More and more soldiers from the LGBT community openly talk about their orientation. And society’s attitude towards them changes. This is what fighter Oleksandr Zhuhan said in the program.
Oleksandr is gay. Immediately after the full-scale invasion, he and his boyfriend signed up for the Territorial defense of Kyiv City. An acting teacher in civilian life, he currently serves as a mortarman.
“When we were just transferred to the 206th battalion, the company commander apparently found out through “word of mouth” that there were “such guys”. He looked for all of us and said: “I already had gays in my units. I will not tolerate homophobia. Does everyone understand?” We didn’t have homophobia before, but it was cool that he said it. “When we were in the Mykolaiv region, either he or the sergeant major would periodically ask if everything was okay with us, if there was no tension in relations with other soldiers,” recalls Oleksandr.
He admits he was prepared for a different attitude in the army, but his fears were unjustified. But he adds that not all representatives of the LGBT community are so lucky. The army is a section of society. And as in society, people behave differently, he noted.
NATO V KHATU is a joint project by the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (NAKO), Ukrainian Veterans Foundation, and Censor.NET media supported by the UK Special Adviser on Defence.