"**It's not the right time**". This is the most frequent response received when advocating for the LGBTQI+ community. But the truth is—it is never a suitable time for changes or progress, or even for a discussion about human rights for minorities such as LGBTQI+ people. Since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 and the Ukrainian Republic regained independence, a lot of progress was made. For example, Ukraine was the first country out of the post-USSR ones that decriminalized punishment for homosexuality (the Soviet Union criminalized homosexuality with seven years of imprisonment or labor camp detention). 

In addition, following the Revolution of Dignity, when the Ukraine's Parliament passed [progressive anti-discrimination bills](https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/5207-17#Text), later they passed the [amendment to the labor code](https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/322-08#n26) that protects from discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). An important note: the new amendment to the labor code is still the most advanced in Europe, as many countries have adopted legislation protecting discrimination based on sexual orientation without including gender identity. Even the judicial branch made some contributions. Ukraine's constitution in Article 24 bans discrimination in general; at the same time, it doesn't have SOGI in the list, but instead has an open list. In May 2014, after two decades, the Supreme Specialized Court of Ukraine wound down legislative debates and [published a constitutional review](https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/v-644740-14#Text) that interpreted the Constitution as banning any form of discrimination, including based on SOGI. 

Unfortunately, since 2016, Ukraine's Parliament has stopped making any legislative progress towards equality for LGBTQI+ people, and all changes have moved to the government executive level.  But, even though Ukraine has changed a lot culturally and politically, among the biggest and most crucial puzzles remains unsolved—same-sex marriages or, a bare minimum for the gay community, civil partnership.

### Mission impossible (or not)

The biggest roadblock to same-sex marriage in Ukraine is the Constitution. Back in 1996, when the first version of the Constitution was written, Ukrainian MPs limited the institution of marriage only to men and women, preventing any marriage debates for generations. The mission to change the constitution means the LGBTQI+ movement needs to elect a supermajority in Verkhovna Rada (300 MPs out of 450) 3 times, the Constitutional Court needs to approve changes, and the President needs to sign the bill. 

Other examples of stalled progress make the situation look even more bleak:  [Bill 5488](https://w1.c1.rada.gov.ua/pls/zweb2/webproc4_1?pf3511=71891) was introduced in May 2021 as part of a long-term affiliation process with the European Union, and part of an Action plan for [National Human Rights Strategy](https://www.coe.int/t/commissioner/source/NAP/Ukraine-National-Action-Plan-on-Human-Rights.pdf) and many UN resolutions, including recommendations from the UN Human Rights Council. This bill would change the Criminal Code to clarify language in Article 161 to add hate crimes protections for LGBTQI+ persons and other marginalized groups.

Unfortunately, the bill was dead on arrival and never voted on in the Parliament, even though it would provide protection from hate crimes not based on sexual orientation and gender identity, but also based on race, religion, color, language, gender, and disability. Broadening protections against hate crimes has broad support overall. Following threats on Kyiv Pride’s march in 2016, even the Orthodox Church of Ukraine made a statement declaring the physical attack unacceptable.                               

Until now, the Ukrainian Parliament held down the “last fort” of traditional family values and didn't move forward with legislation that included SOGI. Meanwhile, LGBTQI+ Ukrainians continue to lose trust in their government’s ability or desire to protect them. Only this year, the Human Rights Ombudsman reported 17 cases of hate crimes based on SOGI and only one verdict in the court. Human rights organizations may report hundreds more hate crime cases every year (Ukraine Human rights organization [Nash Mir Center reported 186 documented hate crimes based](https://gay.org.ua/publications/CoE_Project_Report(eng).pdf) on SOGI in 2020), but still, without adopting Bill 5488 or similar legislation, there won’t be an effective system preventing these hate crimes and providing justice for minorities and marginalized groups.

Another existential challenge for the LGBTQI+ community will be adopting a civil partnership bill (as same-sex marriage is realistically not possible in the coming decades). “Preserving the institution of marriage” only for straight families, but letting same-sex couples have civil recognition, could let Ukraine join the ranks of other democratic and progressive countries, while appeasing some of the conservative sector’s demands. In most European countries, a civil partnership law was the middle step before same-sex marriages were fully recognized.. That institution is long overdue and most needed in Ukraine right now, while thousands of LGBTQI+ are serving in the army with a civilian partner back at home. For straight couples, if something happens with a military partner (wounded or killed), a civilian partner will obtain a variety of government benefits, from cash support to housing. In the case of same-sex couples, they are invisible to the government and have no help or recognition. A civilian person has no right to even bury their partner's body. 

The Ukrainian government demonstrates insufficient desire to fix LGBTQI+ inequality LGBTQI+ Ukrainians are equal enough to serve your country but not equal enough to get the same benefits of straight couples, or to receive adequate protections against hate crimes.  The [Union of the LGBT Military in Ukraine ](https://lgbtmilitary.org.ua/eng)(a non-government organization) already includes a few hundred openly LGBTQI+ members and a thousand queer military who follow their activities. While they actively fight to protect the republic, they sincerely hope politicians and government have their back. And as many politicians repeat kumbaya about all Ukrainian soldiers being heroes, it does look like they believe LGBTQI+ heroes don’t need the same benefits or support as their colleagues heterosexual ones.        
 
### Left behind

Historically, the most significant and quickest progress for the LGBTQI+ community in Ukraine has happened (2014-2016) in combination with a few factors: the process of joining a visa-free regime with the Schengen zone and integration into the European Union, the cultural revolution when Ukrainian start to watching more Netflix and Western media than Russian channel, and US government investment of great resources to promoting democratic values, including many cultural and exchange programs which help to bolster civil society and the LGBTQI+ human rights movement in Ukraine.

Unfortunately, with the changing power in the White House in 2016, the US government's priority shifted dramatically, and the Ukrainian LGBTQI+ community was left with markedly less support in the fight for their civil rights with the Ukrainian government, at the same time fighting back against Russian anti-LGBTQ propaganda, the Russian orthodox church’s lobby, and rising right-wing organizations. To add insult to injry,a few representatives from US Congress came down to Kyiv to [participate in a prayer breakfast and lobby for traditional family values](https://tyt.com/reports/inside-the-family/2021/09/15/3Yvns07L9EduF8QQxKKaEq), including banning “gay propaganda”. In fact, a group of US congressmen who came to Ukraine's parliament to lobby for a ban on “LGBTQI+ propaganda ” was led by Rep. Juan Vargas (D-CA). The same Rep. Juan Vargas who is a member of the Congressional Equality Caucus and [have 100% score LGBTQI+ friendly](https://hrc-prod-requests.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/117th-Congressional-Scorecard_web.cleaned.pdf) reiting by the organization Human Rights Campaign, a member of the Democratic party (which by many press releases in favor of protection of the LGBTQI+ community abroad) and representing greatest state of California. Until now, it was only a delegation representing US Congress and including [member of Congressional Equality Caucus](https://lgbtq.house.gov/), which made a trip to Ukraine to talk about LGBTQI+ issues, but just sadly, they talk about the need to criminalize the quer community, not share experiences of how the US navigate true many discussion and made gay marriage possible.      

At the same time, the European Union is losing the opportunities to stand for the human rights for LGBTQI+ in Ukraine even though the European Commission and other institutions have a lot of tools in the box to be more actively advocating for equality. Unfortunately, integration into the EU does not require recognition of same-sex marriages, as the EU doesn't regulate marriage standards for members, and after Ukraine passed antidiscrimination legislation and banned the bare minimum of protecting the LGBTQI+ community from discrimination in the workplace, European bureaucrats checked all boxes and lost political interest in any advocacy for the queer community. 

The greatest example was a few weeks window in 2022 when the EU was considering Ukrainian application to become a candidate for a member of the European Union, and the Erocommision passed to the Ukrainian government must to do list which [included the ratification Istanbul Convention](https://www.coe.int/en/web/istanbul-convention/-/ukraine-ratifies-the-istanbul-convention) but failed to mention hate crime bill there, what was already in parliament and ready to vote, even more - less sensitive and controversial then Istanbul Convention (religion organization was massively oppose ratification on affair “gender ideology” and actively pushing back in parliaments many years). 

### The last miles of the equality marathon

Ukraine did make enormous progress toward equality for the LGBTQI+ community in the past. More than that - the newish Ukrainian society is much more tolerant, welcoming, and friendly, and if in 2015, KyivPride had a few hundred activists - the last one counted more than ten thousand participants. Surprisingly, most of them were straight people. Ukraine has the biggest movement of LGBTQI+ soldiers in Europe, the larger parents of [queer children movement](https://tergo.org.ua/), and many more. 

The picture becomes even brighter if you look at the map and realize all regional countries are going backward on LGBTQI+ issues. Belarus and Russia criminalized homosexuality back in their wish to relive the Soviet Union. Still, even Poland has a free LGBTQI+ zone movement where some regional counties declare themself free from the LGBTQI+ community. On that background, Ukraine looks like the most promising and leading country in the region. Only the Ukrainian government took a nap on the last miles of a marathon.  

How can we shake the Ukrainian government and help them stop lingering on the most essential legislation for the LGBTQI+ community, and end the inequality battle in Ukraine? We can start actively using our diplomacy again. For example, Congress can send a delegation to exchange experiences on how they pass the Marriage Equality Act. The White House and State Department can be more proactive in working groups for the implementation of the [U.S.-Ukraine Charter on Strategic Partnership](https://www.state.gov/u-s-ukraine-charter-on-strategic-partnership/), which includes the Ukraine government's obligation to pass the hate crime bill, The Department of Justice can organize education program for its Ukrainian counterpart and help them to learn from the US experience on preventing hate crimes. And as we are a country with the largest number of LGBTQI+ envoys in the government per square foot - can we use them at least once for the greatest good?         
    
### LGBTQI+ as national security for the US

The important nuance that many experts miss - the LGBTQI+ issue in Ukraine and Eastern Europe (and even broader), is a more complicated issue than we think. One of the self-declared reasons Russia justifies its war and invasion of Ukraine is “traditional family values” and their preventing Slavic people from biting [the forbidden fruit of GayEurope](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10758216.2020.1716807). When the Russian army took over Mariupol, the first biggest TV story on the Russian government channels was a video of how they found the “[US strategic center of gays and lesbians in Mariupol](https://focus.ua/uk/voennye-novosti/513517-na-rostv-soobshchili-o-vyyavlenii-v-mariupole-podkontrolnogo-ssha-centra-geev-i-lesbiyanok)”. The fact is that was an office of the [local non-government organization that works with USAID](https://www.facebook.com/tumariupol/posts/3114737118769172/) on humanitarian projects and happens to have some posters from KyivPride. But even this Russian crusade against liberal values in Europe is not so damaging as their professional disinformation, work, and influences on American society with a false narrative. Right at this moment, thousands of Russians somewhere in a troll farm in the Crimea are making sure for the millions of US citizens in the coming election the most important issue will be what restroom to choose instead of social security reform. 

Nina Jankowich, an expert on government strategic communication, in her book [How to Lose the Information War](https://www.wilsoncenter.org/book/how-lose-information-war-russia-fake-news-and-future-conflict) gave a few examples of Russian misinformation campaigns that started in Ukraine but had real consequences on the US presidential election in 2020. She asks a question in her book: “The US and the Western world have finally begun to wake up to the threat of attack from Russia… what can the West do about it?”. 

From my perspective as a Ukrainian by birth, American by choice, and gay by nature, the answer is simple: What if we start not talking about values but implementing them? What if, bit by bit, we will all be together to fight for democratic values and principles? And maybe Russians will never choose another matrix, but our matrix will be stronger and more resilient to the “Evil Empire”.  

Bogdan Globa,
President and co-founder [QUA - LGBTQ Ukrainians in America](https://qua.community/),
Former assistant Human Rights Committee Head in Verkhovna Rada (2014-2016),
co-founder and CEO (2012-2016) larger LGBTQI+ advocacy organization Fulcrum   



Stuck in limbo: the Ukraine government leaving the LGBTQI+ community behind progress for years

Published on November 9, 2020 [at UkraineAlert Atlantic Council](https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/lgbtq-rights-in-ukraine-and-the-false-dawn-of-zelenskyy/)

The election of showbiz star Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the youngest ever president of Ukraine in spring 2019 was cheered by many in the country’s LGBTQ community. His election campaign was based on progressive and liberal slogans, fueling hopes for the acceleration of the pro-European reforms launched during the presidency of his predecessor Petro Poroshenko.

Although Zelenskyy made no specific promises on the campaign trail regarding same-sex marriage, his commitment to legalize the gambling sector and use of broadly inclusive language encouraged expectations of similarly liberal stances on other social questions.

Things have not worked out entirely as expected. Instead of maintaining Ukraine’s European integration, Zelenskyy’s first eighteen months in office have witnessed a resurgence in pro-Kremlin influence and a marked decline in official support for liberal social policies.

Meanwhile, proposed new legislation drafted by MPs from Zelenskyy’s own Servant of the People party targets “homosexual propaganda” in language that appears to be borrowed directly from neighboring Russia. This has left observers puzzled over Zelenskyy’s true attitude towards LGBTQ rights and other social issues.

During the initial stages of his political career in early 2019, former comedian Zelenskyy was widely seen as a young and progressive presidential candidate who represented a generational change from the country’s out-of-touch post-Soviet elite. This ability to engage younger Ukrainian voters was to prove one of the factors behind his subsequent landslide presidential election victory.

Zelenskyy was able to build on his showbiz appeal by running a slick social media-based election campaign, becoming the first Ukrainian politician to use Instagram as a platform for communicating with voters. Compared to the often cold and overly official media strategies of his rivals, this strikingly modern campaign style led many to assume that a Zelenskyy presidency would mean the rapid Europeanization and liberalization of Ukrainian society.

These expectations have yet to be justified. One-and-a-half years into his presidency, Zelenskyy’s stance towards the LGBTQ community and other social issues remains unclear. During his first major press conference in October 2019, he made headlines by stating that all Ukrainians could freely choose their language, religion, and sexual orientation. “Leave those people [the LGBTQ community] alone, for God’s sake,” he commented. However, subsequent developments have caused many to question Zelenskyy’s commitment to such sentiments.

Back in 2016, Ukraine’s Ministry of Justice created a Human Rights Directorate, which was tasked with coordinating a national human rights strategy as well as the development of legislation on human rights and European integration. However, in February 2020, the Ukrainian government made the decision to close the Human Rights Directorate. Three months later, the Minister of Justice stated that human rights was no longer a priority for the Ministry.

Zelenskyy’s Servant of the People party has also begun to change its official ideology in ways to that do not bode well for the LGBTQ community and other minorities. During campaigning for Ukraine’s July 2019 parliamentary elections, the president’s politicial force positioned itself as a “libertarian party”. However, during a February 2020 congress, party members voted to adopt a so-called “centrist ideology.” This apparent inconsistency has added weight to accusations of populism and left Ukrainians confused over what the party actually stands for.

The most alarming signal of a change in the Servant of the People party’s approach to social issues was the early 2020 move to establish a parliamentary group to push back against calls for greater LGBTQ rights. This was initiated by Servant of the People MP Svyatoslav Yurash together with fellow MP Oleh Voloshyn of the pro-Kremlin Opposition Platform-For Life party. Yurash confirmed that the group would oppose same-sex marriages and LGBTQ adoption rights.

In April 2020, Voloshyn registered a bill on criminal liability for “public calls and propaganda destroying the institution of the family, extramarital and unnatural sexual relations, and debauchery.” This draft bill was rejected by the parliament in September, but it is not the only proposed legislation in today’s Ukraine that targets the LGBTQ community.

On July 22, MPs Georgii Mazurashu and Olena Lys from Zelenskyy’s Servant of the People party registered a new draft bill which envisages establishing administrative responsibility for “homosexual and transgenderism propaganda”. The bill calls for fines to be imposed for “homosexual propaganda”. Alarmingly, the text of the draft bill is an almost literal translation of its Russian analogue.

These recent echoes of Russian anti-LGBTQ legislation are particularly troubling given Russia’s record of exporting homophobia into Ukraine. Prior to and during Ukraine’s 2013-14 Revolution of Dignity, homophobic messaging about same-sex marriage and enforced equality played a key role in Kremlin efforts to discredit Ukraine’s European integration ambitions. With Ukraine’s pro-Russian political forces enjoying something of a revival under the Zelenskyy presidency, anti-LGBTQ propaganda is also becoming increasingly prominent.

This rising tide of intolerance is creating physical dangers for members of Ukraine’s LGBTQ community. Recent research into attacks on activists in Ukraine found that during the first nine months of 2020, LGBTQ activists were among the most at risk of being subjected to verbal or physical attacks. One particularly disturbing illustration of this trend was the 2020 Pride event in Ukraine’s Black Sea port city Odesa, which saw 16 participants assaulted.

It remains too early to pass a definitive verdict on the Zelenskyy administration’s approach towards LGBTQ rights, but the early indications are far from encouraging. Ukraine had made some earlier progress in this direction following the Revolution of Dignity, including changes to the labor code that banned discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity, but there has been no further progress under Zelenskyy on key issues such as the legal status of same-sex partnerships. Instead, we are now witnessing a clear trend towards curtailment of human rights support for the LGBTQ community.

This is especially concerning when viewed in the broader context of negative developments taking place elsewhere in the region. Neighboring Russia has long been at the forefront of anti-LGBTQ initiatives in Eastern Europe. More recently, nearby Poland has witnessed efforts to designate so-called “LGBTQ-free zones”.

Today’s Ukraine finds itself in an increasingly homophobic neighborhood with a president whose approach to LGBTQ issues has failed to match his liberal rhetoric on the subject. While there is still a sense of guarded optimism regarding Ukrainian society’s gradually evolving attitudes towards sexual and gender minorities, many in the country’s LGBTQ community now feel that they are swimming against the political current.

Bogdan Globa is the co-founder of QUA – LGBTQ Ukrainians in America, the first association of LGBTQ Ukrainians and their allies in the United States.

LGBTQ rights in Ukraine and the false dawn of Zelenskyy

_Article was pubished at [Georgetown Public Policy Review](https://gppreview.com/2019/03/19/guest-op-ed-russia-exports-homophobia-ukraine/)_
During the Euromaidan protests, Russia deliberately stoked anti-LGBT bigotry in Ukraine as part of a campaign to delegitimate Western values and keep Ukraine in Russia's sphere of influence. These deliberate attacks must be publicized and taken seriously by the United States and others. If they aren't, Russia will continue to sow division within and among democratic nations.
During the Euromaidan protests, Russia deliberately stoked anti-LGBT bigotry in Ukraine as part of a campaign to delegitimize Western values and keep Ukraine in Russia’s sphere of influence. These deliberate attacks must be publicized and taken seriously by the United States and others. If they aren’t, Russia will continue to sow division within and among democratic nations.

![globa_pamphlet.jpg](https://apiv1.bgloba.page/uploads/globa_pamphlet_7b00ceca0d.jpg)
_One of the leaflets of the conservative organization Love Against Homosexuality. It contains the following messages: Same-sex love does not exist; you are not born LGBT, you become it; getting rid of homosexuality is possible; homosexuality will not pass. (Photo from the author)_
#### A history of intervention
Last February, Kyiv, Ukraine recognized the fifth anniversary of the Euromaidan protests. During the protests, state law enforcement officials killed more than a hundred peaceful protesters, the investigation of which is still ongoing. One overlooked aspect of the investigation is how Russia exploited the LGBT community in Ukraine with the goal of breaking Ukrainian solidarity.

Mass protests started in November of 2013 after then-President Viktor Yanukovych refused to sign an Association Agreement with the European Union, which meant Ukraine lost the chance to gain visa-free travel between EU member states and other economic benefits. This dampened the hopes of millions of Ukrainians yearning for liberal democratic reforms. The Association Agreement was also seen as the first step toward the European integration. Though de jure Association Agreements do not necessarily lead to the EU membership, most Eastern European member countries went through this process.

Initially, the protesters were mostly students and young people. However, after November 30, when a Special Forces unit violently dispersed the Euromaidan supporters, more than a million Ukrainian citizens took to the streets to protest the authorities’ abuse of power.

As the mass protests grew, pro-Russian groups organized and financed a counter movement called anti-Maidan while a small group of pro-Russian individuals set up a protest camp at the square in front of Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian Parliament. At the same time, pro-Russian organizations such as the Ukrainian Choice attempted to split Ukrainian society between western and eastern loyalties by lobbying for laws to restrict “homosexual propaganda.” The efforts were meant to monger fear of pro-Ukrainian European integration and NATO accession, while pushing citizens toward the Eurasian Customs Union with Russia and Belarus — back to the USSR, in other words. To intimidate citizens, the pro-Russian organizations targeted the LGBT community. For example, Love Against Homosexuality, a conservative civil society organization, started a mass media campaign against the LGBT community. During the campaign, they used printed posters, organized protests, and leaflets distributed in subway stations warning that if the Association Agreement is signed, European gays will take Ukrainian children from heterosexual families. Love Against Homosexuality was joined by the organization Ukrainian Choice, which launched its own anti-LGBT campaign in the Kyiv subway.
![globa_pamphlet.jpg](https://apiv1.bgloba.page/uploads/globa_pamphlet_7b00ceca0d.jpg)
#### Russian anti-LGBT provocations in Ukraine
In early 2014, pro-Russian organizations arranged a fake “Gay Parade,” hiring people to carry the rainbow flag and other LGBT symbols in the center of Kyiv to foment clashes with pro-European protesters. The organizations launched a second parade at Maidan Nezalezhnosti, the epicenter of the Revolution of Dignity. Extreme right-wing organizations (present in large numbers at Maidan), hoped it would cause a violent confrontation between protesters and the fake LGBT activists, thereby dividing the Euromaidan protests into two camps, one moderate-liberal and one right-wing. This, in theory, would turn Western political actors against Euromaidan as such a conflict would demonstrate the protest movement was not aligned with European values. To make the provocation more successful, there is evidence that Russian agents even recruited several Russian drag queens, who encouraged participation in the fake pride parades.

Thanks to the prompt reaction of Ukrainian LGBT activists, it was possible to avoid violence. The LGBT activists held a counter-press conference, published several press releases, and spoke in Independence Square calling on other activists to avoid physical confrontation with the provocateurs. A parliamentary investigation later revealed that anti-LGBT provocations were organized by Russian agents of the Russian Federal Security Service in cooperation with officials from the Ukrainian Security Service, the Ukrainian counterintelligence agency.

In the subsequent months, pro-Russian agents of influence in Ukraine — non-governmental organizations, political experts, and politicians cozy with Moscow — actively spread Russian messages in the media, intimidating Ukrainians with different falsehoods about the LGBT community. Russia used multiple instruments, from political lobbying to media campaigns, to convey anti-LGBT messages. On repeated occasions, Ukrainian members of Parliament registered bills prohibiting the promotion of homosexuality, modeled on similar anti-LGBT legislation in Russia. In addition, advertising campaigns were launched in the public transportation systems and on the streets of the largest cities, linking association with the EU to the legalization of gay marriages.

Experts and LGBT activists saw that much of the anti-LGBT activities in Ukraine, although initiated by different organizations, agents, and members of Parliament, clearly originated from Moscow. For example, far-right, militaristic, and nationalist groups such as C14, White Hammer, and the National Squad use the same anti-LGBT rhetoric and talking points as Russia: they oppose Ukraine’s accession to the EU and NATO, speak about “traditional” family values, and call for physical violence against LGBT and other minority groups. The founder of the organization Ukrainian Choice also has direct family ties to Putin, who is the godfather of the founder’s daughter.

Despite the evidence, the Ukrainian government and law enforcement did not investigate the activities of anti-LGBT groups as a Russian effort to split Ukrainian society and keep the country in Russia’s sphere of control. The Ukrainian Parliament also did not appoint an independent counsel — similar to the Mueller investigation in the United States — to study Russian interference in Ukrainian politics. However, it is clear to Ukrainian human rights experts and LGBT activists that Russia’s primary export is not just natural gas, but homophobia.

#### Cheap gas or democracy?
Five years since the Revolution of Dignity began, it is evident the war in Ukraine is just one of Russia’s attacks on the democratic world. We have already witnessed how Russia has exported anti-LGBT policies to other countries in Eastern Europe and the United States, continuing to provoke internal conflict by spreading divisive disinformation about Western values. The United States and other democratic countries face a global challenge: Can we appropriately respond to Russia’s attempts to delegitimize Western values? After all, the Russian regime does not simply export homophobia and transphobia to the world, it tries to question the foundation of democracy by offering to replace respect, love and acceptance with hatred.

How Russia exports homophobia into Ukraine

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I’m Bogdan Globa, a Ukrainian LGBTQI human rights enthusiast based in New York City. I’m the founder and president of QUA, where we promote the human rights agenda for Eastern Europe on Capital Hill, help newish queer folks from Ukraine adopt in the USA, and actively dreaming about equality for everyone.   


Human rights and LGBTQI enthusiast, co-founder of QUA, Ukrainian living in the USA

Stuck in limbo: the Ukraine government leaving the LGBTQI+ community behind progress for years

LGBTQ rights in Ukraine and the false dawn of Zelenskyy

How Russia exports homophobia into Ukraine

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