Taras: “A man attacked me because he was disgusted by me”

The Russian invasion a year and a half ago changed everything for Taras. After losing his job, he moved from Lviv to Kyiv to find work and start a new life. But his new love betrayed him, his colleagues bullied him at work, he was beaten up and his cousin was killed in the war. And yet Taras has not given up. Our columnist Iryna Hanenkova has written down his story.

Hello, my name is Taras. I am 20 years old, from Kyiv, but originally from Lviv. I am gay.

I lived with a friend in Lviv when the invasion started. On February 24, 2022, he came into my room and told me that the war had broken out. Of course, I didn’t believe him, but when I went to work, my bosses wrote that we should stay at home. It was the day we were supposed to receive our salaries and all the employees were left without money. Of course, they gave it to us later.

I saw a rocket hit nearby; the whole city was engulfed in smoke, it was terrible. The organization I worked for closed down. No one knew when it would reopen, so I was left without a job.

Painful coming out

That was hard, because I was completely on my own anyway. I hadn’t had any contact with my family since I came out. They took it well at first, but soon the arguments started. They said that I was ill, that I needed treatment and priests to pray for me. The arguments with people who were so close to me were very painful.

When there was another heavy rocket attack on our city, my friends took me home with them and I moved in. We volunteered, brought things to the emergency shelter for people who had left Kyiv and took in refugees for the night who later went abroad. I also worked in a theater where they delivered things and food from other countries. We sorted them and passed them on.

One day, a friend told me that a husky had been abandoned in Kyiv and I decided to take her home. I remember the moment when it was snowing, I was loading a truck and the dog, whom I called Bella, was running alongside me. When the alarm went off again, we ran into the cellar. There were lots of people there and Bella made everyone happy. I love her very much, I felt calmer with her. I had someone to look after.

Farewell to Bella

I found a job as a cook. I worked long hours and the dog suffered a lot from my absence. So I had to give Bella to a friend who had his own house. It was a very difficult decision, but there was no other way.

Then my previous job became available and I started combining two jobs and working seven days a week. Everything became more expensive, food, rent. So I just started working again as a social worker for Alliance Global, doing tests for HIV, syphilis and so on.

It was all really very difficult. In the kitchen where I worked, people found out about my sexual orientation and I was severely harassed. I put up with it for a month and then resigned.

There was no such nagging at my new job. I was supported, we all had a good working relationship. But there were misunderstandings with my boss. I resigned again and moved to a position as an administrative assistant.

And then, I met a man I really liked, through an app. One day I packed my things and went to Kyiv to meet him. And I realized that I wanted to move to the capital to be near him.

New love, new life

I had settled all my affairs in Lviv and was about to move away – but I had no money: I had debts, no friends except him. I saw an ad for an apartment on Facebook and moved to Kyiv. I knew nothing at all about my new flatmate, he was a complete stranger…

For one month, I was unemployed. And meeting the man who had made me leave Lviv was inspiring. I felt very happy. Later, however, I found out that my roommate wasn’t paying rent and I was supposed to pay for everything. That was very unpleasant, so I decided to move out again.

I became ill. Pain tormented my body: I found it difficult to speak. It was impossible for me to stand up on my own. Enduring two weeks of pain was the price I paid for not going to the doctor in time. It turned out that I had acute appendicitis and needed an operation.

I was incredibly scared. My friends sent me money and communication with my mother seemed to improve. But above all, the man I was in love with came and supported me. The operation was successful! We became closer, I felt cared for and supported.

I found work again. However, they found out about my sexual orientation there too and the bullying started again. There was a fight in front of customers and colleagues. I was provoked and humiliated, and one man started hitting me because he was disgusted by me. I put up with it because I needed money. It was winter, I was alone and my salary was low.

The separation from the BF

And then: my boyfriend blocked me on social media. The person I fell in love with, the person I left my hometown, my work and my friends for, the person I ate grapes with in the evening and chatted with until the morning! Something inside of me broke and a depression began that lasted three months. I later found out that he was an escort and that many people had contracted syphilis from him and that he had cheated on me in many ways.

I resigned. The depression, the loss of my job, the search for a new one, the lack of financial resources, everything I was experiencing and feeling at that time was brought to an end by a phone call from my mother. She told me that Andriy, my cousin, who was in territorial defense and was serving near Bakhmut at the time, had been killed. His wife and two small children were left alone.

The death of the cousin

I packed my things and drove straight to Lviv. The grief of the relatives, the longing for the deceased and the pain broke my heart. The body was brought a week later. It’s impossible to express everything I felt at the time, but I had no time for depression. The funeral was hard.

When I returned to Kyiv from the funeral, the company I was working for closed down because it was no longer making a profit. I only had a thousand hryvnia left in my pocket and I was supposed to pay the rent in a few days. And the landlady had already announced that she was going to increase the rent from 5,000 to 9,000 hryvnia. I thought about returning to Lviv…

The new beginning

Fortunately, I got some money, rented a room and got a job. That’s where I am now. Things are starting to improve. I’m now a manager in a café. Being gay is not a problem. My colleagues support me.

I really love my job. We organized a charity event with the drag queen Diva Milk. We turned the café into a small club that night, entertained people and raised money for the armed forces.

I have a great company that treats LGBTIQ* people well and supports me in everything. I want to develop in my work, organize interesting events and continue to donate to the armed forces. We believe in our victory!

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

Questions? www.MunichKyivQueer.org/donations

In her laudatory speech, Oleksandra Bienert from the Alliance of Ukrainian Organisations paid tribute to the work of our organisation over the past few years. We are priveliged to be able to publish the whole of her speech here.

To see each other, to really accept each other. To remove borders. To understand each other. To cope with what is really happening. To make visible the work of people whose work would normally remain invisible.

To be able to look people in the eyes, build partnerships with people. To be able to build a sustainable relationship that has already lasted decades. All this belongs to the contact group of the Munich Kyiv Queer organisation.

If one reads the website description of Munich Kyiv Queer it is clear that the group is an interface between the queer communities of Munich, Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. They initiate, conceptualise, organise and begin projects, either alone or in coordination with other groups and organisations. They stand side by side with them providing help and advice. Though modest in actions, these people have made history. And they continue to make history.

The basis: A city partnership between Munich and Kyiv

The group came to be with the Munich Kyiv city partnership. The idea was to invite a delegation from Kyiv to Munich Pride in 2012. After this there were several exchanges between the city’s LGBTIQ* communites and thus began the long lived cooperation and the foundation of the Munich Kyiv Queer contact group. The first to be involved were, inter alia, Conrad, Sibylle, Uwe (in Munich) and Stas (in Kyiv).

The contact group grew, remains active and is always open. And when they want to build a bridge (whatever it may be) there is nothing that they won’t do in order to make it happen. Translation of books, exhibitions, making LGBTIQ* visible, especially trans* persons, collabs, workshops for volunteers from Ukraine learning about the queer community in Munich and so much more.

Always remaining open with all, Munich Kyiv Queer aims to be a bridge between the communities and self-help groups and remain transparent therein.

Now that the bridge has matured it has become far more than just a bridge. The bridge is part of the activities organised and one of the most important and successful international communal projects in Germany. It works in both German and Ukrainian communities. The projects reach and extend to the whole of Ukraine.

Extension of projects to the whole of Ukraine

Although it may sound easy, it requires mountains of work. And it has already had an effect on a whole generation, not only Ukrainians but Germans too. The partners of Munich Kyiv Queer now include groups throughout Ukraine: whether it be in Vinnitsa, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, Kharkiv, Kyiv or Lviv. Not to mention assorted organisations carrying out prevention of HIV infection.

A very important alliance was formed with Gay Alliance Ukraine especially in the regions. For example, when financial support of HIV prevention was halted in 2016, Munich Kyiv Queer financed the Queer Homes project. So what does it mean, a queer home in Ukraine? It is a safe space. It provides confidence and freedom of choice. It means being able to know someone without having to hide or lie about ones self.

Another beautiful example was the invitation of queer choirs from Ukraine to participate in a queer choirs festival in Munich (Various Voices 2018). With the experience learned from this event a similar one was arranged in Odesa: the Q festival. Now Ukrainians invited queer choirs from Munich to Odesa. I could go on at length with all the other projects that have been arranged…

The launch of Pride and the beginning of queer visibility

One of the most important milestones was the attendance of normally at least 20 people from the Munich community to Gay Pride in Kyiv, which began already in 2012. I am amazed at the courage of those who not only attended but affected the development of the Pride movement in Ukraine.

The first KyivPride carried danger to the health and lives of all those who joined it. The support and attendance by the international community ensured change of the event over the years. Political pressure was applied and Munich Kyiv Queer was one of the first groups that provided support. After a few years this intervention helped the Pride move to the high-streets. Both in the psychological as well as the actual sense.

KyivPride now happens!

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24th of February 2022 Munich Kyiv Queer found itself fulfilling a new role as a help organisation – in particular for queer war victims in distress or fleeing.

Munich Kyiv Queer was co-founder of the “Queer Emergency Aid Ukraine” group (Queer Nothilfe Ukraine) along with over 40 other German organisations. They raised a million Euros for queer people in distress and work with 15 NGOs in Ukraine. Most important was the fast response that resulted from the contacts built over years with the Munich Kyiv Queer group.

Solidarity trip into the war zone

Members of Munich Kyiv Queer, inter alia Sibylle, travelled to Ukraine in order to show solidarity with their friends as well as providing help but most of all to be at their side. Sibylle experienced rocket attacks as well as thanks from Ukrainians that she will never forget. She documented her experiences in film and text, managing to raise 14 000 Euros in donations.

Munich Kyiv Queer also collected stories under the motto: ‘How does one live in a war?’ In order to make people aware of the situation of queer people. Here I’d like to recount the story of Lera, a trans* person from Oleshki in the Cherson region. Oleshki is still in Russian hands. Thanks to Munich Kyiv Queer we got to hear what life for a trans* person living in an occupied land is like. 

Lera managed, with the help of the Cherson organisation “Insha”, to escape via Crimea, Russia and finally Estonia to Berlin where she currently lives.

Munich Kyiv Queer is currently organising shelters for and ways of getting queer refugees out of Ukraine and into safety. The aim was and remains to bring queer refugees into German communities. A mammoth task, one of many mammoth tasks.

On the 11th of July 2023, a photography exhibition entitled “I am in Ukraine, I am out of Ukraine” was held in Berlin. It covered stories and photos of queer people there.

The exhibition was made by KyivPride and thanks to Munich Kyiv Queer was shown in German, too. The locations in Berlin were organised in cooperation with PlusUkrDe – Positive Ukranians In Germany. Again queer war experiences were made visible.

A big thank you to Munich Kyiv Queer

I want to thank Munich Kyiv Queer from the bottom of my heart for its work, its big heartedness, its courage and its bright example to all of the limitless solidarity and humanity it provides.

A lot more work still lies ahead of us. The Russian attack on Ukraine will continue for a while. In the meantime, people and in particular queer people in Ukraine as well as those fleeing the situation there need more than ever our help and support. We are in need of homes for refugees, safe spaces and more work against discrimination.

For the first time this year, official support for laws governing civil partnerships in Ukraine has been provided by the Defense and Justice ministries along with various factions in the Ukrainian Parliament. We now await the outcome from the debates. This breakthrough is thanks to international organisations such as Munich Kyiv Queer. With their ability they are making history.

Hans Peter Hausschild, the name of todays prize, stood completely for eradicating social restrictions.  Munich Kyiv Queer stands, with its limitless work, for exactly this spirit by conquering social borders and achieving solidarity.

With best wishes for the future

I would like to wish Munich Kyiv Queer much energy for its continued work and I am very happy to award the Hans Peter Hausschild prize to it today.

Munich Kyiv Queer continues collecting stories from LGBTIQ* in Ukraine. We want to know: How are you? Living with a war? Raising awareness for the situation of this vulnerable social group and mobilize support is our main goal right now. This is the story of Pavel.

Pavel comes from Mykolaiv. The town is close to the front and Pavel still lives there. He is grateful for the help he has received. Because he is sick, it is difficult for him to find work. And jobs are scarce in the middle of the war anyway. That is why he asked the NGO “You are not alone” for support. VIDEO

You are not alone” is supported by the German Queere Nothilfe Ukraine (Queer Emergency Aid Ukraine) and Munich Kyiv Queer is one of the 40 LGBTIQ*-organisations in Germany that have united forces to build this alliance one and a half year ago. As you can see: Your donations really help.

Thanks to the NGO “You are not alone”, especially Oleksandra Semenova, for carrying out this video project with us. Thanks to Matt and Stas for working on the subtitles. And thanks to Nikita for translating the German and English texts into Ukrainian.

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 like “You are not alone” and use funds for urgently needed care or evacuation of queer people like Volodymyr. Every donation helps and is used 100 percent to benefit queer people in Ukraine. Donate here

Questions? www.MunichKyivQueer.org/donations

We’re back. On 4th of November we celebrate queer solidarity with our friends in Ukraine. The Charity Drag Show starts at 8 pm. Get your tickets now.

Munich’s emcee and “reality seller” Markus Laymann (photo: Verena Gremmer; below right) presents artists from Germany and Ukraine with Bavaria’s one and only Ukrainian drag queen Samantha Jackson (photo: Raphael Renter; below left).

They have all joined forces to support LGBTIQ* in and from Ukraine with an entertaining cabaret evening. We offer you an extravagant show with drag, music, burlesque, magic and comedy.

And these are our guests from Germany

She is the enfant terrible of the German burlesque scene. When RUBY TUESDAY reveals herself on stage, it’s getting hot. Ruby has been performing throughout Europe as a neo-burlesque performer for over eleven years. This art form not only allows the performers to play with femininity and sensuality in a self-determined, creative and humorous way, but also to question social norms and blur boundaries.

Her versatility allows Ruby (photo: Verena Gremmer; below) to slip into many roles: she plays the fluffy bunny just as convincingly as “Ruben Tuesday” bursting with masculinity – Ruby was Munich’s first drag king.

MERRITT OCRACY is Munich’s Ukrainian Drag Quing (Photo: Merlyn Charles Nieto; below left). A faerie harlequin, a vintage prince of the mischievous abyss, a crossover chameleon that flies through space and time and has landed on stage from somewhere out there. Merritt says: “Gender is a construct, build your own.”

PERRY STROIKA does strange things (photo: Verena Gremmer; below right) and rhinestones his underwear. Munich’s well known drag king moves aesthetically somewhere between camp and campsite owner. In his performances he likes to show people the silly side of masculinity.

From Ukraine we get to see

BEE QUING (photo below left) came to Germany because of the war. They love to entertain the audience with their energy and improvised dance steps. Combining their passion for dance with drag is an experience that amazes us all.

The mysterious VIRIENA (photo below right), winner of Voice Zaporizhzhia, has also been living in Germany for a good year now. She has already given many concerts here and inspires the fans with her expressive voice.

Meet our hosts

Ukrainian’s Drag Ambassador SAMANTHA JACKSON from Odesa has a big stage presence, a big heart and an even bigger voice. Everything about her is big. Especially the longing for her old homeland, which she had to leave. With her songs, she reminds us of Ukraine. Her cause: A life in freedom! Samantha says: “All people in this world deserve to be free to choose who they love and be who they are.”

Reality seller MARKUS LAYMANN is a missionary of intelligent entertainment. That is why the style of his magic programmes is more cabaret than serious magic. The focus is always on entertainment, on entertaining the audience. In times when there are no more miracles for the enlightened spectator, it is more important to address him directly, to make him laugh or think or to surprise him.

And last but not least

Our stage hand is a young vegetable and the only source of vitamins who volunteers to help pick up underwear: That’s our dear Radieschen!

Munich Kyiv Cabaret is a charity evening for queer war victims. The artists all waive their fees; the entrance fee will be donated to Ukrainian LGBTIQ* who are in need or on the run. At the entrance, Munich Kyiv Queer will be waiting at the info desk to answer all your questions.

Munich Kyiv Cabaret Charity Drag Show in aid of Munich Kyiv Queer
When Saturday, 4 November 2023, 8 p.m.; admission from 6.30 p.m.
Where Drehleier, Rosenheimer Straße 123
Tickets 29/25 euros plus advance booking fees, PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
Organised by Munich Kyiv Queer, Drehleier

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 like “You are not alone” and use funds for urgently needed care or evacuation of queer people like Volodymyr. Every donation helps and is used 100 percent to benefit queer people in Ukraine. Donate here

Questions? www.MunichKyivQueer.org/donations

Munich Kyiv Queer continues collecting stories from LGBTIQ* in Ukraine. We want to know: How are you? Living with a war? Raising awareness for the situation of this vulnerable social group and mobilize support is our main goal right now. This is the story of Volodymyr.

Volodymyr lives in the region of Ternopil. He is 24 years old and cannot find any job. There is no work any more. So, he had to approach the LGBTIQ*-organisation “You are not alone” for help. And they helped. Thanks to them, he was able to buy food, medicine, hygienic products both due to certificates as well as money the organisation gave him. VIDEO

“You are not alone” is supported by the German Queere Nothilfe Ukraine (Queer Emergency Aid Ukraine) and Munich Kyiv Queer is one of the 40 LGBTIQ*-organisations in Germany that have united forces to build this alliance one and a half year ago. As you can see: Your donations really help.

Thanks to the NGO “You are not alone”, especially Oleksandra Semenova, for carrying out this video project with us. Thanks to Matt and Stas for working on the subtitles. And thanks to Nikita for translating the German and English texts into Ukrainian.

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 like “You are not alone” and use funds for urgently needed care or evacuation of queer people like Volodymyr. Every donation helps and is used 100 percent to benefit queer people in Ukraine. Donate here

Questions? www.MunichKyivQueer.org/donations

Munich Kyiv Queer’s mentoring programme invites you: On Monday, 25 September, starting at 7 pm, we want to combine Ukrainian with Bavarian traditions during a bar evening at the lesbian-queer centre LeZ – with Ukrainian beer and snacks.

Everyone is welcome who wants to meet people from Ukraine or Germany and celebrate together.

Creating perspectives, making friends

Why are we doing this? After 18 months of war, our friends are looking for perspectives in order to make a living here. To do so, they need to get in touch with people who speak German and understand how the local society works.

We don’t just offer them a roof (in German: DACH) to survive. We offer a safe space to find help and orientation. Nobody’s left behind.

When Monday, 25 September, 7 pm
Where: Lesbian-queer centre LeZ, Müllerstraße 26
Questions: mentoring@munichkyivqueer.org
Organised by: Munich Kyiv Queer, Mentoring programme DACH

Munich Kyiv Queer continues collecting stories from LGBTIQ* in Ukraine asking them how they live under war circumstances. We want to raise awareness for the situation of this vulnerable social group and mobilize support like donations. This is the story of Nikita.

Nikita is really grateful for the help he got from the NGO “You are not alone”. He was able to pay his utility bills, to purchase food for his retired parents, he says. VIDEO

“You are not alone” is supported by the German Queere Nothilfe Ukraine (Queer Emergency Aid Ukraine) and Munich Kyiv Queer is one of the 40 LGBTIQ*-organisations in Germany that have united forces to build this alliance one year ago. As you can see and sorry for repeating ourselves: Your donations really help.

Thanks to the NGO “You are not alone”, especially Oleksandra Semenova, for carrying out this video project with us. Thanks to Matt and Stas for working on the subtitles. And thanks to Nikita for translating the German and English texts into Ukrainian.

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 like “You are not alone” and use funds for urgently needed care or evacuation of queer people like Nikita. Every donation helps and is used 100 percent to benefit queer people in Ukraine. Donate here

Questions? www.MunichKyivQueer.org/donations

Munich Kyiv Queer continues collecting stories from LGBTIQ* in Ukraine asking them how they live under war circumstances. We want to raise awareness for the situation of this vulnerable social group and mobilize support like donations. This is the story of Tatyana.

Tatyana shows us what the war has done to her house. You can see the damages the shelling of the Russian army has caused. And they have not repaired it yet to show the world and spread the message: We do not give up! We will not forget! VIDEO

The NGO “You are not alone” from Zhytomyr provided Tatyana with certificates for food and hygienic articles.

“You are not alone” is supported by the German Queere Nothilfe Ukraine (Queer Emergency Aid Ukraine) and Munich Kyiv Queer is one of the 40 LGBTIQ*-organisations in Germany that have united forces to build this alliance one year ago. As you can see: Your donations really help. Tatyana is very grateful!

Thanks to the NGO “You are not alone”, especially Oleksandra Semenova, for carrying out this video project with us. Thanks to Matt and Stas for working on the subtitles. And thanks to Nikita for translating the German and English texts into Ukrainian.

This is how you can donate

INDIVIDUAL HELP Munich Kyiv Queer has its own fundraising campaign via www.paypal.me/ConradBreyer to support people in Ukraine who need help and are not organised in the local LGBTIQ*-groups. 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 like “You are not alone” and use funds for urgently needed care or evacuation of queer people like Tatyana. Every donation helps and is used 100 percent to benefit queer people in Ukraine. Donate here

Questions? www.MunichKyivQueer.org/donations

Munich Kyiv Queer continues collecting stories from LGBTIQ* in Ukraine asking them how they live under war circumstances. We want to raise awareness for the situation of this vulnerable social group and mobilize support like donations. This is the story of Tatyana.

Tatyana shows us what the war has done to her house. You can see the damages the shelling of the Russian army has caused. And they have not repaired it yet to show the world and spread the message: We do not give up! We will not forget! VIDEO

The NGO “You are not alone” from Zhytomyr provided Tatyana with certificates for food and hygienic articles.

“You are not alone” is supported by the German Queere Nothilfe Ukraine (Queer Emergency Aid Ukraine) and Munich Kyiv Queer is one of the 40 LGBTIQ*-organisations in Germany that have united forces to build this alliance one year ago. As you can see: Your donations really help. Tatyana is very grateful!

Thanks to the NGO “You are not alone”, especially Oleksandra Semenova, for carrying out this video project with us. Thanks to Matt and Stas for working on the subtitles. And thanks to Nikita for translating the German and English texts into Ukrainian.

This is how you can donate

INDIVIDUAL HELP Munich Kyiv Queer has its own fundraising campaign via www.paypal.me/ConradBreyer to support people in Ukraine who need help and are not organised in the local LGBTIQ*-groups. 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 like “You are not alone” and use funds for urgently needed care or evacuation of queer people like Tatyana. Every donation helps and is used 100 percent to benefit queer people in Ukraine. Donate here

Questions? www.MunichKyivQueer.org/donations

Our mentoring team will take you to the Bavarian mountains. On Sunday, 27 August, we’d like to go hiking to Andechs on the holy mountain. Don’t forget your swimsuit! Meeting point: 9.50 a.m. at Munich main station, platform of the S-Bahn number 8 towards Pasing.

And this is how it goes: From Munich main station we take the S8 to Herrsching in about 50 minutes. From there we walk for about one and a half hours through the forest to the Andechs Monastery, where we can stop in the beer garden before walking back to Herrsching or taking the bus.

In Herrsching, the Ammersee awaits us, where we can swim if the weather is nice and/or end the day at the kiosk there. If the sun’s not shining, we might have another coffee in Herrsching and then take the S-Bahn home.

About the tour: The Monastery of Andechs is located on a mountain. Therefore, the route is always uphill. However, there are no major inclines. A certain basic level of fitness is required, but not necessarily special boots. If you have difficulties walking, you can take bus No. 591 directly from the train station to Andechs’ monastery and reach the top in just ten minutes. Details of the tour can be found here

The Monastery: Andechs is considered the Holy Mountain of the Bavarians. For centuries, the Benedictine monks brewed the famous Andechs beer here. In addition to the baroque pilgrimage church, you can find a monastery shop here and several restaurants as well as a beer garden. In this very beer garden we can taste the famous beer and eat something.

Swimming in the Ammersee: The lido in Herrsching has a lot ot offer: two bathing jetties, a volleyball court, toilets, changing rooms and a kiosk where we can buy drinks and buy something to eat.

Please bring: good shoes, comfortable (hiking) clothes, a sun hat / rainwear or an umbrella, a water bottle for the hike, food for picnic and / or beer garden, your swimsuit, if necessary a volleyball or another play equipment (badminton?) for the beach.

Beer garden: You may bring your own food to the beer garden. However, drinks must be purchased on site. 

When: Sunday, 27 August 2023, 9.50 a.m.
Wo: Abfahrt: S8 um 10.25 Uhr; Treffpunkt 9.50 Uhr Hauptbahnhof am Gleis der S 8 Richtung Pasing
How much: If you are subscribed to a Deutschlandticket, the only costs for you will be for food and drinks. Without such, you may pay 5 Euros per person for the train. Those who travel by bus pay more.
Please register: mentoring@munichkyivqueer.org 
Organized by: Munich Kyiv Queer, mentoring programme DACH