LGBT Ukraians terrified of Rsia's war on gay and transgenr people - Los Angel Tim

Contents:

• THE BEST UKRAE GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS UKRAE
• GAY LIFE KIEV? - KYIV FOM
• ‘I’M AAID FOR MY FUTURE’: PROPOSED LAWS THREATEN GAY LIFE RSIA
• LGBTQ REFUGE FLEEG UKRAE FACE DISCRIMATN UNTRI WH ANTI-GAY LAWS
• GAY RIGHTS ACTIVIST AMONG LATT KNOWN VICTIMS OF UKRAE WAR
• GAY LIFE UKRAE 2008
• ‘I’M GAY UKRAE AND MY UNTRY SPIS ME’
• “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 POPULARDONALD TMP’S PLAN TO GET REELECTED AND PARDON HIMSELF WAS JT DEALT SER SETBACKBY BS LEVGEIA REPUBLINS SAY THEY'LL MOVE TO REMOVE FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS FROM OFFICE WH NEW STATE LAWBY ERIC LUTZMSNBC IS HAVG ITS SUPER BOWL WH DONALD TMP’S INDICTMENTSBY CHARLOTTE KLE“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 POPULARDONALD TMP’S PLAN TO GET REELECTED AND PARDON HIMSELF WAS JT DEALT SER SETBACKBY BS LEVGEIA REPUBLINS SAY THEY'LL MOVE TO REMOVE FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS FROM OFFICE WH NEW STATE LAWBY ERIC LUTZMSNBC IS HAVG ITS SUPER BOWL WH DONALD TMP’S INDICTMENTSBY CHARLOTTE KLE“​​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 UKRAE: THE LOL LGBTQ+ COMMUNY STGGL FOR VISIBILY
• GAY DATG UKRAE
• GAY LIFE UKRAE 2012-14

THE BEST UKRAE GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS UKRAE

”Over the last two s, Rsian Print Vladimir Put has waged an all-out asslt on the LGBTQ muny, amg as part of a larger mpaign to protect Rsia’s “tradnal culture” om what he scrib as an onslght of morn valu promoted by the has lled genr fluidy “a crime agast humany, ” and equated homosexualy wh pedophilia.

GAY LIFE KIEV? - KYIV FOM

A “gay propaganda” law passed Rsia 2013 ma illegal to promote gay rights and has been ed to jail activists and shut down LGBTQ support groups. And durg a seri of anti-gay purg Rsia’s Mlim-majory Chechen Republic, which officials kidnapped, tortured and some s killed men spected of havg sex wh other men, the Kreml turned a bld the same time, life for LGBTQ people Ukrae has slowly been, wh tens of thoands of Rsian troops encirclg major Ukraian ci, gay, lbian and transgenr people are worried about what a Rsian takeover might mean for them.

As Put has ma gay people the boogeymen for all of Rsia’s ills, Reid said, he has also fueled “a monstrable crease discrimatn and vlence. (Courty Yura Dvizhon) “If we were unr Rsian le, we’d have to shut our mouths, we wouldn’t be able to drs how we want, we would never have gay pri, ” said Yura Dvizhon, 29, a well-known Ukraian director.

(Daniel Leal / AFP via Getty Imag) Ukrae was never a utopia for gays and transgenr people, Dvizhon marriage is illegal Ukrae, LGBTQ people are not protected by anti-discrimatn laws, and the fluential Christian Orthodox Church views homosexualy as a s. ”While there are still ncrete laws — an anti-discrimatn bill foremost among them — that the natn’s LGBTQ muny is wag for, everybody knows that the suatn for gay people Rsia is “much, much, much worse, ” said Natsya Kosach, a lbian DJ Kyiv. She believ anti-gay and trans discrimatn has s roots the Orthodox Church but also the Soviet Unn, which broke up Soviet society, nformy was prized.

‘I’M AAID FOR MY FUTURE’: PROPOSED LAWS THREATEN GAY LIFE RSIA

I get this horrible imprsn readg some articl, that the former USSR, 's a batn of discrimatn and ocsnal vlence outsi, and htlers (both gay and "gay-for-pay") the clubs. “As today’s report mak clear, that perd many endured the most horrific sexual abe and vlence, homophobic bullyg and harassment, all while bravely servg this untry, ” Sunak told MP.

Promisg the ernment would implement the “vast majory” of Etherton’s remendatns, Wallace said he would fully update the Commons a formal bate about the issue after the about pensatn, Wallace said he hoped to fd “an elegant solutn that match the need and the requirements of those dividuals”, promisg to set this out after Kelly Holm, who served the army and me out as gay last year, was among mpaigners who weled the apology. Starmer said one of his nstuents, Ken Wright, a former RAF service member who was “forced to leave the job he loved simply bee he was gay”, was the public gallery to hear the apology. Samozdra refed to operate, went to hidg — and eventually fled to Kyiv, where homosexualy is legal, and where gay life has thrived, pecially recent years.

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

When a homophobic heckler terpted a news nference by Ukrae's print Volodymyr Zelenskyy 2019, the print told the man to shut up and leave gay people alone. "I knew that if I stayed, then the borr would be closed to me, and they would obligate me to serve the ary, " says Bohdan Moroz, 23, a gay signer om Kyiv whose pany evacuated him to Berl before nscriptn took effect. And you know, now I'm livg wh straight, hetero men, and they don't even re about my homosexualy, about my queerns — bee now we are uned.

GAY RIGHTS ACTIVIST AMONG LATT KNOWN VICTIMS OF UKRAE WAR

”The anizers had good reason to be wary: Life has been challengg for gay Rsians sce the law passed, as the ernment has treated gay life as a Wtern import that is harmful to tradnal Rsian valu and Rsia’s Parliament is set to pass a legislative package that would ban all “gay propaganda, ” signalg an even more difficult perd ahead for a stigmatized segment of laws would prohib reprentatn of L. Exprsn wh s ratnale for the war Ukrae, sistg that Rsia is fightg not jt Ukrae but all of NATO, a Wtern alliance that reprents a threat to the Put drove home that argument a speech last week, sayg that the Wt n have “dozens of genrs and gay pri paras, ” but that should not try to spread the “trends” elsewhere.

GAY LIFE UKRAE 2008

Olenichev said that though the police do not track hate crim agast queer people, he and his lleagu have noticed an crease clients who have suffered inty-based attacks sce rhetoric behd anti-gay laws may have dangero nsequenc for gay Rsians, said Vladimir Komov, a lawyer wh the group Delo 2013 law was promoted as protectg children, while the new on “seek to prohib gay propaganda as a danger to the state system, ” fg as extremism, he Lunchenkov said the proposed laws uld leave gay people “aaid to go to medil clics to get treatment or ttg” for sexually transmted diseas. Lawmakers llg gays a danger on a par wh war “is more funny than sry, ” he now, gay Rsians and their alli have found exprsn spe rtrictive laws.

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

‘I’M GAY UKRAE AND MY UNTRY SPIS ME’

Elya ShchemurA gay rights activist om Kharkiv, Shchemur was killed durg the Rsian bombardment of the cy centre, her lleagu at Kharkiv Pri said on Thursday. 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). 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.

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).

“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 POPULARDONALD TMP’S PLAN TO GET REELECTED AND PARDON HIMSELF WAS JT DEALT SER SETBACKBY BS LEVGEIA REPUBLINS SAY THEY'LL MOVE TO REMOVE FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS FROM OFFICE WH NEW STATE LAWBY ERIC LUTZMSNBC IS HAVG ITS SUPER BOWL WH DONALD TMP’S INDICTMENTSBY CHARLOTTE KLE“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 POPULARDONALD TMP’S PLAN TO GET REELECTED AND PARDON HIMSELF WAS JT DEALT SER SETBACKBY BS LEVGEIA REPUBLINS SAY THEY'LL MOVE TO REMOVE FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS FROM OFFICE WH NEW STATE LAWBY ERIC LUTZMSNBC IS HAVG ITS SUPER BOWL WH DONALD TMP’S INDICTMENTSBY CHARLOTTE KLE“​​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

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).

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

However the Ukrae was the first among the former Soviet republics to repeal crimal rponsibily for non-vlent male homosexual terurse between adults. So this year we anticipate celebratg a full sce the Repeal of crimal prosecutn for nsensual homosexual terurse between adult men our untry.

GAY UKRAE: THE LOL LGBTQ+ COMMUNY STGGL FOR VISIBILY

Frh tablished gay liberatn groups such as Lilia Taranenko’s “Hanymed” Kiev or Oxana Bocharnikova’s Foundatn Kharkov (aka “Pk Panther Group”) haven’t ga any thory among gay populatn bee of s fear to be exposed. The typil feature of gay activism Ukrae the years (after disillnment mass gay liberatn anizatns such as Associatn”Hanymed” or Bocharnikova’s Foundatn) was the appearance of numero impostors posg as the lears of Ukraian gay movement.

GAY DATG UKRAE

Realizg for sure that no gay movement will be possible Kuchma’s Ukrae, they noticed that there are many philanthropic stutns Wtern untri willg to support gay liberatn procs FSU.

GAY LIFE UKRAE 2012-14

For now the Ukraian gay movement has to be unrground and if you ever hear about gay anizatns this untry or such actns like CSD-celebratns or Gay Pri paras, be sure that people who report them are tellg the tth: they ually do wh aim to obta the money tend for “Ukraian gay liberatn”. There are some wonrful s to see (Church, non-touristy post-Soviet ways of livg), a young and non-attu gay scene, and most importantly, warm and genuely iendly, non-cynil people. As long as one don’t try to impose any PC attus about what gay life here should be or how “gay” dividuals should live (not be married, apolil, etc) you will be fe.

Couple: Basilly, the olr, over 30 more ‘Soviet’ crowd are so different om the younger, empowered, 20-somethg guys many of whom intify as gay the Wtern mol. Although there are plenty of old timers, there are also newer Christian fundamentalists (imported om the Wt) who are disgted by gays, and would love to eradite them and AIDS. The tabloid prs and media have even done stori on a gay uple adoptg children, known gay Ukraian celebri, tillatg stori about the Gay Gam or a gay Pri para somewhere else.