PRIDE IS NOT AVAILABLE IN YOUR REGION describes the life of Ukrainian queer people during the war. It shows how we are fighting for our freedom.
PRIDE IS NOT AVAILABLE IN YOUR REGION is created by UKRAINEPRIDE NGO, a pro-patriotic queer movement aimed at the protection and education of Ukrainian cultural self-identification.
As part of Kyiv’s active queer community my first interaction with UKRAINEPRIDE was through their rave protest REYVAKH PRIDE, the first ever Rave Pride near The Office of the President. Dancing for six hours in protest against LGBTQ+ hate crimes, the country’s lack of anti-discrimination policies, and increased policing in districts with safe spaces for queer youth.
“The government's inaction on violence unites us in a common desire for the rule of human rights and freedoms. Deprived of the protection of the state, we use the only effective tool of direct democracy left to us - protest. And our protest will be loud and noticeable."
The protest party called for:
• The adoption of Bill # 5488 “On Amendments to the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses and the Criminal Code of Ukraine on Combating Discrimination”
• Reforms of the police, prosecutor's office, and judiciary.
• Immediate investigation of radical attacks on LGBT+ people and feminist events, activists, and organizations.
• Investigation of illegal raids on the techno scene of the capital and brutal illegal detentions of cultural figures.
• Creating safe and favorable conditions for the development of the electronic scene in Ukraine.
I worked with UKRAINEPRIDE as their Manager Strategic Partnerships for one year. I was to help develop future queer rave protests and rallies in different cities but unfortunately Russia’s full scale invasion made it impossible. I connected UKRAINEPRIDE with international partners and organizations, and contributed to creative projects such as PRIDE IS NOT AVAILABLE IN YOUR REGION.
Featured in MoMA Magazine:
“Now in its fifth month, Russia’s [full scale] invasion of Ukraine has precipitated Europe’s largest humanitarian crisis since World War II, creating reverberations felt around the world. But the war poses special risks and challenges to members of Ukraine’s LGBTQ+ community, who have had to contend not only with bombs and bullets but with Russia’s anti-gay policies and propaganda, as well as the homophobia of their own society….” Read more →