Being true to oneself: How the LGBTQI community in Kharkiv is fighting for its rights.

Evelin Ashenburner is a non-binary individual from the USA. In March 2022, they moved to Ukraine and joined the service in the International Legion. Before the full-scale invasion, Evelin lived in Poland, where they taught English.

“I was living in Poland when Russia attacked Ukraine. It was terrible… I taught English to students, many of whom were Ukrainians, including refugees. For me, this (the full-scale invasion — ed.) was an extremely criminal attack on a democratic country. That’s why I decided to come and help Ukraine. Since I lived close to Ukraine, when President Zelensky said that foreigners could join the army, I decided to give it a try. So I packed a suitcase and crossed the border,” Evelin shared.

Evelin had no military experience. After their interview, the battalion commander decided to assign Evelin to the headquarters to conduct interviews with new soldiers.

“I speak a little Polish, and since I am an English teacher, I am used to working with foreigners,” Evelin said.

They do not hide that during their service, there were instances of both support and discrimination. According to Evelin, they noticed the latter more often among older military personnel.

“The soldiers were great — they supported me a lot. Many even tried to find out my pronouns and asked about my native language. One of them, a heterosexual soldier, drove our military vehicle at 'Kharkiv Pride' (the event was held in a unique auto-pride format — ed.). There was even one soldier who came to my drag show in Kharkiv. Another one asked me to send photos from the pride where I was wearing my medals (the volunteer cross). However, there were many older guys with a Soviet mindset who did not understand me,” Evelin shared their experience.

The Importance of Supporting LGBTQI+ Military Personnel

The president of the Kharkiv women’s organization “Sphere” and co-organizer of “Kharkiv Pride,” Anna Sharigina, has several queer friends in the military who have faced homophobic challenges.

“LGBTQI+ military personnel in wartime face additional dangers: they may hear that there are no LGBTQI+ individuals in the army, and the command lacks a clearly articulated position on respect for diversity. People in military service do not have the extra strength to assert themselves, to fight for their rights — LGBTQI+ military personnel often do not come out or even return to 'the closet.' Heterosexual people have access to rights, and families that can support them in times of trouble. LGBTQI+ individuals do not have this opportunity,” Anna added.

Despite this, the activist still sees positive changes in Kharkiv regarding attitudes toward LGBTQI+ individuals.

“In September of this year, a representative of the Armed Forces (Vitaliy Sarantsev at the discussion panel Kharkiv Media Hub — ed.) spoke for the first time about LGBTQI+ people in Kharkiv. He said it is very important that we fight for our rights. And that the Armed Forces also declare equality. For Kharkiv, this is extremely important! Changes are happening, but LGBTQI+ people need to advocate for their rights, talk about them, and take to the streets. No one else will do it for us,” said the president of the NGO “Kharkiv Women’s Organization 'Sphere'.”

Homophobia and Pressure on Activists in Kharkiv

Before the full-scale war, the women’s organization “Sphere” was engaged in education — organizing events on gender equality and human rights for the LGBTQI+ community. In 2019, they started “Kharkiv Pride.” During the preparations for the current Pride, which took place in September, the team faced significant challenges, but they managed to resolve them.

“Representatives of local authorities expressed a homophobic stance regarding the current Pride — threatening Kharkiv businesses that were going to host the 'Pride Fest' at their locations. We were warned about fights, riots, and told that they could be carried out by military personnel. But this is manipulation,” Anna explains.

The activist adds that all of this seemed paradoxical because at “Kharkiv Pride,” they raised about 125,000 hryvnias for the needs of the military in the Kharkiv and Sumy directions. In total, the team managed to raise 809,000 UAH for components for drones and “Starlinks” and charging stations for the Achilles battalion of the 92nd Separate Mechanized Brigade in Kharkiv region.

Not a Fish, But a Rod: Helping in Wartime Conditions

“We realized how important it is to support the military and people who stay in the city, providing jobs for others and trying to survive. Therefore, we started supporting small businesses on a trial basis,” says project manager of “Sphere,” Anastasia Popova.

With the support of an international organization, last year they issued 10 grants for businesses. This year — already 30 grants.

One of the recipients was the bakery “Kaplichka.” After the full-scale invasion, it became difficult to operate without electricity, communication, and psychological support. The bakery was on the verge of closing. All of Alexandra’s relatives left the city. Yet she continued to bake bread, although now she sold it in a rented shop instead of distributing it around the city.

“With the grant, we purchased a dough mixer, a mixer, and induction stoves — equipment on which we are currently working. All this is not cheap. We wouldn’t have managed it on our own... Before the full-scale invasion, I had my own workshop with various equipment. However, I sold a lot of the machinery when I left the old workshop. We supplied baked goods to various establishments in Kharkiv. Unfortunately, many of them have closed...” — shares Alexandra, co-owner of the bakery.

Besides the grant, Alexandra mentions that psychological support has also been crucial for her: “‘Sphere’ compensates for therapy costs. They have helped me several times. I consider this direction very powerful and useful.”

The manager of the psychological program at “Sphere,” Anastasia Angelova, explains that they provide individual consultations, organize group events, lectures, support groups, workshops, and master classes. Over the past year, they have received more than 550 requests for psychological support from LGBTQI+ individuals and provided over 1500 consultations for women and members of the LGBTQI+ community.

“We often receive requests due to relationship problems, family issues, and anxiety. All of this can be a consequence of the full-scale invasion. Requests for anxiety increase after major shelling, tragedies,” shares Anastasia from Kharkiv, a city that is attacked multiple times a day by Russians.

Currently, the organization is also collaborating with two district prosecutor's offices in Kharkiv. At their request, the psychologists from “Sphere” prepare reports on the emotional states of individuals who have experienced gender-based violence.

“Such reports can be used in court as evidence to prove that psychological harm or damage to mental health has occurred. This is important because psychological abuse is quite difficult to prove in court due to the lack of material evidence,” asserts the manager.

About the Kharkiv Shelter for LGBTQI+ Refugees and Humanitarian Aid

There is also a shelter for LGBTQI+ individuals, their relatives, and loved ones in Kharkiv. It was opened in 2023 and has since become a refuge for 48 people. This initiative is run by the NGO “ALLIANCE.GLOBAL” together with volunteers from “SPECTR KHARKIV.” “The organization has its own community center where volunteers conduct events, meet, and find like-minded individuals with similar experiences. It also has a psychologist's office. Psychological support will never be in excess, even after the war ends. Especially in a frontline region,” says Vasily Malikov, coordinator of the Kharkiv branch of “ALLIANCE.GLOBAL.”

Alexander lives in the shelter. For safety reasons, he conceals his face.

“I am a displaced person from Kherson. I have been living here for almost a month. To be honest, I didn’t even have such conditions (good ones — ed.) at home. Now I am trying to do everything possible to stay living in Kharkiv. I like the city and the people living here. I am actively looking for work and housing because I understand that I cannot live here forever... I heard that this shelter accepts not only LGBTQI+ individuals but also their families. I would really like to bring my mom here: she couldn’t leave with me,