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

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• “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 POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BIS“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 POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BIS“​​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
• LGBTQ REFUGE FLEEG UKRAE FACE DISCRIMATN UNTRI WH ANTI-GAY LAWS
• UKRAE’S GAY SOLDIERS FIGHT RSIA—AND FOR THEIR RIGHTS
• ZELENSKY FLOATS CIVIL UNNS AMID GAY MARRIAGE PH UKRAE
• 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 POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BIS“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 POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BIS“​​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

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. 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 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.

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

Ukrae legalized homosexualy after the fall of the Soviet Unn, but anti-LGBTQ attus and laws rema place the untry. REUTERS/Valentyn OgirenkoKYIV, Sept 19 (Rters) - Thoands of people cludg soldiers and diplomats marched peacefully through the Ukraian pal on Sunday an annual gay pri para spe some opposn to an event lled off last year bee of the ronavis panmic. Homophobia is wispread Ukrae, acrdg to a survey by the soclogil group "Ratg" published Augt, which said 47% of rponnts had a negative view of the LGBTQ+ marchers were flanked by police as a few hundred anti-gay rights protters gathered nearby, but there was no vlence.

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.

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

In Poland, gay upl n't marry, form civil unns or adopt children. 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.

AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTThe role of gay soldiers, the lack of legal rights for their partners, and the threat of Rsia imposg anti-L. But a untry that do not regnize gay marriage or even civil unns, none of that appli to a same-sex partner.

”Gay rights advot said Mr.

ZELENSKY FLOATS CIVIL UNNS AMID GAY MARRIAGE PH UKRAE

In Ukrae, they do not have the tomatic right to vis a hospalized partner, to share property ownership, to re for a ceased partner’s children, to claim the body of a partner killed war or to llect ath benefs om the Dolzhenko/EPA, via ShutterstockBut the war is addg impet to a drive to legalize gay marriage, wh a petn recently reachg the sk of Print Volodymyr Zelensky llg for same-sex partners to have the same rights as heterosexual upl, cludg the right to marry.

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

Zelensky n cle to act on the petn, or endorse by draftg a gay rights bill and sendg for a vote Parliament, where his erng Servant of the People Party has a sizable majory. ” Amendg the Constutn requir a two-thirds vote by Dolzhenko/EPA, via ShutterstockGay rights advot say they hope that Mr. Rights, said Parliament remaed eply divid over gay rights, wh a majory uncid on the issue.