Freeze. Flight. Fight. Fawn: Queer Survival in Wartime Ukraine (DS2025)

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Lives of queer Ukrainians reshaped by war — from the frontlines to exile, rebuilding community under constant uncertainty. This talk is a mosaic of stories from queer people whose lives changed irreversibly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Some volunteered for the frontline and survived captivity, some became refugees abroad, and others chose to return home to rebuild their communities despite the danger. As the war broke out, these people suddenly found themselves in a reality where human rights no longer applied. Not only rights and dignity were now at stake, but life itself. Survival — and protecting their loved ones — once again became a daily task. The talk brings the audience close to the lives of soldiers facing homophobia even at the front, people navigating life in exile without language or networks, and those who, against all odds, return to rebuild what was lost. Through personal testimonies and fragments of interviews, it offers a rare glimpse into experiences often absent from official narratives. This presentation is part of an ongoing project that also includes a forthcoming art exhibition and documentary installation by Ukrainian queer artists, planned for next year. Speaker Loki von Dorn — journalist, queer activist, and co-founder of Kwitne Queer e.V., the first Ukrainian LGBTQ+ organisation established in Europe (Germany). Licensed to the public under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/de/ about this event: https://talks.datenspuren.de/ds25/talk/QSDCKD/