Queer Ukrainian Activists and Allies Organize White House Rally, Call for Full Protections for Queer Ukrainian Refugees

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 1, 2022

Contacts: Bogdan Globa, Co-Founder, QUA – LGBTQ Ukrainians in America Email: b.globa@qua.community | Cell: 347-574-1990

Queer Ukrainian Activists and Allies Organize White House Rally, Call for Full Protections for Queer Ukrainian Refugees

WASHINGTON, D.C.– This Sunday at 3pm EDT, Ukrainian queer activists and their U.S. allies will gather in front of the White House to protest Vladimir Putin’s ongoing aggression and the threat it poses to the queer movement in Ukraine. Advocates– led by QUA – LGBTQ Ukrainians in America– call for significant protections for queer refugees who are able to make it to the US– including temporary protected status– and for American and European queer advocacy organizations to use their considerable voices to raise awareness of the threat ongoing Russian violence poses to queer Ukrainians. They also urge American and European leaders to commit to long term funding to help rebuild LGBTQ+ spaces in Ukraine and to continue to counter Russian aggression with additional economic and militaristic deterrents.

“The Russian invasion of Ukraine is a queer issue. Putin’s violent and meaningless war has senselessly uprooted all Ukrainian lives. But for those who come from marginalized communities, it presents especially treacherous challenges as we are specifically targeted by Putin, forced from our safe spaces, and pushed into unpredictable refugee situations.” Said QUA co-founder Bogdan Globa. “Ukraine has made enormous progress on LGBTQ+ rights in recent years, however, as queer and other marginalized people around the world know, we face potential discrimination and danger when we enter into new and unknown surroundings.”

Ukrainians have dealt too long with Putin’s imperial ambitions and the spread of his homophobic and transphobic ideology. Eight years ago, Russia started a war against Ukraine, annexed Crimea, and effectively took over part of the Lugansk and Donetsk regions. That aggression– which went largely unanswered by Western allies– cost lives for many Ukrainians and posed a serious and urgent threat to LGBTQ and human rights in the region. The LGBTQ community in Crimea experienced particular hardship: losing access to medical treatment and finding themselves criminalized. Many gay people were tortured or ended up in psychiatric clinics.

QUA - LGBTQ Ukrainians in America– the first non-governmental organization of LGBTQ Ukrainians and their allies in the United States, will gather at the White House starting at 3pm EDT on Sunday, April 3rd in support of Ukraine and the Ukrainian LGBTQ community. Those interested in attending can find more information on Facebook (https://fb.me/e/7jWZIp2Nu).

“Over the past several weeks, Americans and the world have come to be inspired by the resilience of the Ukrainian people. Now is the time to come and call for full support and investment in the resilience of queer Ukrainians.”

About QUA - LGBTQ Ukrainians in America QUA - LGBTQ Ukrainians in America is the first non-governmental organization of LGBTQ Ukrainians and their allies in the United States. We are committed to providing assistance and support to LGBTQI+ Ukrainians living in the United States and making a fruitful contribution to the vast diversity of American society.