Ukrainian LGBTQ refugees share tales of support & discrimination in Poland

Queer Mai Festival 2018, LGBTQI culture in Kraków, March of Equality on May 19, 2018
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Russia’s unprecedented invasion of Ukraine has resulted in Europe’s largest refugee crisis since World War II. More than 2 million people have entered Poland from Ukraine seeking safe harbor since the war began.

Leaving their homes under the sounds of air sirens to embark on an often days-long journey across Europe is deeply traumatic for all Ukrainian refugees. For members of Ukraine’s LGBTQ community fleeing the war, the homophobic environment in Poland can present new challenges.

Homosexuality is legal in Poland, but the nation has been consistently ranked as the most homophobic country in the European Union. More than 100 municipalities, a third of the country, have adopted so-called ‘LGBT-free zones’ that declare they are free from aspects of LGBTQ ideology.

Most concerning for Ukrainian LGBTQ refugees, these regions are predominantly…

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