Community: Not a place, but a feeling

Learning from each other, fighting together. That is the motto under which Munich Kyiv Queer has been inviting queer people from Ukraine to the ‘Volunteers Workhop’ in Munich for years. The focus: volunteering. The goal: to convey what the community can achieve thanks to the commitment of its members! In the ‘Volunteers Blog’, our guests write about what moves them, today it’s Oleksandra again. She is overwhelmed by the warmth of Munich’s queer community centres and their people.

Say what you will: humans sometimes behave like animals. And as with any creature in the animal kingdom, one of the most important needs is for safety. When we visited LGBTIQ* centres in Munich (yesterday – Sub, today – LeZ), we all had a strong sense of sanctuary together.

A safe haven

Many of us were impressed by the atmosphere: warm colours, shelves full of books and postcards, panoramic windows, lots of light and no sense of being hidden. Unfortunately, the Ukrainian LGBTIQ* community is very often forced to locate their centres in basements due to security and financial issues. At least, that was usually the case before the war.

Here it is not like that. You feel as if you are sitting in a sun-drenched living room or in the kitchen, visiting old friends. So we quickly stop perceiving Katja and Miri from LeZ (bottom picture) as employees. Because home is not a place, but a feeling.

For two and a half days, we were surrounded by an aura of comfort. Starting with the warm welcome on the day of our arrival, to the delicious soups that Uwe, the head of our ‘Volunteers Workshops’, served us for lunch.

We also had the opportunity to learn how Germany works with queer refugees. The lecture was given by Annina (top picture). In her eyes, I personally saw not only tiredness but also a steely determination.

I would also like to mention the people who are hosting us. Kateryna reminded me of this important aspect of our visit. ‘These are not just apartments, these are works of art! These are mini-museums!’ she says enthusiastically and begins to describe the bookshelves, the interior design and the little things. And again, it’s all about comfort. Sibylle, Sigrid and others are making sure of that.

The war has led many people to finally enjoy their lives

While Katia is inspired by places and houses, I am inspired by people: by Uwe (I love him for his warmth and energy), Sibylle (an extremely interesting woman with a great zest for life, creative, clever), Christina (who told us about the Hikedykes, a whole group of women who are constantly on the move and want to experience adventure). If I start listing everyone and showering them with compliments, the blog will consist of nothing but that 😁.

I would like to see the same in our society at home in Ukraine, and to the same extent. Yes, the war has changed a lot of things. But personally, I have met people who, due to the circumstances, have decided to finally live life to the full: they have realised their old aspirations, done the things they were afraid of.

When you are at risk of being killed by enemy missiles or drones every day, every minute, there is no ‘later’. There is only the ‘now’. And we are right in the middle of it: just as we are now. Straight and queer, young and old, brave and not so brave…

If more people around us find the strength to let go of themselves (and thus inspire others), maybe the world will become at least a little different. A safer and more comfortable place.

On Friday, Oleksandra and the others at LeZ will tell us more about their week in Munich.

Living Library: LGBTIQ* activists from Ukraine tell us about their lives, their experiences in Munich and their plans for the future
When Friday, 8 November 2024, 7 p.m.
Where Lesbian-Queer Centre LeZ, Müllerstraße 26
Organisers Gay Alliance Ukraine, LeZ, Munich Pride, Munich Kyiv Queer, Munich Department of Arts and Culture

This is how you can donate

INDIVIDUAL HELP Munich Kyiv Queer has its own fundraising campaign via https://www.paypal.me/ConradBreyer to support queer people in Ukraine who are in need or on the run. Why? Because not all LGBTIQ* are organised in the local LGBTIQ*-groups. This help is direct, fast and free of charge if you choose the option “For friends and family” on PayPal. If you don’t have PayPal, you can alternatively send money to the private account of Conrad Breyer, speaker of Munich Kyiv Queer, IBAN: DE427015000021121454.

All requests from the community are meticulously checked in cooperation with our partner organisations in Ukraine. If they can help themselves, they take over. If the demands for help exceed their (financial and/or material) possibilities, we will step in.

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

VULNERABLE GROUP And here you can find out why queer people in war need our support.

Questions? www.MunichKyivQueer.org/help

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