Despite war, Pride persists in Ukraine’s second city Kharkiv

What lies northeast of Ukraine, just 18 miles from the Russian border, is in the city of Kharkiv’s proud city.

Since President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the country’s second-largest city has destroyed more than 8,000 buildings, including schools and homes, and thousands have been killed and injured, while thousands have fled westwards and fled westwards.

But despite the ongoing war, destruction, uncertainty and pride,

When the conflict began, Kalkiv was quickly identified as one of Russia’s main targets, given its proximity to borders, history and infrastructure.

Traditionally a Russian-speaking city, Kalkiv is the main center of the Russian Empire and once served as the capital of Soviet Ukraine between 1919 and 1934.

Today, the city is Industry, Science and Culture Hub There are many different homes and research institutes of several top universities and research institutes. Industrial companies It employs thousands of people across the chemicals, power generation, fuel and food sector.

The broader areas of the city and the Kalkiv farms It’s becoming more and more well-known It has the largest natural gas reserves in Ukraine for agricultural production, making an incredible contribution to Ukraine’s economy.

Capturing Kalkiv, home to 1.4 million people before the conflict begins, will be both a strategic and symbolic victory for Putin.

When the Russian troops crossed the border in February, when they proceeded towards Kharkiv, they acquired several towns and villages throughout the village of Kharkiv, but were unable to go to the city.

In the early days of the war, Kalkiv was one of several cities declared as a powerful symbol of Ukraine’s resistance Ukrainian Hero City President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Despite Kalkiv remains firmly in Ukraine’s control, the city is being continuously bombarded with artillery, with residents trying to live their daily lives amid air sirens, blackouts and ruins.

For LGBTQ+ people living in Kharkiv, there is a further dimension to the fear that residents feel in the prospect of a city falling into Putin: Russia’s deep, eccentric national policy.

“That’s my biggest fear,” Anna Sharyhina, co-organizer of Kharkivpride and president of the Sphere Womens Association, told Pinknake when asked about the list of LGBTQ+ activists.

“For example, I have a colleague from LGBT+Military Who was held captive for 20 months? In that case, I don’t know what to do, it scares me so much. When I think about it, I feel frozen. ”

Over the past decade, the Russian government has not completely criminalised homosexuality – has implemented several laws that have almost erode the rights of completely eroding LGBTQ+ rights in the country, including completely suppressing the gender of trans people, stop adoption to countries with trans-friendly policies, and stop labeling of LGBTQ+ activities.

In 2023, the Russian Supreme Court said that the “international LGBT movement” (a common descriptor of LGBTQ+ activism rather than a specific organization) used “signs and symptoms” of the “radical nature” that it describes as “inciting social and religious inconsistencies.”

The crackdown on members of the LGBTQ+ community has forced a man fined for jokes that launched the LGBTQ+ movement, queer bar staff and more than 50 clubs who were jailed and more than 50 clubs detained on club nights, forcing them to remove comprehensive content, children’s comics. My little pony Gay students labelled as over 18 years old were expelled from the university to post makeup videos and were banned from Russia for eroding “traditional spiritual and moral values.”

People accused of being involved in the LGBTQ+ community are reportedly being detained in abhorrent situations and will die in custody.

Sharihina admitted that she was trying not to think about the threat she was facing from Russia, and instead focused her work on both her community, LGBTQ+ and Ukrainians.

“We’ll continue to fight, and even if I burn out,” she said.

“The only way I have is to fight. I’m really tired, but Ukraine, it’s my home and really need our country [be its own]we are not Russian, so we are not Russian. ”

“Our partner advised us to go to other cities from Kalkiv,” she said. “But we’re staying here and continuing our work.”

“It was important to continue our fight.”

When the war came, Kharkivpride, which began in 2019, was unable to carry out its normal activities.

However, months after the invasion, the pride organization instead retained MetroPlaid, where LGBTQ+ people marched in a strong and reorganized urban subway.

In the early days of the disastrous conflict, that pride was still in the public eye in the early days of the conflict, and Sharihina explained, “it’s really important that we continue our fight and be visible in such circumstances.”

She told PinkNews first that the LGBTQ+ community had focused on silencing the fight for equal rights when the invasion occurred, and instead ensuring Ukraine’s independence. However, after being accused in a particular quarter that they were not fighting for Ukraine, Sharihina concluded that LGBTQ+ people “cannot be silent again.”

This year’s Kharkivpride celebration will be held “together for equality and victory” between August 30th and September 6th.

The group will hold PrideFest on August 30th and 31st, marking the anniversary of Fallen LGBTQ+ military personnel on September 5th, and conclude with AutoPride on September 6th.

It’s been more than half a decade since the first Kharkivpride, when the group “gathered people from scratch” because the queer community was not publicly active. Organizers continue to mobilize the community.

“Our community centres are a safe space for LGBT people. When people come to the community centre, they can feel free, be themselves and be proud of it. They don’t scare them to come out.

“When you have a place and know people like you (gay, weird or trans people), you can feel yourself,” Sharihina said.

“Then they’re ready to say something about their rights, so they’re proud.”