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

Contents:

• A GAY UKRAIAN ARY UPLE ENGAGED ONLY DAYS AGO IS BEG PULLED APART TO FACE THE FEAR AND HEARTACHE OF BAT ALONE
• UKRAE’S GAY 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
• UKRAE’S GAY SOLDIERS FIGHT RSIA—AND FOR THEIR RIGHTS

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

A gay Ukraian ary uple that got engaged only days ago is headg off to bat. The young gay uple began datg last year after Rsia lnched s vasn of told Insir, urty of translator Maxim Potapovych, that they met on a datg app. Though neher told anyone they were gay, Pasha relled experiencg homophobia and discrimatn om the other soldiers his first few weeks at a trag Rsia vad, Ukrae's stance on LGBTQ rights was murky.

Gay marriage and adoptn weren't legal, and although they still aren't, Print Volodymyr Zelensky has sce suggted same-sex civil partnerships uld be revised after the war. There was also varyg public opn on genr and sexual orientatn, although anti-discrimatn laws offered some protectn, and homosexual relatns weren't legal Ukrae until 1991. Dperate 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, they stand ready to fight back and rist a Rsian occupatn if Put’s forc look to rema on Ukraian soil.

”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 list reportedly ntas many journalists, LGBTQ+ people, policians, and ernment 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.

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

The anti-gay purge the Rsian republic of Chechnya has driven the LGBTQ muny unrground.

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. Before the Donbas war, the gay muny was flourishg but sce 2013, Rsia-backed separatists brought creased homophobic rhetoric to the regn.

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

In many s, the LGBTQ muny faced asslt, tentn, and himself has a history of homophobia.

” He also signed a “gay propaganda” law 2013, which pledged to uphold “tradnal valu. Europe | A battle yet to be wonWar chang everythg, cludg attus to gay people When Pasha Lagoyda joed the Ukraian army 2021, he didn’t tell anyone he was gay. Now Mr Lagoyda is servg on the ont le and all the 180 people his un know he’s gay.