There are more than 200 openly gay soldiers in the Ukrainian military, who face Russian forces on the ground.
Olexander Shadskykh is a military doctor in the Ukrainian Army. He was forced to admit his homosexuality in front of his colleagues on the battlefield, and a Russian television program aired a pre-recorded video of him wearing a uniform, bulletproof vest and helmet. In the post, the 23-year-old said he was gay and would continue to do his duty.
“The Ukrainian army is so bad, they should turn to gays to fight”, was one of their comments on the TV show, which played into the hands of their colleagues in the Ukrainian army. The reaction surprised him, he said the world: “I was surprised that no one acted worse. Many were university students and professionals, but no one made gay jokes. I was the only medic in that unit, who knew they could save their lives in rural warfare.” said the young medical student in his final year who enlisted as a volunteer on the first day of the Russian invasion – and received a medal from Volodymyr Zelensky for “saving lives” during the six months he spent there. and Kharkiv.
The war made him an expert in gunshot wounds and pneumothorax, the presence of air between the lungs and the chest wall. Oleksandr Shadskyk was inspired by his father, who died in 2016 fighting pro-Russian separatist forces in the Donbass. And he had the same uniform his father had worn then: the same as his, but full of medals. He is a warrior. “My father killed his enemies and I saved lives. Basically, we both serve our country,” he says.
Asked if his father accepted homosexuality, the young man replied: “My father may not accept it, but I struggled for nine years to accept myself and I already decided that I am this way. I am gay and I love myself regardless of what they tell me.”
But Olexander Shadskykh is not alone in this fight for LGBT rights being waged on the sidelines of war. According to El Mundo newspaper, the Ukrainian army has more than 200 openly gay soldiers who face Russian forces on the ground and are part of the so-called “LGBT Battalion”. These players wear a logo with a unicorn, a symbol of the LGBT community.
The battalion has a channel on Telegram called “Brotherhood Achilles” (referring to the god of Greek mythology who, according to historians, is homosexual), where soldiers express their doubts. The channel was created by Donbass war veteran Victor Pylybenko and field volunteer Nastya Konfederat. In 2018, they wore their uniforms for the first time at the Gay Pride parade in Kyiv.
Those who knew Bylibenko described him as a strong man with great charisma. But his fight for equality isn’t limited to the military, where more soldiers are coming out as gay. The military officer demanded equality in the political sphere and encouraged marriage and adoption by same-sex couples and the sharing of goods.
Ukraine is still taking its first steps in protecting LGBT rights. According to El Mundo, Volodymyr Zelensky is working to legalize same-sex marriage and commits himself to international agreements against sexual violence. Meanwhile, Russia is preparing to pass the so-called prohibition law “Homosexual Propaganda”.
“We are moving towards the European Union, not the Russian world. The persecution of homosexuals in Russia motivates me to continue to fight. People often ask me why I don’t move to another country in Europe. I don’t want to. Leave, I’m Ukrainian, I’m here. Russians want our cities. I don’t want to be invaded. I can’t imagine what will happen to me if they take us over completely. They already know they’re going to lose the war, but I won’t rest until they’re gone.” promise
“Hardcore explorer. Extreme communicator. Professional writer. General music practitioner. Prone to fits of apathy.”