The fight for Pride and the nation in Ukraine

The war in Ukraine is often framed as a struggle over Ukrainians belonging to either the East or the West. Given this, it becomes clear why especially LGBTQIA+ activists stress Ukraine’s commitment to so-called Western values. They include human rights and, in particular, the acceptance of the queer community. On the other side, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin created “traditional values” as the dominant narrative in his third presidential term. Experts state that the Kremlin constructed homophobia as geopolitics, and the war on Ukraine is the continuation of this politics by other means. Indeed, Putin even targeted the queer community in his February 24 speech, which attempts to justify the attacks on Ukraine. 

What are the realities for trans people in the war? Do they en ...