Kyiv Pride: An Unexpected Sign of Hope

Tomorrow they might be dead. They fight for LGBTQI+ rights in wartime for soldiers and civilians. Watch a unique interview with Kyiv Pride's Yuliia Shypitko. Now is their time to act.

ELEVEN AM, 24 FEBRUARY 2022

“War is back in Europe. Today we are here to say farewell to Kerstin Berglind.”

The same day Russia started its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, I sat in a church burying my mother. The shock. The grief. And the sweet scent from the flowers was suffocating. Russia's aggressive invasion added another layer. Isn't the death of a mother, the only constant in our lives, enough of a tragedy?

Immediately after the service they lowered my mother's coffin through the floor. I knew that the crematorium was in the next building.

After the service, we all gathered in a room beside the chapel. I couldn’t help wondering how long it would take for them to feed her to the fire. Had she turned into ashes by the time we had finished our sandwiches? And was the same thing happening in Ukraine right now? Living bodies of mothers, sisters, fathers, brothers, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins turning into ashes one after the other.

Finished the beer. I left my sandwich.

A few days later, packing up my mother's home, I found a big jar of coins. My mother was a midwife, passionate about her work. We had even placed her Pinard horn, a wooden instrument she used to listen to babies' heartbeats, in her coffin. I donated the coins to the children of Ukraine in her name. Somehow it eased the pain.

MARCH 2025

A few weeks ago, I saw that the Kyiv Pride March is set for June 14th. Are they organising Pride while being attacked by Russian missiles? I could not believe it.

I contacted Kyiv Pride: 'Yes, absolutely. We can't wait. Tomorrow we might all be dead.'

Their first march since the full-scale invasion in 2022 was held last summer. Around 600 people walked the 100 metres they were allowed. I obviously needed to learn more. Yuliia Shypitko, Kyiv Pride's Program Manager, agreed to an interview.

Through Yuliia Shypitko, I learned about one of the most urgent struggles right now: passing a law on civil partnerships for LGBTQI+ individuals. If a soldier dies, there is a significant risk that their partner won't have any rights to their home or shared property, especially if relatives are homophobic.

To watch the full interview, click on the picture.