAGANDA LAW.”PEOPLE ATTEND THE ANNUAL KYIVPRI GAY PARA AS RT POLICE PROVI SECURY KYIV, UKRAE ON 19 SEPTEMBER 2021. LGBTQ PEOPLE, HUMAN RIGHT ACTIVISTS AND THEIR SUPPORTERS TOOK PART THE ANNUAL KYIV PRI GAY PARA EVENT AMID A HEAVY POLICE PRENCE, WHILE RIGHT-WG PROTTERS TRIED TO STOP THE EVENT. BY STR/NURPHOTO/GETTY IMAG.AT FIRST THE KREML SEEMED SURPRISED THAT THE OUTSI WORLD RED SO MUCH ABOUT THE GAY PROPAGANDA LAW, WHICH TECHNILLY RTRICTED PROVIDG RMATN ABOUT “NONTRADNAL SEXUAL RELATNSHIPS” TO MORS. BUT PUT QUICKLY REGNIZED THE NTROVERSY AS AN OPPORTUNY. IT WAS A CHANCE TO GLOBALIZE A CULTURE WAR TO RSIA’S ADVANTAGE, PORTRAYG RSIA AS THE CHAMPN OF “TRADNAL VALU” A GLOBAL SHOWDOWN AGAST MOCRATIC WTERN NATNS THAT HAD LOST THE PLOT AN ENDLS QUT FOR “HUMAN RIGHTS.”UKRAE WAS ALREADY THE PROVG GROUND FOR THIS STRATEGY BY THE TIME I MET WH SHEVCHENKO THAT NOVEMBER.MOST POPULARTHE TAN SUBMERSIBLE DISASTER WAS YEARS THE MAKG, NEW DETAILS REVEALBY SAN CASEYMELANIA’S TAKE ON DONALD TMP’S FOURTH INDICTMENT IS BASILLY “SUCKS TO BE YOU, PAL”: REPORTBY BS LEVTE CRIME, TE FAH: THE SERIAL KILLER AND THE TEXAS MOM WHO STOPPED HIMBY JULIE MILLER“NOW THE FIGHT [IS] BETWEEN EAST AND WT, RSIA AND EUROPE—UKRAE IS THE FIELD OF THE BATTLE,” SHE TOLD ME AT THE TIME.BILLBOARDS WENT UP ACROSS KYIV THAT FALL SAYG, “ASSOCIATN WH THE EU MEANS SAME-SEX MARRIAGE,” FUND BY THE PUT-ALIGNED OLIGARCH VIKTOR MEDVEDCH. (MEDVEDCH WAS UNR HOE ARRT FOR CHARG OF TREASON WHEN RSIA VAD UKRAE. AN ADVISER FOR UKRAE’S TERR MISTRY SAID SUNDAY THAT HE’D PED, THOUGH MEDVEDCH’S LAWYER NIED THIS.) PROTTERS PICKETG AGAST CLOSER TI WH THE E.U. RRIED SIGNS SHOWG STICK FIGUR ENGAGED ANAL SEX AND CHANTED SLOGANS LIKE “V EVROPU CHEREZ ZHOPU,” A RSIAN RHYME THAT LERALLY TRANSLAT AS “GO TO EUROPE THROUGH THE ASS.”THIS FIGURATIVE BATTLE BEME A LERAL ONE AT LIGHTNG SPEED. UKRAE’S THEN PRINT, VIKTOR YANOVYCH, PULLED OUT OF TALKS WH THE E.U. TOWARD THE END OF NOVEMBER AND ANNOUNCED HIS TENTN TO JO RSIA’S CTOMS UNN STEAD. PROTTERS TRANSFORMED MAIDAN NEZALEZHNOSTI—INPENNCE SQUARE— THE HEART OF KYIV TO THE “EUROMAIDAN,” THE EPICENTER OF PROTTS THAT WERE EVENTUALLY ATTACKED BY RT POLICE. SHEVCHENKO WAS ON THE BARRIS, ANIZG WOMEN’S SELF-FENSE FORC, AND SHE CELEBRATED WHEN YANOVYCH WAS OTED 2014 AND REPLACED BY A PRO-EUROPEAN ERNMENT.WHEN RSIA VAD CRIMEA UKRAE’S SOUTH 2014 AND RSIAN-BACKED SEPARATISTS LNCHED A WAR AGAST THE KYIV ERNMENT UKRAE’S EAST, INSIGHT AND OTHER LGBTQ ANIZATNS OPENED SHELTERS FOR PEOPLE FLEEG NFLICT. THE YEARS SCE HAVE NOT BEEN EASY FOR LGBTQ RIGHTS SUPPORTERS. THERE HAS BEEN SOME PROGRS: THE ERNMENT BARRED EMPLOYERS OM DISCRIMATG ON THE BASIS OF SEXUAL ORIENTATN AND GENR INTY, AND L WERE REFORMED TO MAKE EASIER FOR TRANSGENR PEOPLE TO CHANGE THEIR LEGAL STAT. BUT HATE CRIM ARE SADLY MON, AND LGBTQ EVENTS AND MUNY CENTERS HAVE EQUENTLY BEEN ATTACKED. A WOMEN’S MARCH SHEVCHENKO HELPED ANIZE WAS TARGETED BY FAR-RIGHT THUGS 2018, AND THE POLICE RPOND BY ARRTG HER.WHICH IS WHY WAS SIGNIFINT THAT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY SHOUTED DOWN AN ANTI-LGBTQ HECKLER SEVERAL MONTHS TO HIS PRINCY 2019—SOMETHG THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN HARD TO IMAGE FOR A PRINT YEARS EARLIER. HIS ERNMENT PROPOSED HATE CRIME LEGISLATN THAT VERED LGBTQ PEOPLE 2020.THE PERSEVERANCE OF UKRAE’S LGBTQ MOVEMENT WAS AN IMPORTANT SIGNAL THAT RSIA’S CULTURE WAR WAS FAILG ONE OF THE PLAC WHERE BEGAN. ACTIVISTS NEIGHBORG UNTRI HAVE BATTLED ATTACKS OM ANTI-LGBTQ POLICIANS, OFTEN PHED BY FORC ALIGNED WH THE KREML. OPPOSN TO LGBTQ RIGHTS HELPED FE AN ALLIANCE WH RSIANS CLOSE TO PUT AROUND THE WORLD, CLUDG THE UNED STAT—THIS IS PART OF WHAT DROVE MUCH OF THE SOCIAL-NSERVATIVE MOVEMENT THE UNED STAT TO EMBRACE PUT.“PUT DON’T THREATEN OUR NATNAL SECURY, OBAMA DO,” WROTE THE MUNITNS DIRECTOR OF A U.S.-BASED SOCIAL-NSERVATIVE ANIZATN A 2014 ARTICLE FENDG RSIA’S VASN OF CRIMEA.IF RSIA SUCCEEDS NQUERG UKRAE, LLS TO QUTN THE FUNDAMENTAL PRCIPL OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND MOCRACY UPON WHICH THE E.U. AND THE GLOBAL LGBTQ MOVEMENT HAVE BEEN BUILT. WHAT GOOD IS A OF BUILDG A HUMAN RIGHTS ASTCTURE OR WORKG TOWARD EUROPEAN TEGRATN WHEN BOMBS ARE FALLG ON YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, OR PEOPLE NNOT BUY FOOD, OR A DISABLED PERSON N’T EVEN FD A WAY DOWN OM THEIR TOP-FLOOR APARTMENT TO FLEE THE FIGHTG?MOST POPULARTHE TAN SUBMERSIBLE DISASTER WAS YEARS THE MAKG, NEW DETAILS REVEALBY SAN CASEYMELANIA’S TAKE ON DONALD TMP’S FOURTH INDICTMENT IS BASILLY “SUCKS TO BE YOU, PAL”: REPORTBY BS LEVTE CRIME, TE FAH: THE SERIAL KILLER AND THE TEXAS MOM WHO STOPPED HIMBY JULIE MILLER“​​NOW ’S LIKE THE WHOLE TERNATNAL SYSTEM IS CRASHG,” SHEVCHENKO TOLD ME. AND UKRAE, AS WE’VE SEEN AFGHANISTAN, SYRIA, AND UNTLS OTHER NFLICTS AROUND THE WORLD, LGBTQ PEOPLE AND OTHER MARGALIZED GROUPS FACE SPECIAL VULNERABILI GETTG TO SAFETY. EARLIER THIS WEEK, ARMED MEN BROKE TO THE OFFIC OF THE LGBTQ ANIZATN NASH MIR, BEATG FOUR ACTIVISTS SHELTERG THERE.MANY QUEER UKRAIANS ARE SERVG THE UKRAIAN ARY, BUT MANY TRANS PEOPLE—WHO ARE ELLIGIBLE FOR A MEDIL EXEMPTN OM THE ORR THAT ALL MEN AG 18-60 REMA THE UNTRY—ARE BEG BLOCKED AT THE BORR BY UKRAIAN OFFICIALS WHO SEE AN “M” ON THEIR OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS, ACRDG TO REPORTS OM MANY NGOS ASSISTG THEM.QUEER MUNI NEIGHBORG UNTRI HAVE MOBILIZED TO HELP UKRAIANS FLEEG NFLICT—RAISG FUNDS, SETTG UP SHELTERS, TRYG TO TROUBLHOOT PROBLEMS AT THE BORR. BUT LGBTQ PEOPLE’S RIGHTS HAVE BEEN UNR ATTACK SEVERAL OF UKRAE’S NEIGHBORG UNTRI, AND THERE IS A PALPABLE FEAR THAT THE SUATN ULD GROW WORSE IF RSIA EXPANDS S AMBNS.AND LGBTQ ACTIVISTS ARE EPLY NCERNED FOR QUEER FOLKS RSIA, WHERE THERE IS A GROWG EXPECTATN THAT PUT WILL IMPOSE SOME SORT OF MARTIAL LAW AND THEY WILL BE HUNTED ALONG WH OTHER OPPONENTS OF HIS REGIME.“WE’RE WORKG TO SHELTER REFUGE WHILE WORRYG ABOUT BEG REFUGE OURSELV,” SAID ONE ACTIVIST MOLDOVA, WHERE RSIAN-BACKED SEPARATISTS HAVE CLAIMED PENNCE FOR A REGN ALONG UKRAE’S SOUTHWTERN BORR. “IT’S JT TWO HOURS FOR RSIAN TROOPS TO REACH OUR PAL.”FOR NOW, KYIV STANDS. THOUGH A LN UKRAIANS ARE TIMATED TO HAVE FLED THE FIGHTG, SOME 42 LN PEOPLE REMA; MANY LGBTQ ACTIVISTS ARE STAYG TO FIGHT, AND SOME WHO WERE ABROAD ARE RETURNG.ONE OF THOSE IS LENNY EMSON, DIRECTOR OF KYIV PRI, WHO WAS OUTSI THE UNTRY WHEN FIGHTG BEGAN.“WE’RE HELPG EACH OTHER, WE’RE STAYG TOGETHER…PEOPLE ARE NOT G BACK TO THE CLOSET,” EMSON TOLD ME THURSDAY WHILE MAKG PLANS TO GO BACK. “WE’RE NTUG TO FIGHT. SO FOR RIGHT NOW, THE QUTN IS HOW TO SURVIVE—THE QUTN IS HOW TO KEEP OUR PEOPLE ALIVE.”AND SHEVCHENKO IS STILL HER APARTMENT NEAR KYIV’S CENTRAL STATN, WHERE THOANDS OF PANICKED CIVILIANS HAVE HAD TO FIGHT THEIR WAY ONTO TRAS. SHEVCHENKO TOLD ME SHE HAS NO PLANS TO LEAVE— FACT, MOST OF HER TEAM IS STAYG, NOT JT KYIV BUT THROUGHOUT UKRAE. AND THAT’S TE FOR MANY LGBTQ ACTIVISTS ON THE GROUND.“I WILL STAY,” SHEVCHENKO SAID, ORR TO KEEP ASSISTG WHERE SHE N AND FIGHT IF SHE MT.WHEN I ASKED HER WHY SHE HADN’T MA A PLAN TO PE SHOULD KYIV FALL, SHE SAID, “BEE SOMEBODY NEEDS TO STAY.”MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR       — ​​IMAG OF RSIA’S ATTACK ON UKRAE—TMP CALLS PUT’S UKRAE MOV “GENI” BEE HE HAT DEMOCRACY— THE ZUCKER-CUOMO SAGA JT GOT EVEN MSIER— WHY BIN WANTED AMERINS TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT PUT WAS PLANNG— IT’S BEEN A HELL OF A WEEK FOR LETIA JAM— “IF UKRAE MATTERS, TELL US WHY”: JOE BIN IS TALKG TO EVERYONE EXCEPT THE AMERIN PEOPLE— REPUBLINS ON RSIA CRISIS: IT’S BIN’S FLT— THIEV THE NIGHT: A VAST BURGLARY RG FROM CHILE HAS BEEN TARGETG WEALTHY U.S. HOEHOLDS— WATERGATE’S CENTRAL MYSTERY: WHY DID NIXON’S TEAM ORR THE BREAK-IN THE FIRST PLACE?— FROM THE ARCHIVE: RSIA’S DARK MASTER— NOT A SUBSCRIBER? JO VANY FAIR TO RECEIVE FULL ACCS TO AND THE PLETE ONLE ARCHIVE NOW.J. LTER FER
• GAY DATG UKRAE

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

An activist's silhouette is seen through a rabow flag durg a gay pri para Kyiv on May 25, 2013. 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.

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

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. "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.

UKRAIAN GAY PORN VIOS

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.

‘I’M GAY UKRAE AND MY UNTRY SPIS ME’

In a European untry of 45 ln beg openly gay n not only stroy your life, n st you your life. It played a filmed terview which I shared personal stori about my daily life as a gay man Ukrae.

After watchg the terview, most visors avoid makg eye ntact wh me — not surprisg a untry where more than 70 percent still nsir homosexualy a disease.

Dpe rampant homophobia among lol polil el, Yuriy Lutsenko, the Parliament’s majory lear and head of Print Poroshenko’s parliamentary group, tried to nvce the media that the reason there was no nsens on the anti-discrimatn clse was jt bee — well, no LGBTI discrimatn exists Ukrae. “It is better to have gay paras Kiev, rather than Rsian tanks” — Yuriy Lutsenko. In his opn, “ is better to have gay paras Kiev, rather than Rsian tanks, ” he add.

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

Last year the European Commissn silently backed down before the homophobic Ukraian ernment and dched a ccial LGBTI anti-discrimatn provisn for the lol labor om bilateral talks.

GAY LIFE UKRAE 2008

But the thgs — and worse — will keep happeng Ukrae bee gay workers are granted no protectn om discrimatn. This summer the southern cy of Ossa, the fourth largt the untry, banned s lol gay pri celebratn.

It is 2015 and Ukrae still do not have a sgle law that protects gay people om hate speech or hate crim. But on the same day the ban on Ossa’s pri para was troduced, Pavlo Unguryan, a member of the Ukraian Parliament, n go on live TV Ossa and ll homosexualy “a treatable disease” and acce gay people of pedophilia. But they were the first ever MPs to march shoulr to shoulr wh the cy’s gay populatn.

As an experiment Central Ukrae shows, most people don’t know anyone who is openly gay, or even what LGBTI stands for. If they had unrstood what they were sayg, Kryvyi Rih would have to be Ukrae’s most gay-iendly cy.

UKRAE HOSTS BIGGT EVER GAY PRI PARA

Recently I met a personal hero of me, one of the most powerful openly gay people the regn — Latvian foreign mister Edgars Rkēvičs.

KYIV—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 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.

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

”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 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 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.

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).

“PEOPLE ARE NOT COMG BACK TO THE CLOSET”: THE FIGHT FOR UKRAE IS ALSO A FIGHT FOR LGBTQ RIGHTSVLADIMIR PUT’S ASSLT ON LGBTQ RIGHTS MA HIM A HERO TO THE GLOBAL FAR RIGHT AND A PARIAH UKRAE. AS THE VASN ENTERS S SEND WEEK, QUEER UKRAIANS ARE FIGHTG BACK.BY J. LTER FERMARCH 4, 2022FACEBOOKTWTEREMAILSAVE STORYPORTRA OF OLENA SHEVCHENKO.COURTY OF OLENA SHEVCHENKO.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEON THE SEVENTH DAY OF THE WAR, OLENA SHEVCHENKO POSTED A MSAGE OF SPAIR ON FACEBOOK.SHEVCHENKO, WHO LEADS THE LGBTQ ANIZATN INSIGHT, WAS NOT JT VOICG THE HEARTBREAK OF WATCHG HER CY STROYED, FEELG THE BOMB BLASTS DOWNTOWN KYIV. OR FEARG WHAT THE PROSPECT OF RSIAN OCCUPATN MIGHT MEAN FOR HER AND OTHER QUEER ACTIVISTS. IT SOUND LIKE SHE HAD LOST FAH, QUTNG WHETHER ALL THE TOOLS SHE HAD ED OVER YEARS OF FIGHTG FOR LGBTQ RIGHTS, UKRAIAN SELF-TERMATN, AND MOCRACY HAD PROVED FUTILE.“I DO NOT KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN TOMORROW OR THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, THE ONLY THG I KNOW IS THAT THIS WORLD HAS BEEN FUCKED UP, TERNATNAL STCTUR ARE NOT EFFECTIVE,” SHE WROTE. “THERE IS NO SYSTEM THAT N STOP THIS SH.”LGBTQ PEOPLE HAVE BEEN AT THE CENTER OF THE TUG-OF-WAR OVER UKRAE’S FUTURE OM THE MOMENT VLADIMIR PUT LNCHED HIS CSA TO PRY OM EUROPE.I FIRST MET SHEVCHENKO THE FALL OF 2013, WHEN I ME TO KYIV TO WRE A STORY HEADLED “THE RSIAN PLOT TO TAKE BACK EASTERN EUROPE AT THE EXPENSE OF GAY RIGHTS.” THAT WAS A BIG MOMENT BOTH UKRAE AND RSIA. UKRAE WAS ON THE VERGE OF SIGNG A FORMAL POLIL-ASSOCIATN PACT WH THE E.U., A STEP PUT AND HIS ALLI UKRAE WERE DOG THEIR BT TO RAIL. RSIA WAS PREPARG FOR WEEKS THE TERNATNAL SPOTLIGHT WH THE OLYMPIC GAM SOCHI AROUND THE RNER. AND GLOBAL LGBTQ RIGHTS ADVOT HAD BEEN HAMMERG PUT FOR MONTHS, FOLLOWG RSIA’S ENACTMENT OF S SO-LLED “GAY PROPAGANDA LAW.”PEOPLE ATTEND THE ANNUAL KYIVPRI GAY PARA AS RT POLICE PROVI SECURY KYIV, UKRAE ON 19 SEPTEMBER 2021. LGBTQ PEOPLE, HUMAN RIGHT ACTIVISTS AND THEIR SUPPORTERS TOOK PART THE ANNUAL KYIV PRI GAY PARA EVENT AMID A HEAVY POLICE PRENCE, WHILE RIGHT-WG PROTTERS TRIED TO STOP THE EVENT. BY STR/NURPHOTO/GETTY IMAG.AT FIRST THE KREML SEEMED SURPRISED THAT THE OUTSI WORLD RED SO MUCH ABOUT THE GAY PROPAGANDA LAW, WHICH TECHNILLY RTRICTED PROVIDG RMATN ABOUT “NONTRADNAL SEXUAL RELATNSHIPS” TO MORS. BUT PUT QUICKLY REGNIZED THE NTROVERSY AS AN OPPORTUNY. IT WAS A CHANCE TO GLOBALIZE A CULTURE WAR TO RSIA’S ADVANTAGE, PORTRAYG RSIA AS THE CHAMPN OF “TRADNAL VALU” A GLOBAL SHOWDOWN AGAST MOCRATIC WTERN NATNS THAT HAD LOST THE PLOT AN ENDLS QUT FOR “HUMAN RIGHTS.”UKRAE WAS ALREADY THE PROVG GROUND FOR THIS STRATEGY BY THE TIME I MET WH SHEVCHENKO THAT NOVEMBER.MOST POPULARTHE TAN SUBMERSIBLE DISASTER WAS YEARS THE MAKG, NEW DETAILS REVEALBY SAN CASEYMELANIA’S TAKE ON DONALD TMP’S FOURTH INDICTMENT IS BASILLY “SUCKS TO BE YOU, PAL”: REPORTBY BS LEVTE CRIME, TE FAH: THE SERIAL KILLER AND THE TEXAS MOM WHO STOPPED HIMBY JULIE MILLER“NOW THE FIGHT [IS] BETWEEN EAST AND WT, RSIA AND EUROPE—UKRAE IS THE FIELD OF THE BATTLE,” SHE TOLD ME AT THE TIME.BILLBOARDS WENT UP ACROSS KYIV THAT FALL SAYG, “ASSOCIATN WH THE EU MEANS SAME-SEX MARRIAGE,” FUND BY THE PUT-ALIGNED OLIGARCH VIKTOR MEDVEDCH. (MEDVEDCH WAS UNR HOE ARRT FOR CHARG OF TREASON WHEN RSIA VAD UKRAE. AN ADVISER FOR UKRAE’S TERR MISTRY SAID SUNDAY THAT HE’D PED, THOUGH MEDVEDCH’S LAWYER NIED THIS.) PROTTERS PICKETG AGAST CLOSER TI WH THE E.U. RRIED SIGNS SHOWG STICK FIGUR ENGAGED ANAL SEX AND CHANTED SLOGANS LIKE “V EVROPU CHEREZ ZHOPU,” A RSIAN RHYME THAT LERALLY TRANSLAT AS “GO TO EUROPE THROUGH THE ASS.”THIS FIGURATIVE BATTLE BEME A LERAL ONE AT LIGHTNG SPEED. UKRAE’S THEN PRINT, VIKTOR YANOVYCH, PULLED OUT OF TALKS WH THE E.U. TOWARD THE END OF NOVEMBER AND ANNOUNCED HIS TENTN TO JO RSIA’S CTOMS UNN STEAD. PROTTERS TRANSFORMED MAIDAN NEZALEZHNOSTI—INPENNCE SQUARE— THE HEART OF KYIV TO THE “EUROMAIDAN,” THE EPICENTER OF PROTTS THAT WERE EVENTUALLY ATTACKED BY RT POLICE. SHEVCHENKO WAS ON THE BARRIS, ANIZG WOMEN’S SELF-FENSE FORC, AND SHE CELEBRATED WHEN YANOVYCH WAS OTED 2014 AND REPLACED BY A PRO-EUROPEAN ERNMENT.WHEN RSIA VAD CRIMEA UKRAE’S SOUTH 2014 AND RSIAN-BACKED SEPARATISTS LNCHED A WAR AGAST THE KYIV ERNMENT UKRAE’S EAST, INSIGHT AND OTHER LGBTQ ANIZATNS OPENED SHELTERS FOR PEOPLE FLEEG NFLICT. THE YEARS SCE HAVE NOT BEEN EASY FOR LGBTQ RIGHTS SUPPORTERS. THERE HAS BEEN SOME PROGRS: THE ERNMENT BARRED EMPLOYERS OM DISCRIMATG ON THE BASIS OF SEXUAL ORIENTATN AND GENR INTY, AND L WERE REFORMED TO MAKE EASIER FOR TRANSGENR PEOPLE TO CHANGE THEIR LEGAL STAT. BUT HATE CRIM ARE SADLY MON, AND LGBTQ EVENTS AND MUNY CENTERS HAVE EQUENTLY BEEN ATTACKED. A WOMEN’S MARCH SHEVCHENKO HELPED ANIZE WAS TARGETED BY FAR-RIGHT THUGS 2018, AND THE POLICE RPOND BY ARRTG HER.WHICH IS WHY WAS SIGNIFINT THAT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY SHOUTED DOWN AN ANTI-LGBTQ HECKLER SEVERAL MONTHS TO HIS PRINCY 2019—SOMETHG THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN HARD TO IMAGE FOR A PRINT YEARS EARLIER. HIS ERNMENT PROPOSED HATE CRIME LEGISLATN THAT VERED LGBTQ PEOPLE 2020.THE PERSEVERANCE OF UKRAE’S LGBTQ MOVEMENT WAS AN IMPORTANT SIGNAL THAT RSIA’S CULTURE WAR WAS FAILG ONE OF THE PLAC WHERE BEGAN. ACTIVISTS NEIGHBORG UNTRI HAVE BATTLED ATTACKS OM ANTI-LGBTQ POLICIANS, OFTEN PHED BY FORC ALIGNED WH THE KREML. OPPOSN TO LGBTQ RIGHTS HELPED FE AN ALLIANCE WH RSIANS CLOSE TO PUT AROUND THE WORLD, CLUDG THE UNED STAT—THIS IS PART OF WHAT DROVE MUCH OF THE SOCIAL-NSERVATIVE MOVEMENT THE UNED STAT TO EMBRACE PUT.“PUT DON’T THREATEN OUR NATNAL SECURY, OBAMA DO,” WROTE THE MUNITNS DIRECTOR OF A U.S.-BASED SOCIAL-NSERVATIVE ANIZATN A 2014 ARTICLE FENDG RSIA’S VASN OF CRIMEA.IF RSIA SUCCEEDS NQUERG UKRAE, LLS TO QUTN THE FUNDAMENTAL PRCIPL OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND MOCRACY UPON WHICH THE E.U. AND THE GLOBAL LGBTQ MOVEMENT HAVE BEEN BUILT. WHAT GOOD IS A OF BUILDG A HUMAN RIGHTS ASTCTURE OR WORKG TOWARD EUROPEAN TEGRATN WHEN BOMBS ARE FALLG ON YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, OR PEOPLE NNOT BUY FOOD, OR A DISABLED PERSON N’T EVEN FD A WAY DOWN OM THEIR TOP-FLOOR APARTMENT TO FLEE THE FIGHTG?MOST POPULARTHE TAN SUBMERSIBLE DISASTER WAS YEARS THE MAKG, NEW DETAILS REVEALBY SAN CASEYMELANIA’S TAKE ON DONALD TMP’S FOURTH INDICTMENT IS BASILLY “SUCKS TO BE YOU, PAL”: REPORTBY BS LEVTE CRIME, TE FAH: THE SERIAL KILLER AND THE TEXAS MOM WHO STOPPED HIMBY JULIE MILLER“​​NOW ’S LIKE THE WHOLE TERNATNAL SYSTEM IS CRASHG,” SHEVCHENKO TOLD ME. AND UKRAE, AS WE’VE SEEN AFGHANISTAN, SYRIA, AND UNTLS OTHER NFLICTS AROUND THE WORLD, LGBTQ PEOPLE AND OTHER MARGALIZED GROUPS FACE SPECIAL VULNERABILI GETTG TO SAFETY. EARLIER THIS WEEK, ARMED MEN BROKE TO THE OFFIC OF THE LGBTQ ANIZATN NASH MIR, BEATG FOUR ACTIVISTS SHELTERG THERE.MANY QUEER UKRAIANS ARE SERVG THE UKRAIAN ARY, BUT MANY TRANS PEOPLE—WHO ARE ELLIGIBLE FOR A MEDIL EXEMPTN OM THE ORR THAT ALL MEN AG 18-60 REMA THE UNTRY—ARE BEG BLOCKED AT THE BORR BY UKRAIAN OFFICIALS WHO SEE AN “M” ON THEIR OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS, ACRDG TO REPORTS OM MANY NGOS ASSISTG THEM.QUEER MUNI NEIGHBORG UNTRI HAVE MOBILIZED TO HELP UKRAIANS FLEEG NFLICT—RAISG FUNDS, SETTG UP SHELTERS, TRYG TO TROUBLHOOT PROBLEMS AT THE BORR. BUT LGBTQ PEOPLE’S RIGHTS HAVE BEEN UNR ATTACK SEVERAL OF UKRAE’S NEIGHBORG UNTRI, AND THERE IS A PALPABLE FEAR THAT THE SUATN ULD GROW WORSE IF RSIA EXPANDS S AMBNS.AND LGBTQ ACTIVISTS ARE EPLY NCERNED FOR QUEER FOLKS RSIA, WHERE THERE IS A GROWG EXPECTATN THAT PUT WILL IMPOSE SOME SORT OF MARTIAL LAW AND THEY WILL BE HUNTED ALONG WH OTHER OPPONENTS OF HIS REGIME.“WE’RE WORKG TO SHELTER REFUGE WHILE WORRYG ABOUT BEG REFUGE OURSELV,” SAID ONE ACTIVIST MOLDOVA, WHERE RSIAN-BACKED SEPARATISTS HAVE CLAIMED PENNCE FOR A REGN ALONG UKRAE’S SOUTHWTERN BORR. “IT’S JT TWO HOURS FOR RSIAN TROOPS TO REACH OUR PAL.”FOR NOW, KYIV STANDS. THOUGH A LN UKRAIANS ARE TIMATED TO HAVE FLED THE FIGHTG, SOME 42 LN PEOPLE REMA; MANY LGBTQ ACTIVISTS ARE STAYG TO FIGHT, AND SOME WHO WERE ABROAD ARE RETURNG.ONE OF THOSE IS LENNY EMSON, DIRECTOR OF KYIV PRI, WHO WAS OUTSI THE UNTRY WHEN FIGHTG BEGAN.“WE’RE HELPG EACH OTHER, WE’RE STAYG TOGETHER…PEOPLE ARE NOT G BACK TO THE CLOSET,” EMSON TOLD ME THURSDAY WHILE MAKG PLANS TO GO BACK. “WE’RE NTUG TO FIGHT. SO FOR RIGHT NOW, THE QUTN IS HOW TO SURVIVE—THE QUTN IS HOW TO KEEP OUR PEOPLE ALIVE.”AND SHEVCHENKO IS STILL HER APARTMENT NEAR KYIV’S CENTRAL STATN, WHERE THOANDS OF PANICKED CIVILIANS HAVE HAD TO FIGHT THEIR WAY ONTO TRAS. SHEVCHENKO TOLD ME SHE HAS NO PLANS TO LEAVE— FACT, MOST OF HER TEAM IS STAYG, NOT JT KYIV BUT THROUGHOUT UKRAE. AND THAT’S TE FOR MANY LGBTQ ACTIVISTS ON THE GROUND.“I WILL STAY,” SHEVCHENKO SAID, ORR TO KEEP ASSISTG WHERE SHE N AND FIGHT IF SHE MT.WHEN I ASKED HER WHY SHE HADN’T MA A PLAN TO PE SHOULD KYIV FALL, SHE SAID, “BEE SOMEBODY NEEDS TO STAY.”MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR       — ​​IMAG OF RSIA’S ATTACK ON UKRAE—TMP CALLS PUT’S UKRAE MOV “GENI” BEE HE HAT DEMOCRACY— THE ZUCKER-CUOMO SAGA JT GOT EVEN MSIER— WHY BIN WANTED AMERINS TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT PUT WAS PLANNG— IT’S BEEN A HELL OF A WEEK FOR LETIA JAM— “IF UKRAE MATTERS, TELL US WHY”: JOE BIN IS TALKG TO EVERYONE EXCEPT THE AMERIN PEOPLE— REPUBLINS ON RSIA CRISIS: IT’S BIN’S FLT— THIEV THE NIGHT: A VAST BURGLARY RG FROM CHILE HAS BEEN TARGETG WEALTHY U.S. HOEHOLDS— WATERGATE’S CENTRAL MYSTERY: WHY DID NIXON’S TEAM ORR THE BREAK-IN THE FIRST PLACE?— FROM THE ARCHIVE: RSIA’S DARK MASTER— NOT A SUBSCRIBER? JO VANY FAIR TO RECEIVE FULL ACCS TO AND THE PLETE ONLE ARCHIVE NOW.J. LTER FER

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.

GAY DATG UKRAE

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).

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).