Fought at the front – now fighting for LGBTQ+ rights • Came out with his sexuality – when the war broke out
Oleh, 24, says that he has always been attracted to boys, but did not dare to say it because of the fear of being rejected. For a long time he tried to date girls, but in the end he realized that it was not possible to pretend to be someone he is not.
Came out with his sexuality – when the war broke out
The first time he told his then-girlfriend that he was gay was when he was 18. When war broke out in Ukraine, Oleh went public about his sexuality on social media.
– I volunteered for the front and knew I could die at any moment. Then I didn’t want to hide my sexuality or be afraid to tell who I am. I decided to say it publicly to make a difference in society and contribute to a more equal Ukraine.
Oleh remembers when he first told about his homosexuality in his battalion.
– In the army, we are volunteers who come from different places and most of the men have never met gay people, at least openly gay people. Most were surprised and said they have never talked to homosexuals. They thought it might be far away but not there in our battalion.
Want to see a change in the Ukrainian law
Alina Sarnatska has been fighting at the front since the beginning of the war, currently she is discharged due to her health. Here in Stockholm, she participates in the Pride parade together with Oleh and tries to absorb Sweden’s experience in terms of tolerance towards LGBTQ+ people.
– It is true that not everyone accepts LGBTQ+ people in Ukraine and not everyone is kind to LGBTQ+ military personnel. But in general, the situation has improved over the past ten years, says Alina.
LGBTQ+ military activists are demanding that the Ukrainian parliament change the law and start allowing registered partnerships for homosexuals. As it is now, their relationship lacks legal basis and in practice means nothing.
– If your partner dies in the war, you can lose shared accommodation. You don’t even get to know what has happened and you can’t get the dead body.
You don’t even get invited to the funeral even though you may have lived with this person for ten years, says Alina.
Want the same rights as in Sweden
Oleh Zhabinets wishes that LGBTQ+ people would have the same rights in Ukraine as in the USA and Sweden.
– I want to be able to hold hands with my boyfriend wherever we are, sit in the park, hug and kiss just like heterosexual couples, have children together so that we have exactly the same rights as heterosexual couples.
– I want to be able to hold hands with my boyfriend wherever we are. Sit in the park, hug and kiss just like heterosexual couples, have children together. So that we have exactly the same rights as heterosexual couples, says Oleh.