Ukraine - War - Support
WAR SURVIVAL
Amidst the hideous human rights abuses carried out against the Ukrainian people, the LGBTQ+ community are additionally being subjected to further horrors by the invaders.
Alice Linehan reports.
Following Vladimir Putin’s orders on February 24, 2022, Russia officially launched a devastating full-scale invasion of its neighbouring country, Ukraine. Over one year on, the war persists, with immeasurable damage and tens of thousands of casualties recorded as a result.
Many have been forced to flee the nation to locations all across the world, including Ireland, where the Central Statistics Office reports that, as of February 12, 2023, almost 75,000 Ukrainian refugees have arrived.
A portion of these immigrants are LGBTQ+, escaping not only the military conflict but also the queerphobic violence and abuse they could be subjected to at the hands of Russian authorities.
According to Marianna Polevikova, Managing Director of For Equal Rights, since the invasion, enemy soldiers have “hunted and abused” queer people, with over 100 horrifying accounts of alleged human rights violations reported to local NGO, Nash Svit.
It’s no wonder that some people are fleeing to safer places, but one lesbian couple proved that even the darkest of clouds can potentially have a silver lining.