Alex: “In Munich, I feel free to be myself”

Learning from one another, fighting together. That is the motto under which Munich Kyiv Queer has been inviting queer people from Ukraine to the ‘Volunteers Workshop’ in Munich for years. The focus: volunteering. The aim: to show what the community can achieve thanks to the commitment of its members! In the “Volunteers Blog”, our guests write about what moves them. Alex, for example, sees a big difference between the LGBTIQ* community in Munich and his home city of Kyiv: calm and stability on the one hand, speed and flexibility on the other. He wonders what he can apply from this back home.

I arrived on Sunday. The programme was pretty packed right from the start on Monday and Tuesday. We were introduced to local initiatives and the history of the LGBTIQ* community in Munich, and met with representatives from various queer organisations for this purpose.

I think that after all this, I’ve come to understand how the community’s work in Munich is organised. I was impressed by the structure of the organisations as well as their diversity – there’s something for everyone. The processes are formalised, the roles of those involved are clearly defined, and the activities are geared towards the long term. It’s obvious that all these LGBTIQ* organisations are stable and work closely with the city and political institutions.

Munich offers a sense of freedom, calm and stability

At the same time, I find it hard to view my stay here merely as a professional experience. For me, as a Ukrainian and a psychology student, it is inextricably linked to personal feelings. From the moment I first stepped out of the underground onto the street, I have been filled with a sense of freedom. I see the diversity of people, nationalities and identities. And I feel like an equal part of that diversity. I feel accepted; I feel the freedom to be myself. For me, this is an extremely valuable experience.

Munich comes across as a very calm, safe and predictable city. This is evident in the pace of life, in the way people interact with one another, and in the design of public spaces. Coming from the Ukrainian context, where there is currently a great deal of uncertainty and tension, this stability is particularly striking. It inspires me.

In Ukraine, speed, flexibility and a high degree of personal commitment are essential

This difference also affects how work is perceived. In Ukraine, community work often requires quick reactions, flexibility and a high degree of personal commitment. In Munich, on the other hand, there is a different logic at play. In local organisations, I see a stronger focus on the stability of the system, on procedures and on shared responsibility. This takes the pressure off individuals and makes the work more sustainable. It is much easier to rely on work organised in this way.

In the Ukrainian context, it is difficult to separate professional matters from one’s emotional state. That is precisely why this text brings both dimensions together. On the one hand, I see concrete approaches and models that can be adapted for work in Ukraine. On the other hand, I notice how my sense of self changes in a different environment. It is precisely this feeling that will form the basis and provide the energy for my work when I return to Ukraine.

The comparison is valuable for my work at home

So far, this is only part of my stay in Munich, but it is already clear that this experience is valuable not only as an exchange of knowledge about the organisation of work. It also gives me the opportunity to view my work from the perspective of a different culture and different life experiences.

Once I return to Ukraine, my task will be to determine which aspects can be applied to the Ukrainian context – both organisationally and emotionally – and which need to be rethought and adapted.

On Friday, Alex and the others will be speaking at LeZ about their week in Munich

Living Library LGBTIQ* activists from Ukraine share their experiences
When Friday, 8 May 2026, 7 pm
Where LeZ Lesbian-Queer Centre, Müllerstraße 26
Organisers Gay Alliance Ukraine, LeZ, CSD Munich, Munich Kyiv Queer, City of Munich Department of Culture

This is how you can help

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 Back to overview

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