“I am open about my sexual orientation throughout my life,” says Roman Abrachin, a 25 -year -old gay drone in the Ukrainian Army. After coming out at the age of 15, he was supported by friends, his parents and two brothers, one of whom now works in the same unit.
Arrashyn admitted to Ukrainian Armed Forces in April 2024. When fellow soldiers came to know about their sexual orientation, most of them reacted neutrally, remembering them. “There were no strange questions.”
He is more concerned that hundreds of LGBTQ+ soldiers in Ukraine do not enjoy equal rights to their heterosexual colleagues. The brief LGBTQ+ stands for people of gay, gay and queue, but because with other identities, find as those who are interdex, asexual, bisexual or transgender.
Unqualified treatment of lgbtq+ partners
The soldiers of Abrachin’s unit have made the house at home amidst boxed boxes in an ordinary building. Abrachin is a group commander of drone pilots who mostly work from the basement and basement, as they are constantly being targeted. Nowadays he is posted in Sumi region, first he was in the Kherson area.
Recently, Abrachin began dating a citizen, however, it is not possible to register the same-sex partnership in Ukraine. In the case of his death, his partner would not be entitled to compensation. “So, if I was in deep care, he would have no rights,” he complains. In his view, it is unfairly inappropriate: “We fight like Everon, but are not legally equal,” he told DW.
No progress on civil participation law
Bill on registered participation is one of the central demands of the LGBTQ+ community in Ukraine. The search will allow a law partners to get medical information or to get social benefits or receive social benefits in the event of death. However, it has been in discussion in the committees of Ukrainian Parliament for more than two years.
The bill was introduced by Inna Sovasun in the opposition MP. He told DW that the law is legally blocked by the committee of legal matters. According to Sovasun, Parliament is conservative, in which only one -third of MPs are clearly against registration participation and in favor of more than just one third. The rest of the people are hesitant or have no opinion due to concerns about the response of the public and colleagues. “For LGBTQ+ soldiers, this is an important issue because his life is always in danger,” Sovasun told DW.
Military lgbtq+ discrimination
19 -year -old DMYTRO, who asked DW not to publish his last name for fear of vengeance, serving the army for about a year. Hey, asexual as he likes both descres, men and women and wants romantic instead of sexual relations. However, when the sexual orientation of DMYTRO is known in their brigade, the problem arose. “I was threatened with physical violence,” he told DW. In a chat shown to DW, a Comrade recommends him to “search for another unit” and threaten to clear the reasons very clearly “so that it will be missed for a long time”.
Search harassment fired DMYTRO to attempt suicide. After saving his life, doctors lodged a complaint with the police, but without success. “To date, there is no response,” he told DW. Finally, he managed to move to another brigade. The young man says that he knows about cases of other units, where high ranking Comrade tried to quickly move LGBTQ+ Soldier in another unit about his sexual orientation.
Accountability for attack
Nevertheless, DMYTRO sees that attitudes in the army are slowly shifting and say they have a positive experience. “When the commander of a brigade came to know about my sexual orientation, he supported me and said that the old man never insults or discriminates with me,” DMYTRO remembers.
In addition to the draft law on registered participation, the Ukrainian LGBTQ+ community is also fighting for the introduction of criminal liabilities for criminals for crimes based on incompatible, especially homophobia. DMYTRO criticized that attacks on LGBTQ+ people are usually rejected as ‘hooliganism’ and are very generously punished. A draft law that hates crimes against the LGBTQ+ community has been in Parliament since 2021, however, it is still under discussion.
Shifting approach to LGBTQ+
Victor pylypenko, experienced and head of NGO Ukrainian LGBT+ veteran for military and equal rightsWhat is one of the first Ukrainian soldiers to openly accept its homosexuality openly. He urges Parliament to stop delaying laws to support the LGBTQ+ community. Pylypenko complains because politicians say that Ukrainian society is not ready for change, which he cannot understand.
Activists say that support for LGBTQ+ people is increasing. according to a study Operated by Kiev International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) since June 2024, more than 70% of Ukrainians are in favor of LGBTQ++ people have equal rights to all citizens. For the same survey, 14% LGBTQ+ has a positive attitude towards the community, 47% is a neutral one and 32% a negative. The final indicator has been continuously decreasing since 2015.
A charity event organized by the KyivPride organization in early June included general, alcohol small, protests. Activists attracted attention to the rights of LGBTQ+ people with the Ministry of External Affairs in Kiev and raised money for the Ukrainian army. Supporters of traditional values held a rally together. Ukraine’s Orthodox Church later criticized the fact that LGBTQ+ event occurred near St. Michael Cathedral and desk it as “anti-cellicalented”.
Hope placed on military Lokpal
NGO led by Victor Pylypenko counts over 600 military personnel and veterans among his members. Their information, gay, gay, bisexual, transgender, queues or asexual people serve in at least 59 units of the Ukrainian Army. It is impossible to determine that many do not actually talk about their sexual orientation. For a study by NGO of pylypenko based on estimates in other countries, the ratio of LGBTQ+ soldiers in the Ukrainian army can be 5% and 10%.
There is a lack of rules against discrimination, which means that the rights of LGBTQ+ soldiers and military personnel are unsafe, Pylipenco is called. Hey that the situation will be engaged with a planned appointment of a military Lokpal.
Drone pilot Roman Abrashin argues that more LGBTQ+ people talk about theme and their problems, there will be rapid changes. “This is important, even if there is a wave of hatred,” he told DW. Soldier DMYTRO agrees. Above these, both, like most soldiers, want Russia to end in permanent Ukraine. “I just want to stop dying of my brothers, my loved ones, citizens and children,” says Dimtro.
This article was the original published in Ukrainian.
