Ukraine
Ukraine is currently fighting a war against Russia in order to maintain their freedoms and democracy. Ukrainians are not only fighting for their country, but also fighting to protect all Ukrainians, including the LGBTQ+ population. Historically, Ukrainians were against LGBTQ+ rights. This war, however, changed that. LGBTQ+ people were accepted and integrated into the Ukrainian armed forces. All the while, the government introduced a proposal to recognize same-sex partnerships. Ukraine is making strides to change policies in order to obtain European Union and NATO membership. For Ukraine to acquire such positions, it must enact and enforce democratic values, such as those Ukrainian LGBTQ+ people are currently fighting for.
Ukrainians aren’t just fighting a conventional war against Russia. They are also fighting various ideological wars against them too. From defending democracy and democratic values, to protecting and expanding the rights of minorities, Ukraine wants the world to know that they are nothing like their hostile neighbor. It allows them to differentiate themselves from Russians, who are hostile toward LGBTQ+ people and other minority groups.
The Russian Federation
In recent years the Russian government has continued to restrict LGBTQ+ rights within the Russian Federation. In December 2022, the Russian parliament extended a law that outlawed homosexual content and education. They consider the content “gay propaganda” and it includes any mention or promotion of homosexuality in numerous media sources such as online material, films and video’s, and books. The Russian government does not interfere if one of their republics takes a proactive stance against LGBTQ+ rights and culture.
In the documentary Welcome to Chechnya, the Russian LGBT Network reported that LGBT people were being tortured, electrocuted, raped, assaulted, and even murdered since 2017 in Chechnya just for being members of the LGBTQ+ community. Ukrainian LGBTQ+ members in the Russian occupied areas of Ukraine have seen an increased rate of discrimination by their Russian occupiers. The war in Ukraine forced members of the LGBTQ+ to flee to bordering nations. Most of which are hostile toward LGBT people, like Belarus, Poland, and Hungary.
Tony Wesolowsky also reported that Russia’s dis- and misinformation campaigns, as well as meddling in the political affairs of other nations, contributed to an increase in anti-LGBT sentiment in Western countries. In fact, Vladimir Putin’s justification for the invasion of Ukraine his argument of the West influenced Ukraine that led “to degradation and degeneration, because they are contrary to human nature.” He was referring to the societal acceptance of LGBTQ+ people in the West, something Ukraine was slowly leaning toward. Their goal isn’t necessarily to promote their own agenda, although it might intertwine with their long-term political objectives. Rather, the Vladimir Putin wants to divide countries on cultural and societal issues like LGBTQ+ rights. Doing so would distract these countries with domestic issues from the war in Ukraine.