21. Supporting LGBTQ+ Ukrainians

Snarky Opener (0:00)

People are literally losing their lives and have no access to basic resources, but by all means, please continue to complain about the price of gas.

Episode Introduction (0:27)

Hello, my LGBTQuties, and welcome back to another episode of A Jaded Gay. I'm Rob Loveless and, today, I am a very jaded gay because when it rains, it pours.

So, you know, we're probably going into a recession. I don't know, things are a little iffy right now. And so, I'm really trying to be, like, smart about my finances.

You know, I'm tightening up. I'm trying to pay down loans so that, you know, God forbid, if something should happen, I'm in an okay place. So, you know, back in July, I paid off my car. Great.

I had to dip into savings a little bit. But at least that's one thing off my checklist. Literally, two weeks later, my air conditioning died. $500 to replace that.

Then, two weeks after that, my laptop died, which not only is a cost I have to deal with but then it keeps me from recording my podcast. So, it's just been, you know, like one thing after the other, and ugh.

But here I am, got the laptop back. It's working somewhat. It, I don't know, like I can access things, but my computer's making a really bad noise 24/7 it shouldn't make.

So, for recording this, I literally have my mic set up here in my recording studio, aka my closet, and connected to my computer, which is sitting outside my closet, like separately.

So that way, hopefully, it's not catching any background noise. So, hopefully, the recording still comes through. Okay. Anyway, here we are. We're back.

We're recording a new episode, and it's definitely going to be a more political one. So, buckle up.

Supporting LGBTQ+ Ukrainians (1:42) 

Today, I wanted to talk about the invasion of Ukraine and what that means for LGBTQ+ Ukrainians. And it's been about seven months since Russia first invaded Ukraine.

And at first, everyone seemed really concerned about this. However, as the months have rolled by, people seem more concerned about how this invasion has affected gas prices instead of the events that are actually occurring in the midst of this.

And one area that I feel has been particularly overlooked throughout all of this is how Russia's invasion specifically impacts Ukraine's LGBTQ+ community.

And you know, things are really kind of scary right now. As of recording this on August 25, a few days ago, there was a car bombing that killed a, I apologize, I don't know all the ins and outs. I know it killed the daughter of somebody who was, you know, I think a big advisor or somebody in Russia.

And you know, a lot of people are fearful of what the retaliation will look like against Ukraine. I know the United States has urged any Americans in Ukraine to flee immediately. And, you know, it's just really scary times. And so, I want to touch upon this topic.

You know, I had this episode planned, and it was going to be coming out, you know, in the next few weeks, but I really kind of wanted to move it up because all of Ukraine's suffering, and really, so is the LGBTQ+ population there.

And so, I wanted to move this episode up so that way we could talk through this and provide some means to hopefully help LGBTQ+ Ukrainians during this time. Before we dive into it, though, let's pull our tarot card.

Tarot (3:05) 

So, today's card is the Ten of Pentacles. I think we talked about this in a recent episode. The number ten, it's an interesting number in numerology because 10 indicates the end of a cycle.

And also, in numerology, you can combine double digits. So, one plus zero equals one, which equals the start of a new cycle. So, one cycle is coming to an end, a new one's beginning.

And specifically, the key meanings associated with this card are wealth, family, and inheritance. Again, Pentacles, typically, is indicative of prosperity, hard work, putting in the work, and reaping the rewards of the fruits of your labor.

It's grounded in the element of earth, and it's tied to feminine energy, which is really asking us to take a moment to reflect upon what we can be doing.

Specifically, the Ten of Pentacles, it really is representative of love within the family that's most supportive in your life.

And you know, within the LGBTQ+ community, some of us have our chosen family because maybe our biological family has rejected us.

So really, we want to focus on spending time with the people we love and creating a network of prosperity.

And that doesn't even have to be financial prosperity. It could just be, you know, wealth in terms of emotions, of happiness, of joy, of taking care of one another.

Really think through who that network is or who your family is, whether it's your chosen or biological family, but the people who bring you joy.

And focus on how you can spend more time with them to build up that network of emotional prosperity. And as always, we need to learn to enjoy the present while planning for a prosperous future.

And as we think about the journey of emotional well-being, this card could also be a sign that we've accomplished something, that we've made it through the journey, and we've accomplished a stable environment.

A stable home environment, a stable familial environment, and that we've accumulated wealth.

In this case, I think we're talking about emotional wealth and abundance through the hard work we've put in to build that network of people around us.

Those who bring out the best of us and who we mutually support. And it can also be indicative that we're feeling compelled to share the success with others.

So, we've cultivated this warm, stable environment with our network of peers, our friends, our families, and we're feeling very blessed and content in that moment, and we want to share it with others.

We want to show that acceptance and that kindness and that support to others that we've seen in our own family units.

So definitely something to think through and to not take for granted as we talk about the invasion of Ukraine and the negative impacts it's had on the whole country, obviously, but especially on LGBTQ+ Ukrainians.

The History of the Russian-Ukrainian War (5:14)

All right. So, kicking off, we're gonna have a little modern history lesson.

So, the war between Russia and Ukraine has actually been going on since February 2014. So, eight years before the actual invasion.

And it initially focused on the status of the regions Crimea and the Donbas, which are internationally recognized as part of Ukraine.

So, February 20, 2014, Russia began an annexation of Crimea and began moving into Donbas a few days later.

And annexation, basically, it means forcibly acquiring a state's territory by another state, and this usually is the end result of a military occupation in said territory.

And this was followed by a war in Donbas lasting until 2015, with a couple other battles occurring in 2016 and 2017.

Now, this is the Reader's Digest version I'm giving you of this timeline. So, this definitely does not encapsulate everything that happened during that time.

And there were a few other events occurring in the years following. But most notably, in March 2021, Russia majorly built up its military presence near the border of Donbas.

And then, starting in October 2021, Russia commenced a second military buildup in Russia and Belarus. Now, Russia denied any plans of an invasion.

But of course, as we know, on February 24, 2022, Russia did, in fact, invade Ukraine.

And as of recording this, the New York Times has reported that 5,587 Ukrainian civilians are confirmed dead, and the true number is believed to be in the tens of thousands.

The number of refugees has surpassed 6.6 million, and about 9,000 Ukrainian military members have been killed as well.

Also, as of now, Ukraine has lost control of 20% of its territory, and the destruction has already cost Ukraine at least 113. 5 billion. And it may need more than 200 billion to rebuild.

So, as you can see, this is truly horrific, and there's a lot that can be covered regarding this.

And I definitely encourage you to stay up to date on this because the situation is ever-evolving, and we can't forget about this.

But this is where I'm going to break off from the mainstream headlines a bit to really focus on the LGBTQ+ community in Ukraine.

Being LGBTQ+ in Ukraine (7:12)

So, here's some quick stats regarding being gay in Ukraine. Homosexuality was legalized in 1991, meaning it wasn't illegal to be gay.

However, there is currently no legal grounds for same-sex marriage and civil partnerships.

Transsexuality is considered a psychiatric disorder, but sex reassignment surgery is legal for anyone over the age of 25.

According to Clause 211 of the Family Code of Ukraine, single persons who are citizens of Ukraine, regardless of sexual orientation, are allowed to adopt, but same-sex couples are explicitly banned from adoption.

In April 2016, the Ukrainian Ministry of Health lifted its ban on men who have sex with men from donating blood.

Previously, men who had sex with men were never allowed to donate blood. Now, there is no deferral period.

Which, if you listened to the ban on gay blood episode, you'll remember that the deferral period is the period of time men who have sex with men must abstain from sex, even if they're in monogamous relationships before they can donate blood. So, catch up, America.

Anyway, on November 12, 2015, Ukraine passed legal protections banning sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination at work.

Now, from doing some research though, being gay in Ukraine is still considered taboo. In fact, in June 2015, Ukraine hosted its second-ever Pride Parade in Kyiv.

The first was held in September 2003, and there were subsequent ones planned, but they were actually canceled due to people fearing for their safety.

So obviously, it isn't great, but the rights and protections for the LGBTQ+ population in Russia is much worse.

Being LGBTQ+ in Russia (8:42)

You might remember that back in 2019, news came out that there had been an anti-gay purge going on in Russia since spring of 2017. Dozens of gay men were detained and tortured.

And going further back in June 2013, Vladimir Putin signed a federal law formally titled The Law Aimed at Protecting Children from Information Promoting the Denial of Traditional Family Values, which banned the promotion of non-traditional sexual relations to minors.

According to HumanRightsWatch.org, this is a reference universally understood to mean a ban on providing children access to information about LGBTQ people's lives, which includes, but is not limited to information provided via the press, television, radio, and the internet.

So, this is like Florida's Don't Say Gay bill on steroids and applies to the whole country.

Apparently, the law has been used to shut down websites that provide valuable information and services to teens across Russia and to bar LGBTQ support groups from working with youth.

And it extends even broader than that. Because of this, mental health professionals have had to curtail what they say and what support they give to students.

It interferes with their ability to offer honest, scientifically accurate, and open counseling services, leading some to self-censor themselves or set out explicit disclaimers at the start of sessions to avoid running afoul of the law.

Ultimately, this subjects the Russian state to the false and discriminatory view that LGBTQ+ people are a threat to tradition and the family.

And because of this law, LGBTQ+ people from Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan moved to Ukraine because of discrimination faced. So pretty fucking scary.

Threats to LGBTQ+ People in Ukraine (10:14)

And actually, in February, the US warned the United Nations that it believed Russia was planning to kill large numbers of critics and dissidents, and here's a quote, "vulnerable populations in Ukraine" or send them to camps after an expected invasion.

And those vulnerable populations included religious and ethnic minorities and LGBTQ+ persons.

And according to a Forbes article titled, Ukrainian LGBTQ Soldiers Fight Against Darkness of Russia Invasion, in the early days of the invasion, LGBTQ+ Ukrainians rushed to conceal their online identities.

So, this included deleting dating app accounts and clearing their WhatsApp messages. Like, think of how scary this is.

I know we bitch about the dating apps, but imagine your online persona, your apps, your social media, having to wipe all of that so you don't die, simply because you're gay.

Now, the HRC has been closely monitoring the situation throughout the months, and they identified six primary concerns for LGBTQ+ people in Ukraine and here they are:

• Number one, physical safety and security of LGBTQ+ people inside Ukraine because of the war.
• Two, ability of LGBTQ+ serving organizations to continue to function because of war conditions, food scarcity, transport, and financial breakdowns.
• And an important call out to this point, the Council of Europe states that there is an immediate concern relating to the shortages and medication required by some LGBTQ+ people in Ukraine, including hormones for trans people, medication for intersex people, and antiretroviral medication. Going on.
• Number Three situation of trans people, men, and women, not able to leave Ukraine because of conscription laws.
• Number four, inhospitable conditions facing LGBTQ+ refugees in neighboring countries due to homophobia and transphobia among the general refugee population, as well as anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment in the country.
• Number five, the LGBTQ+ community in Russia is under increased pressure, not only because of possible restrictions on their ability to receive funds but also because of increased scrutiny of civil society more broadly and the shutting down of any descent.
• And lastly, number six, should Russia occupy Ukraine, the situation of LGBTQ people in Ukraine will likely get worse.

Not only are LGBTQ+ people and other vulnerable minorities likely to be targeted by a hostile occupying force, but Ukraine's budding democratic institutions are also likely to be shut down, including organizations that support the LGBTQ+ community.

And again, the war in Ukraine has been devastating all around for the entire country, but these specifics of LGBTQ+ Ukrainians at an increased risk really has not received the attention deserved.

LGBTQ+ Ukrainians Fight Back (12:40)

Now, in the spring, when this began, I know there were lots of videos of Ukrainian citizens fighting back and the LGBTQ+ community, there is no different.

Many joined the Ukrainian army and are defending their country while being openly LGBTQ+.

And in late May, Reuters reported that members of Ukraine's LGBTQ community who signed up for the war have sewn unicorn insignias into their uniforms to symbolize their status in the community.

Now, apparently, this practice dates back to 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea because, at the time, many said there were no gay people in the army.

So, LGBTQ+ soldiers chose the unicorn because here's a quote: "It is like a fantastic non-existent creature."

And this next piece, it's kind of unrelated to that, but I thought it would be nice to still include on July 12, a petition in Ukraine calling for same-sex marriage to be legalized received 28,000 signatures.

And that's significant because any petition in Ukraine that receives more than 25,000 signatures is automatically eligible for consideration by the President, who is required to respond within ten days.

Now, obviously, that's way more than ten days ago, but I haven't been able to find an update on that. So maybe in the coming weeks, some news will be coming out about that.

But I did think that was pretty significant still that, during this time, this this petition still made its way to the President of Ukraine. Now, back to the war.

Providing Aid to LGBTQ+ Ukrainians (13:55)

What can we do to help? There are many LGBTQ+ organizations, both in and outside of Ukraine that are working to help the community in the country. So, if you're able to, please consider donating.

Here's a few of them. I'm going to include them in the show notes, too, along with the links. You can go and check them out for yourself. But basically, here's the overview.

So, the first Sphere/Kharkiv Pride.

They are a local women's and LGBTQ+ organization currently providing humanitarian aid in the war-torn east of the country.

The second is Kyiv Pride.

This is the largest LGBTI organization in Ukraine that is currently providing humanitarian support to LGBTI people in Kyiv.

They created a group chat in Russia for LGBTI+ people who want to ask or offer help. They post opportunities about settlement and transportation, and they provide support for each other

The next is the LGBTI Human Rights Nash Mir Center.

And this translates to the our world gay and lesbian center based in southeastern Ukraine.

They work to educate Ukrainian society about homosexuality, toppling recurrent stereotypes and prejudices against gays and lesbians, consolidating the lesbian and gay community, and for advocating for LGBTQ+ rights.

Insight LGBTQ.

They are currently helping with temporary housing, relocation to safer areas, food, medicine, and they offer psychological and legal support.

Next is Gender Z.

They are providing support to the LGBTQ+ community members who remain in Ukraine and need emergency assistance such as shelter and basic needs.

In the United States, there is Rainbow Railroad.

That provides practical assistance and life-saving support to LGBTQ+ refugees around the world.

So, you can donate to this organization, or, for members of the LGBTQ+ community in Ukraine, you can contact this organization to request support and resources.

And lastly, there's also Outright Action International.

Which is raising funds to distribute to LGBTQ+ organizations inside and outside Ukraine, and those organizations are supporting LGBTQ+ Ukrainians during this time.

So, as you can see, there's quite a few ways to get involved.

Episode Closing (15:53)

This is truly a horrific situation, and I think some of us have become desensitized to this because it's been going on for about seven months now and again.

Back in February, when this first occurred, everybody was all up in arms, but as it goes on, people aren't talking about it. It's not being covered as much.

Instead, the focus is on how this is affecting gas prices and market prices globally, which, obviously, that is a negative impact, but there is so much more going on beyond that.

And especially throughout all the conversations and media coverage, I really feel LGBTQ+ Ukrainians have kind of been forgotten about during this time.

So, if you can, please consider donating to help out. Again, all this information for these organizations are in the show notes for this episode, so you can go check them out and learn more.

And, you know, connecting this back to the tarot.

I think this situation, you know, obviously here in America, there's still a lot of work that needs to be done for the equality of the LGBTQ+ community here.

But I think when you hear about situations like this in other countries, you kind of take for granted, it makes you realize how fortunate we are to be where we're at, even though there is so much more work to be done.

And you know, while things are not perfect here, we've been able to live our lives here and be able to, you know, go on dating apps without fear of the government interfering and, you know, attacking us.

Or we've been able to have our social media presence or, you know, text who we want, you know, date who we want.

And we haven't had to face this fear that LGBTQ+ Ukrainians are facing once Russia had invaded, where they had to erase their dating profiles, their social media apps, their WhatsApp messages.

So that's something we've definitely taken for granted, and through having the resources we have here, we've been able to form our families, whether they're, you know, our biological families, or, you know, our chosen family, but build this network of support to mutually support one another, help us through the hard times, and build emotional prosperity.

And so, I think realizing how fortunate we are, we owe it to others to also put that love out there and put that support, both financially and emotionally out there. And especially when a situation like this comes up.

Even though it's, you know, miles and miles away, across the sea, a different country, we still should be taking action to support the LGBTQ+ community because the LGBTQ+ community does not just extend to the immediate gay people in our area or even within our country.

It is for LGBTQ+ people globally, around the world. We are one community, and we owe it to each other to protect and care for one another in any way we can.

So again, please, please, please consider donating. I know this was definitely a heavier topic today, but I think it's something that's really important that we need to cover.

Pay attention to the news. Keep up to date on what's going on. There is so much involved with this situation. You know, the whole country is suffering, and just, it seems like things are really escalating now, and it's very frightening

So, definitely keep Ukraine in mind. Put your money where your mouth is. Do something to support LGBTQ+ Ukrainians during this time, and just please, you know, I think ever importantly, remember to be kind and put kindness out there in the world.

Connect with A Jaded Gay (18:50)

So, thank you once again for listening. I'll hopefully be coming back with a lighter topic next week.

I try to keep it balanced so that we cover some of the heavier stuff, and then the next week have a lighter topic. So, it's not just, you know, constant existential dread. Trying to break it up a little bit.

So, tune in next week for hopefully a lighter episode.

Please remember to rate, review, and subscribe to the podcast. You can follow the podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok @ajadedgaypod.

You can follow me, Rob Loveless, on Instagram @rob_loveless, or on Twitter @robjlovelesss. You can also send me an email rob@ajadedgay.com.

And remember, every day is all we have, so you got to make your own happiness.

Mmm-bye.

Outtake (19:54)

And in the United States, there is Rainbow Roa- I almost said Rainbow Road, like Mario Kart.