- Russia’s war in Ukraine sparks fears for same-sex couples
- LGBTQ+ people worry about access to wounded partners
- Government looking into option of gay civil partnerships
By Natalie Vikhrov
KYIV, Aug 25 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – When openly gay soldier Alex Fischuk prepared to defend Ukraine against Russia’s forces in February, he feared not only for his own life but also that of his partner, who was also in the army.
As an LGBTQ+ couple in a nation where same-sex relationships are not recognised, the 23-year-old worried about what would happen if his boyfriend was injured or killed in combat.
“If our (partner) dies … we won’t be allowed even to bury (them) … they might not let us into the hospital,” said Fischuk, a cadet specialising in air reconnaissance.
So when separate Russian airstrikes hit their respective units in early March, killing a number of soldiers, Fischuk decided it was time to take their relationship forward.
“It was very scary. After that, I thought about it and decided I needed to propose,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation, adding that the couple had got engaged in mid-March.
LGBTQ+ campaigners say that several same-sex soldier couples have got engaged since Russia’s invasion, with many hopeful that Ukraine will legalise gay marriage, or civil unions at least.
While Ukraine’s LGBTQ+ community has few legal protections and faces entrenched discrimination in the mainly Orthodox Christian nation, a recent petition demanding the legalisation of same-sex marriage has buoyed hopes for greater equality.
Responding to the petition earlier this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said it would not be possible during wartime – as the constitution would have to be changed.
However, he said he had asked Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal to “address the (petition’s) issue” and noted that the government had already been looking into civil partnerships as an option.
Activists believe the war has bolstered public support in Ukraine for LGBTQ+ people, many of whom have joined the armed forces and taken on volunteer roles to help in the conflict.
Russia’s war has put Ukraine’s LGBTQ+ community on high alert. Moscow has increasingly cracked down on gay, bisexual and transgender people since passing a “gay propaganda” law in 2013, and reports of hate crimes and abuse have risen since then.
