Freeze, Flight, Fight, Fawn - Queer Survival in Wartime Ukraine

Explore the profound impact of war on queer Ukrainian lives through this 22-minute conference talk that weaves together personal testimonies from LGBTQ+ individuals whose realities were forever altered by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Discover how queer Ukrainians navigated survival through four distinct responses - freeze, flight, fight, and fawn - as they faced unprecedented challenges ranging from frontline military service to exile and community rebuilding. Learn about soldiers confronting homophobia even while defending their country, refugees struggling to establish new lives abroad without language skills or support networks, and activists who courageously returned home to reconstruct their communities despite ongoing danger. Gain insight into experiences rarely featured in mainstream war narratives through fragments of interviews and personal accounts that reveal how human rights and dignity became secondary to basic survival. Understand the broader context of this ongoing documentation project, which extends beyond this presentation to include planned art exhibitions and documentary installations by Ukrainian queer artists, offering a comprehensive examination of LGBTQ+ resilience during wartime.