War in Ukraine – Help

Our friends need help! Many cities in Ukraine are under attack. We provide emergency aid for queer people who have lost their jobs, homes, friends and family or have to flee. There is a lack of everything!

We also support LGBTIQ* organisations in Ukraine that are still working. They provide food, money, comfort. Under the most adverse conditions, some of them operate shelters where lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans*, inter* and queer people find accommodation and medical care.

Munich Kyiv Queer heading the Pride Parade in Munich with guests from Ukraine in 2023. Photo: MKQ

DONATIONS

Fundraising campaign 1: Individual help

Munich Kyiv Queer has its own fundraising campaign via www.paypal.me/ConradBreyer (photo below) 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, 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. VIDEO: Click here (Video in German, text beneath in English)

Conrad from Munich Kyiv Queer. Photo: Conrad Breyer

However, Munich Kyiv Queer is an initiative group, not an association, which is why we cannot issue a donation receipt. But we can help fast, directly and unbureaucratically. And we are already doing that. Questions? Write to info@MunichKyivQueer.org

Fundraising campaign 2: 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, such as the LSVD, Quarteera, WostoQ-Regenbogen, Queer Amnesty, Deutsche Aids-Hilfe, Trans*Recht, Aktionsbündnis gegen Homophobie, Schwulenberatung Berlin, AllOut and Munich Kyiv Queer itself.

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. You can also get receipts. Donate her

Your donations really have an effect

You may understand by yourself that your money is well invested. LGBTIQ* organisations we cooperate with and people affected regularly send us reports on what they use donations for.

Rainbow Family in Zhytomyr. Photo: NGO You are not alone

ACCOMMODATION

We’re helping with housing

The war in Ukraine continues. For many queer refugees, a return is not possible. They want to stay and are now looking for permanent accommodation.

Munich Kyiv Queer has therefore initiated the project “Die Wohn-Spione” (spying for flats) and continues to help with the search for housing, which – as you know – is not easy in Munich. We would love to hear from you when a flat becomes available somewhere in the greater Munich area. Prick up your ears if someone at work, at sports or in the neighbourhood talks about such an opportunity.

Experiences of our hosts

Since the beginning of the war, many LGBTIQ* had to leave Ukraine and came to Germany. These are the stories of people hosting guests from Ukraine.

„Now, we are even hiking together“, Stephan and Leonid from MUNICH (in German language)
“How refugee aid turns into friendship”, Anja and Nastya from MUNICH (in German language)
“Alex finds a new home”, Werner and Alex from BERLIN (in German language)

INTEGRATION

Mentorship programme

After almost a year 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.

To this end, we are launching the DACH mentoring programme. If you are interested, we will send you a questionnaire about our mentoring programme. If you are already sure, you can also register here (in German language though).

Where can I get more information? Send an email to mentoring@munichkyivqueer.org.

SITUATION IN UKRAINE

What’s going on?

Many LGBTIQ* are afraid of Putin’s army. You may have heard about the so called killing lists that the Russian government is supposed to keep about what they consider to be opponents. If this is true, it should also include prominent Human Rights’ and LGBTIQ* activists.

Once the Russian army has taken the country, they fear, the occupiers could take action against them. Activists are already reporting attacks. They all are afraid of a second Chechnya and are therefore hiding or leaving the (oocupied partrs of the) country.

But some also join the army to defend their country. Not all of them survive the mission, as the VIDEO below shows.

Ukraine occupied by r*ssia, would eventually have to give up the rights LGBTIQ* have been fighting for in the past years. r*ssia, as you know, systematically fights queer people since 2013 with the law against so-called gay propaganda.

Queer people are a particularly vulnerable group

And of course, despite all the progress, Ukraine is not a queer paradise either. LGBTIQ* as a minority are often traumatised due to experiences of discrimination in a society that is still relatively homo- and transphobic and – although acceptance towards LGBTIQ* has increased since 24 February – are particularly in need of protection.

LGBTIQ* cannot necessarily count on solid family structures. And their friends have often been torn apart during the war. Many queer people are isolated.
They can be blackmailed by forced outing and have to fear for their job and flat. Fears of attacks and violence dominate their everyday life.
Same-sex relationships and rainbow families are not legally recognised in Ukraine. In the case of injury or death, for example, this means authorities may not inform the surviving relatives. Couples on the run risk being separated.
Men* and trans* persons read as men are not allowed to leave Ukraine due to the general mobilisation if they are between 18 and 60 years old. They often have no money to get their documents changed fast due to job loss. Many are hiding in shelters.
However, there are only a few shelters in Ukraine for queer people, which are run by a few LGBTIQ* organisations. People who flee often end up in shelters where they cannot come out and have to hide.
The queer infrastructure with its counselling services in the big cities is partially destroyed. LGBTIQ* organisations work under difficult conditions.
LGBTIQ* have special medical needs, for example for HIV medication or hormones.
In addition, the patriarchal, heteronormative structures in the police, the army and territorial defence can become a challenge for queer people, although we also do receive positive reports.

Some fear a radicalisation of the Ukrainian society that could bring new violence against LGBTIQ*. But many also hope for more solidarity as they all fight together against the one enemy.

The fact that the government has included LGBTIQ* relevant items from the Human Rights Action Plan in the draft Ukraine Recovery Plan speaks for the latter. An official draft law to introduce a registered civil partnership available to same-sex couples has been discussed since 2023.

#standwithukraine #humanrights #lgbtiq #ukraine