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

Contents:

• KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH A US MEN’S PROFSNAL SPORTS LEAGUE TO PUBLICLY E OUT AS GAY
• A GAY UKRAIAN ARY UPLE ENGAGED ONLY DAYS AGO IS BEG PULLED APART TO FACE THE FEAR AND HEARTACHE OF BAT ALONE
• 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’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 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

KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH A US MEN’S PROFSNAL SPORTS LEAGUE TO PUBLICLY E OUT AS GAY

Kev Maxen has bee the first male ach a US men’s profsnal sports league to e out as gay.

Per Outsports, as of September 2022, there have only ever been 16 players NFL history to publicly e out as gay or bisexual. Carl Nassib beme the first active NFL player league history to announce that he is gay 2021.

Per Outsports, Maxen is the “first publicly out male ach a major Amerin men’s pro sports league, ” wh WNBA ach Curt Miller, who publicly me out to the media as gay 2015, also a publicly out male ach an Amerin profsnal sports league. In a sea of nned cktails, Gay Water wants to stand out.

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

In other words, where Bud Light has buckled unr prsure as bigotry grows agast the LGBTQ+ muny, Gay Water’s creator Spencer Hodson wants his new boozy brand to be the anthis of that.

“The key issue that Bud Light tapped to was the fact that they didn’t unrstand their re dience and know enough about them,” Hodson, a gay man, told CNN about the ntroversy that began when the Anhser-Bch beer brand sent fluencer Dylan Mulvaney a n of beer. Gay Water, however, is out and proud.

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

The nned cktail is named after a lloquialism given to the popular mixed drk (vodka and soda) orred at bars by the gay muny. “Puttg a product wh the word gay the tle is reprentatn self,” which he hop reclaims the word om the negativy ’s sometim associated wh.

He thought of creatg Gay Water about a year ago while on a vatn wh his iend that had got a job wh the beverage dtry.

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 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

The two chatted about the limed amount of gay people wh , and wh Hodson burnt out om his tradnal day job tech, started the nned cktail.

Hodson built up a strong social media followg on TikTok and Instagram durg Covid-19 and is g some of the money om that (as well as om iends and fay) to help fund Gay Water. “Gay is an umbrella term and the ia behd the brand is to be as clive as possible, which means we want alli, we want straight people to be part of this muny we’re buildg.”.

For now, Gay Water is sold largely onle (wh a few retailers) and four sugar-ee flavors — watermelon, lime, peach and grapeu — at lnch. Gay Water might not have the ep pockets pared to s petors, like Whe Claw, but “even at small sle, pani of many siz are havg succs makg spir-based seltzers and premixed cktails,” Bryan Roth, an analyst for Feel Goods Company and edor of the alhol beverage newsletter, Sightl+, told CNN.