An exhibition dedicated to representatives of the Ukrainian LGBT community who take part in the hostilities was inaugurated at the House of Ukraine in Washington. Aaron, Viktor and Nastya, like thousands of other Ukraine defenders, are now at the forefront. For obvious reasons, they could not come to the opening of the exhibition. Prominent Ukrainian LGBT activist Viktor Pylypenko recorded a call in a frontline city under constant Russian artillery fire.
“I want to say thank you to the American people and the people of the civilized world: the European Union, Australia, New Zealand and other countries who are supporting us now. We need them.
This city is almost completely destroyed in the aftermath of artillery shelling. There are a lot of wounded and dead here. But the Ukrainian soldiers are holding the line. We won’t… (sound of several explosions). We’re not going to give up. So, in this moment, we are under fire, and I have to find shelter…â€, declared Viktor Pilipenko.
The authors of the photographic portraits included in the exhibition are Alim Yakubov and Daphne Rachok. Alim is a Crimean Tatar who left the peninsula after the Russian occupation of the peninsula. Daphne is an employee of Indiana University in Bloomington. All photos were taken by them in the war zone or, as they say in Ukraine now, “from zeroâ€. The eyes in the portraits reflect courage and determination.
Lenny Emson, Executive Director of KyivPride, Executive Director of KyivPride emphasized: “The purpose of this exhibition is to remind everyone that the war in Ukraine continues. And also that the LGBT community is an important part of the social movement, whose representatives are now defending Ukraine. + There are many LGBT fighters who are on different front lines, we help and support them. We buy sets of thermal underwear, heaters, buy the necessary consumables, vehicles to move to the front line. We provide the technical support that our soldiers need.
Last summer, Ukrainian LGBT activist Nastya Sovenko created a petition on the presidential website for the legalization of same-sex marriage, which was signed by 25,000 people – enough for the head of state to consider. Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded diplomatically to the petition: to legalize same-sex marriage, the Constitution must be changed, which is impossible in times of war. At the same time, the President stressed that there is an alternative – the institution of civil partnership, a draft law on which the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine presented in January 2021. The Ukrainian authorities did nothing to eliminate existing discrimination against members of the LGBTQA, says Amie Bishop (Director of Humanitarian and Global Development Programs, USA) – one of the leaders of the American center for human rights “Outright International “.
“While representatives of the LGBT community are on the front line to protect the country, sacrificing their lives, they still do not have the rights enjoyed by other Ukrainian citizens. If, for example, a loved one or spouse is injured or killed in a war, the other partner will not receive any benefits. This is another battle these people are now waging for equal rights in their country,†said Amy Bishop, Director of Humanitarian Programs at Outright International.
The head of the Ukrainian diplomatic mission to the United States, Oksana Markarova, perhaps one of the first officials at this level, said that the LGBT community is an integral part of Ukrainian civil society. At the same time, the ambassador stressed that after defeating the enemy, Ukrainians will have to build a society where all citizens, regardless of their nationality, religion, race and sexual orientation, will have equal rights.
“LGBT representatives are an integral part of society, whether here or in Ukraine. And the sooner we can end all discrimination, the sooner we will win not only on the battlefield in Ukraine, but also in the world. As Dr. Martin Luther King said, “Injustice everywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” After winning this war, we have a lot of work to do to realize the values ​​for which we fight. And we will build a society where everyone feels safe, happy, wanted and needed by our country,†Oksana Markarova said.After Washington, exhibit organizers plan to show it to residents of California, Florida and Chicago.
