The new heroes of Ukraine

Times of war also offer a chance to change a society in the right way

When Russia attacked Ukraine on February 24 last year, the loving couple Oleksandr Zhukan and Antonina Romanova had three choices: hide in bomb shelters, flee or enlist.

- “When we signed up for service, we had very low expectations. We imagined that we would be bullied or assaulted, but nothing happened. It was a bit like "wow!" It was absolutely fantastic", says Oleksandr. The war has led to Ukrainians becoming more tolerant of sexual minorities and they were surprised at how well were received when they enlisted.

Antonina and Oleksandr identify as non-binary and refer to themselves as neither male nor female. The unicorn on their uniform shows that they have chosen to be open about their sexual orientation. They are far from alone: "In the army there has been a wave of people who have come out of the closet, especially after the full-scale invasion. It has also led to people becoming increasingly aware that there are queer people in the armed forces. It has done something with people's attitudes", says Antonina.

Skepticism towards sexual minorities has traditionally been significant in Ukraine. During the Pride parade in Kyiv in 2015, opponents compared homosexuality to Satanism. In a 2020 survey, 69 percent of Ukrainians said homosexuality should not be accepted by society, according to Reuters. But the war changes people's attitudes.

The war has created a hero culture in Ukraine . The new heroes are the soldiers. This has led to a change in attitudes towards sexual minorities, Oleksandr believes. "When people understand that there are also homosexuals in the armed forces, they too become heroes. This is helping to change how Ukrainians think about gays in general."

But there is also another important reason: Vladimir Putin. The Russian dictator is likely an important reason why Ukrainians have become more positive towards sexual minorities. In recent years, Putin has taken an increasingly hard line when it comes to homosexuals, and last year, it was forbidden to promote "propaganda about non-traditional sexual relationships". In today's Ukraine, people try to distance themselves from Russia as much as possible, including when it comes to their attitudes towards minorities.

But the war has also shown how queer soldiers are discriminated against in today's Ukraine. Currently, gays and lesbians are neither allowed to marry nor have the opportunity to register their relationship. This means that queer soldiers do not have the same rights as other married people. This leads to painful and unsustainable situations, like not being allowed to make medical decisions if their partner is hospitalized. If a soldier dies on the battlefield, the partner cannot to decide what happens to the deceased person or how the funeral should be.

It is urgent to extend the right of marriage to queer couples on an equal footing with heterosexuals, but in today's Ukraine that is impossible. The reason is that marriage is mentioned in the constitution. It cannot be changed as long as a state of military emergency is declared in Ukraine.

Today, 56 percent of Ukrainians agree that queer people should be allowed to enter into partnerships. Among young Ukrainians, support is as high as 75 percent. But there are also strong forces that oppose it. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church believes the bill is unacceptable with the same old and absurd arguments like depriving children of having a mother and a father, or increasing the demographic crisis by affecting birth rates.

As long as we don't have the same opportunities and rights for every couple that establishes a common life in the foundation of love, we will not have the democratic and proud Ukraine we so much want. We want a nation that no single citizen will feel less worth than others. That's why we have urgency to end this war and rebuild our nation in the most modern patterns of civilization for everyone.

*

"Queer Ukrainian soldiers: now we are called heroes" is an article originally published in the Norwegian portal "NRK" and here is adapted, slightly modified and translated with the help of Google. I took the opportunity to reproduce it here, and its photos, for the sake of the importance of the matter and as a tribute to every brave Ukrainian soldier regardless of choices in life. If violating anything, please let me know and I remove it immediately. The link to the original article is: https://www.nrk.no/urix/skeive-ukrainske-soldater--na-blir-vi-kalt-helter-1.16400794