“We are under constant fire”

This is how war feels like: We asked Rostyslav Milevskyi from Gender Zed to tell us about his situation in Zaporizhzhya. It is one of the four regions Russia has annexed.

When the sirens scream, Rostylsav and his boyfriend run into the corridor. It is the safest place in their flat here in Zaporizhzhya.

At work, though, it is even safer. The NGO Gender Zed, which the two LGBTIQ* activists run, currently operates from a basement. “The office looks more like a shelter than a workplace,” says Rostyslav.

He misses his mother

For six months now, Rostyslav and his team have kept Gender Zed running despite the war. It is not an easy task to do so, their office is just 40 kilometres away from the front. Besides, they worry about their own family and friends. Rostyslav’s mother, for example, has been living under Russian occupation for months; only recently she miraculously could escape from her village. It is completely destroyed.

In his video, Rostyslav talks about the situation of LGBTIQ* people in the war, his work, a life under constant shelling and how his mother is doing now. Click on the picture:

In our video series “How queer people in Ukraine experience the war“, LGBTIQ* from different parts of the country describe what they are going through these days. Some have left the country, others stay and try to survive or help themselves. It is a struggle.

Here is how you can help:

Individual help

Munich Kyiv Queer has its own fundraising campaign via www.paypal.me/ConradBreyer to support people in Ukraine with whom we have worked closely over the past ten years. They are our friends and partners. We know them personally and we miss them. We can help fast, directly and unbureaucratically.

Help for LGBTIQ* organisations

To support LGBTIQ* in Ukraine we have helped set up the Alliance Queer Emergency Aid Ukraine, in which around 40 German LGBTIQ* Human Rights organisations are involved. All these groups have access to very different Human Rights organisations in Ukraine and use funds for urgently needed care or evacuation of queer people. Every donation helps and is used 100 percent to benefit queer people in Ukraine. Donate here

Questions? www.MunichKyivQueer.org/donations