The war in Donbas has been going on for more than 8 years. During this time, the situation with the protection of human rights in the occupied territory of Donbas has significantly worsened. Life came to a standstill: curfews, closed shops, regular shelling, torture, and kidnapping. How does the young LGBT+ generation live in such a situation? On the condition of anonymity, I spoke with several LGBT+ people from the occupied Donbas about their life and childhood, which coincided with the beginning of the war.
Donetsk Sergey Prokofiev International Airport, destroyed during the fighting, archived photos of journalists
The Russian occupation irreversibly changed the lives of the residents of Donbas
With the beginning of the occupation of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, life in the region changed radically. In the first months of the war illegitimate authority appeared in the central cities, which committed seizures of Ukrainian objects and structures. They kidnapped and tortured the civilians.
Roma is gay. He was 13 years old when the war started. Even now, he hardly remembers these events.
When the war started, I was 13 years old. I saw pro-Ukrainian demonstrations through the windows of my house, but pro-Russian people threw Molotov cocktails at these people. I don’t remember that time well because it was so long ago. My life has completely changed. Russia took away my future and the opportunity to study, travel and live in peace.
In 2014, Ukraine launched an anti-terrorist operation (ATO). There were fierce battles in Donetsk and Luhansk. Millions of people had to leave their homes because of threats to their own safety.
I remember when the shelling started. I sat by the window and felt the shock waves from the bursting shells. The furniture was falling in my apartment. It was awful.
Life of LGBT+ youth in occupied Donbas
After the Russian occupation, the situation with LGBT+ human rights in the region has sharply deteriorated. Russian homophobic laws have de facto entered into force in the occupied cities. The last two gay clubs in Donetsk have closed. Any support for LGBT+ from international organizations has become impossible. It has become very dangerous to talk openly about one’s sexuality. Alina is a lesbian who was born in Donbas and lived there for several years after the war began.
Despite the war, LGBT youth in Donbas sometimes gather and hang out. There were even meetings of the women’s feminist club in the city. I went to an LGBT+ meeting in the city in 2014-2015, but even then it was very dangerous. People asked uncomfortable questions.
Empty streets of occupied Donetsk, stores of military goods with the paraphernalia of “local self-government”, Donetsk a few years ago, the author is unknown
With the beginning of the war, society in the occupied territories became extremely homophobic due to Russian propaganda and homophobia. It became more difficult for women to live because of misogynistic ideas that came from Russia.
After the start of the war and the “Russian piece” people became homophobic and the authorities said that women should only give birth and restore the nation. In the center of our city there was an advertisement about AIDS: “The best medicine for AIDS is faithfulness”, or “The first commandment: do not kill! No abortion!”.
Prospects for the protection of human rights for LGBT+ people in the occupied territories
With every year of life under Russian occupation the prospects for the protection of human rights become less and less. Under the occupational regime, it’s impossible to work as a journalist and talk about human rights violations and war crimes in the region. Andriy is gay who managed to get out of the occupation. He shares the details of the life of LGBT+ people.
The situation with LGBT rights in the occupied territory was very bad. Society has become conservative and homophobic. It was dangerous to discuss LGBT+ among the locals. When LGBT+ people were detected in my city, they were hunted down and beaten.
It’s impossible to protect the rights of LGBT+ in the conditions of war. A totalitarian regime reigns in those territories, which forbids telling the truth. During war and occupation, protecting human rights for LGBT+ people is extremely difficult. It is also impossible to take anonymous HIV testing: doctors are constantly trying to find out details about sex life, and there are simply no treatment options for HIV-positive people.
On February 24, 2022, the full-scale invasion of the Russian invaders into Ukraine began. Millions of people became refugees, and thousands went to defend their country. There are hundreds of LGBT+ people among the Ukrainian military.
And now these LGBT people, together with other military personnel are protecting us from Russian attacks and liberating cities from occupation. It`s the Ukrainian military, which includes LGBT+ people who are fighting against the Russian homophobic military machine, which threatens the foundations of human rights both in Ukraine and in Europe.
Association “Ukrainian LGBT military for equal rights” at LGBT+ pride in Kyiv
You can support Ukrainian LGBT+ organizations and the army by following the link:
Support Ukrainian LGBT+ organizations and LGBT+ military !
Translator: Bohdana-Nikolietta Terekhina
