The history of the sleeve badge of the Ukrainian rainbow soldiers dates back to the conquest of Crimea. Unicorn characters have been introduced recently.
Oleksandr Zhuhanin and Antonina Romanovan in unicorns immediately under the Ukrainian flag is sewn unicorn. The sign says they are an LGBTQ couple and are serving in the Ukrainian army.
Romanova defines her gender as non-binary, meaning her gender is not suitable for the men and women division. He himself uses pronouns referring to a woman.
Zhuhan says the mythical unicorn was selected for the emblem as early as 2014 when Russia conquered the Crimean peninsula.
– Many said there are no gays in the army, and Unicorns are fantastic creatures. So the unicorn became a symbol of the army’s LGBTQ people, he told Reuters.
Unicorn characters have only just begun to be distributed in the LGBTQ community. Many soldiers have not yet seen the sign and do not know what it means.
“I think we’ll get to answer questions about the brand, and we’re going to be very open,” Zhuhan says.
From bathroom to battles
After Russia invaded Ukraine, Zhuhan and Romanova hid in their bathrooms in Kiev. After a couple of days, Romanova stated that although neither had training in the use of weapons, they had to do something.
– It became clear that we have three options: we can either hide in a bomb shelter, escape or join the regional defense forces. We chose the third, he says.
After the front post, the feeling of home has changed.
– When I walk into an apartment, it feels like it’s someone else’s. For three months I used to sleep where it hurts, on the floors and in all sorts of shabby places. This is nice, but it no longer feels like its own, says Zhuhan.
Uncomplicated reception
The couple’s first posting took them to the city of Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine. They fought in the same unit.
– We did not face discrimination or bullying. Others were surprised by us, but over time I was called Antonina, some even used my feminine pronoun, Romanova says.
Zhuhan and Romanova prepare for their second deployment. They know that not all units treat them as uncomplicatedly as on the first deployment.
– Some of the units are more of an army army than on our first deployment. It was almost like a summer camp with guns, Zhuhan says.
Zhuhan is worried about death. Or not so much about death, but about what happens after death.
– I’m afraid Antonina won’t be allowed to bury me the way I want to be buried. That the burial will be given to my mother, and she will bring a priest, foolish prayers, and other religious things. I’m an atheist, and I don’t want that.