The war of the opposites within the single society: How the Ukrainian society and the army torn apart by the LGBT community and the neo-Nazis
By: Contribution for Syrializm
Perhaps US President Donald Trump might reconsider his view of the Ukrainians, which he will reject provide any further support for them period, as we are on the cusp of negotiations to end the war, if he reads this article and the reports and links it contains. The US president, who opposes homosexuality in American society and advocates for a return to religious and traditional values, is facing two challenges in the eyes of the Ukrainians:
- The first is the homosexual community, which is wide spreading in Ukraine – which is of course a product of Western liberalism, and fighting it means standing against Europe, as the current European political systems support such freedoms, if we can call such narratives a freedom.
- The second is neo-Nazism in Ukraine, which, of course, would be considered anti-Semitism to stand by and support.
So, what can Trump do when he deals with a Ukrainian president who is Jewish, a former comedian, surrounded by Nazis and homosexuals, who, incidentally, support him and keep him in power?
How to support a homosexual and anti-Semite society?
Unfortunately, Ukrainian society has largely become similar to other European societies, in terms of clear contradiction between European liberal groups on the one hand and the far-right and neo-Nazi groups on the other.
Most Eastern European societies were historically known as peoples who valued their country’s customs, traditions, religious values, and morals. This was until liberal and permissive ideas invaded their homeland from Western societies, specifically Western European countries, for whom religion had become a mere slogan devoid of any substance. On the contrary, today, any objective observer of the reality of European societies can observe the disintegrating state of affairs in which these societies find themselves.
Naturally, when prosperity and financial abundance prevail, a large portion of these societies begin to turn toward decadence and values alien to the nature created by God. With the spread and growing presence of the gay community in Europe, even the political and sovereign decisions of these countries are now run by members of that community. Why not? Homosexuals today constitute a powerful lobby with a clear influence even on political decision making, as a decent number of political figures holding important positions in a number of European countries belong to the gay community.
A War Within a War
It is clear that the West, represented by the European Union countries and the United States during the Joe Biden administration, has not only provided material support, weapons, and even sent volunteers to fight alongside Ukrainian forces since the beginning of the war on February 22, 2022. Rather, it has gone beyond that to penetrate and influence Ukrainian society itself by supporting certain trends and groups generally associated with Western liberals, in which the issue of LGBTQ people is one of its most important pillars, and has even become a red line on par confronting anti-Semitism.
Europeans, along with their counterparts in Kyiv, have made significant efforts to bring about change within the cultural and societal framework in Ukraine. They know that exploiting the circumstances of war against societies already experiencing war, which are weaker than others to resist such intervention, and the reality of the other opposition represented by neo-Nazism and the Ukrainian far right to turn the narrative of “one homogeneous Ukrainian society facing war” is not true and far from reality.
Since social media represents one of the most powerful tools for influencing societies in this era, the Ukrainian gay community has been at the forefront of its efforts to project a certain image of Ukraine that satisfies Western liberalism in Europe and the United States. Volodymyr Zalensky has exploited this as a tool of persuasion, constantly using it to garner Western sympathy and demand more and more aid and support.
In Ukraine, there are public organizations and communities that have an impact on local Ukrainian public opinion, which is itself torn between two different behaviors and approaches. For example, with the continuation of the war, LGBT groups, which have been part of the Ukrainian forces that have been fighting for three years, and many of whom have fallen, have become among the most vulnerable groups in the Ukrainian army, as they facing violence and discrimination from the neo-Nazis and the far right. Therefore, it was necessary to have organizations and communities whose role was to influence public opinion, to help LGBT groups.
Based on the number of these communities’ members, it can be assumed that the number of LGBT representatives and activists defending their rights in the Ukrainian army is at least 7,000. However, given that belonging to a non-traditional orientation in Ukraine remains highly controversial in society and sometimes leads to violence, there are perceptions that the number of representatives of this movement is much higher for the simple reason that not everyone dares to reveal their true orientation.
As a result of this stark contrast between right-wing and neo-Nazism on the one hand, and homosexuals on the other, there are regular instances of violence and discrimination against members of the gay movement. In one instance, a commander of the so-called Foreign Legion was punished and demoted for being accused of “discrimination” against a homosexual member.
However, just as punishment is often imposed, there are also instances where the opposite occurs: commanders or soldiers publicly subject their LGBT colleagues to psychological and physical violence. One such recent story is of a gay soldier being beaten and humiliated by other soldiers. A video circulated on Ukrainian social media a few months ago (the video might not be suitable for certain viewers).
According to colleagues of the gay soldier seen in the video, Nikolai V. who is from the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK), a military unit comprising former Russian citizens who came to Ukraine to fight against Russia.
As is obvious in this incident and others similar, Nikolai’s fate is unknown as on January, he quarreled with the soldiers of the 3rd separate assault Brigade in the Ukrainian army, which is the backbone of the 3rd OSBR is the representatives of the Azov regiment
Azov fighters found out about Nikolai’s unconventional orientation, and as a result of a verbal altercation and beating, three Ukrainian soldiers pushed him into a minibus and drove away to unknown location.
To emphasize that these incidents are not, of course, related to the war, there were many incidents that occurred before the war.
On September 28, 2019 a group of radicals attacked Joint Forces Veteran Vasyl Davydenko, who had recently come out about his orientation. A group of “Radicals” as he described them, said to him: “you thought thar we wouldn’t find out where you live, Mr. @#$%”. Later they beat him in the groin, the head, then kicked him. They were five according to him.
Therefore, it becomes clear that the issue has nothing to do with war, but rather a matter of conflict between two opposites within a “single” society, which is logically supposed to be this way, all differences, whatever they may be must put aside when confronting major crises. However, the reality is the opposite. Therefore, any attempts by some to portray Ukrainian society as a unified society, whether based on social differences, ethnic or national affiliations, or otherwise, are an illusion and far removed from reality.
What is the position of the Ukrainian far right, and how does it deal with homosexuals?
The presence of the far right, including neo-Nazi leaders, spearheads the radical far-right ideology and presence in Ukrainian society. Its influence within decision-making circles has grown significantly over the past decade, becoming a fundamental part of the Ukrainian political system and even a core component of the Ukrainian armed forces.
The Maidan events of 2013-2014 marked a turning point in the emergence of the far-right Nazi wing in Ukraine, which now has a big share of controls power in the country.
However, the strange contradiction we witness in the form of the Ukrainian political and military leadership is astonishing to observers.
On the one hand, the country is headed by Volodymyr Zelensky, who comes from a Jewish family and was not part of the country’s political elite. He was a comedian who grew up in a Russian-speaking environment. His grandfather, Semyon Zelensky, was a soldier in the Soviet Red Army, which fought the Nazis when the Ukrainian regions of the Soviet Union were occupied during World War II. He himself spoke Russian all his life, and suddenly became hostile to everything Russian as soon as he came to power, that is before the war. He is surrounded by Nazis, and at the same time he was called upon to grant rights to the LGBT community and to adopt liberal ideas that would please the European countries that continue to support him. These same European regimes are fighting the spread of the far right in Europe, while ignoring the influence and presence of the far right and neo-Nazism in the Ukrainian political and military scene.
Here we find a strange and astonishing contradiction: a Ukrainian president, Jewish, raised in a Russian-speaking society, working in show business, supported by “anti-Semitic” Nazis, is called upon to support the gay community and promote liberal narratives to please Europeans, which themselves are fighting right-wing extremism in their own countries! What the F is that?
At a time when the country is torn apart by corruption, extremism, moral and intellectual decay, the Azovs, as well as far-right parties, Kraken forces, and other right-wing groups, all of which enjoy a high level of power in Ukrainian society, are embracing an extremist ideology. At a time when Ukraine as a whole claim to be moving towards a “free European future,” representatives of Ukrainian radical forces openly declare their hatred of foreigners of certain kind, anti-Russian, anti-Semitism, and of course, hostility towards LGBT community, especially within political circles and the armed forces.
For example, the platforms of right-wing political parties such as the National Legion (the political wing of the Azov Party) and Right Sector include provisions banning the LGBT community. In the years preceding the war, representatives of these extremist organizations disrupted LGBT community events in various regions of Ukraine.
Thus, all that reveals the extent of the problem within the structure of Ukrainian society, which alone is sufficient to transform the country into a hotbed of threat to all of Europe.
How the Western Media Addressed the Issue of Homosexuality in the Ukrainian Military and Society
Since the beginning of the war, Western media has been one of Ukraine’s most important shields of support and protection against Russia. After all Russian-language websites and media outlets in Ukraine and Europe were silenced and blocked, Western sources of information have become largely one-sided. However, thorny issues, such as corruption and, more recently, the desertion scandals in Ukraine, not to mention the Ukrainian casualties that have increased over the past year, have become issues that Western media could not be able ignore after the issue become a big elephant in a small room.
In the fall of 2022, France 24 reported on the conditions of gay soldiers in the Ukrainian army and their efforts to ensure they enjoy equal rights with other soldiers. The report also highlighted several cases in which same-sex couples were not allowed to visit hospitals or receive the bodies of their “spouses”.
The report also mentioned an online petition seeking to change this situation to ensure “all those fighting for Ukraine enjoy the same rights”.
A petition to legalize same-sex marriage in Ukraine has gathered more than 25,000 signatures in just six days, demonstrating the massive transformation that has taken place within Ukrainian society.
From this perspective, the issue of LGBTQ+ people in Ukraine has become one of the most important topics that Western media outlets have been competing to discuss, each according to their own perspective and sources of information. The result is a large basket filled with material that will surely delight Donald Trump when he sees it.
In August 2022, Voice of America published a report on gay soldiers in the Ukrainian army and their stories during the war with Russia. They say they are fighting not only for Ukraine, but also for equal rights!
On June 16, 2024, the Associated Press published footage of Ukrainian soldiers and their supporters marching through central Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, demanding greater rights and highlighting their service to their country in the war with Russia. The soldiers at the march wore rainbow and unicorn patches on their uniforms, while even the insignia of some Ukrainian army units now bear familiar LGBT symbols.
And because media frenzy is like the dominoes effect, the BBC followed the Associated Press’ lead and published a report on June 24, 2024, discussing the dramatic shift in attitudes toward LGBT rights over the past decade with Ukraine embracing European values, even as many still hold socially conservative, even homophobic views. The report also spoke of gay soldiers in Ukraine being subjected to bullying and harassment within their units.
In the end, after watching this media circus, we realize the magnitude of the problem and the level of the crisis raging within Ukrainian society. It seems that the issue of the war with Russia is in fact the least important issue, as the magnitude of the major problems that are tearing Ukrainian society apart, from corruption, Nazi extremism, homosexuals, the weakness of the ruling class, and many other serious problems and issues, shows us that what the Russian war in Ukraine did is expose the extent of the hushed-up crises in Ukraine, any one of which, or all of them combined caused the collapse of an entire societies and countries without being subjected to wars.
So, logically speaking: If Russia was indeed the one seeking war with Ukraine, as it is accused of, it would have been enough for it to stand by and watch a Ukrainian society filled with crises, problems, and contradictions, collapse by itself, without Russia shot a single bullet!
As conservative and extremist ideas continue to dominate Ukraine, the issue of discrimination in general, and particularly against the LGBT community is present in times of peace and war. However, in times of war, there is absolute freedom in the form and method of violence against everything that is different. Perhaps, from this perspective, a gay soldier in the Ukrainian forces should watch his back before thinking about the “Russian threat coming from his/her front”.
On the contrary, the real threat is actually coming from behind, which is more severe and more deadly.
