Is it true that Ukraine will send Gay Batalion to the Donbass?

In March 2021, reports appeared on the Internet that the Armed Forces of Ukraine were recruiting a unit from representatives of LGBT to participate in hostilities in the east of the country. We checked whether this is really so.

The first publications on the creation of a “gay-battalion” in the Armed Forces of Ukraine (Armed Forces) began to appear on March 7, 2021. The Crimean division "RIA Novosti" released note Under the heading “to the front line: Ukraine plans to send the Gay Batalion of the Armed Forces to Donbass.” On the same day "Moscow Komsomolets" reportedthat "in the Armed Forces of Ukraine intends to form a platoon from representatives of non -traditional sexual orientation in one of the motorized rifle parts." Later, the news began to comment on Russian officials. So, the leader of the Fair Russia faction in the State Duma Sergey Mironov wrote On Twitter: “Ukraine was going to send the APU gay-battalion to the Donbass. Apparently, these are the latest supporters of European non -treatment who are ready to fight for Ukraine. ” Supported by a colleague and deputy Vitaliy Milonov, who He called it The news is ridiculous and added that "this reflects the essence of the Ukrainian army."

The media who reported this news refer to publicationDisked on March 6, 2021 in the Ukrainian group "Military LGBT and our allies" on Facebook. This community is the official page of the same name organizationscreated in 2018. In the same year, the column, consisting of community members, took part in the marsh of equality as part of the Kyiv Pride. In addition, they show activity in the media space: shoot videos and participate In Ukrainian television programs. On Official website The organization reports that its goal is “equality for LGBT+ communities, the right to marriage, family and lack of discrimination ... for all minorities and groups of law -abiding citizens of Ukraine without exception”. At the same time, the audience of the community is relatively small - the number of subscribers of the official group “Military LGBT and our allies” on Facebook is a little more than 1000 people.

Although RIA Novosti and the Moscow Komsomolets refer to this publication, their messages are noticeably different from the contents of the post. So, a note "RIA Novosti" It begins According to “In the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a set of motorized rifle units has been declared in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, where a platoon from representatives of the LGBT community will be formed.” The conclusion that the initiative comes directly from the Armed Forces of Ukraine can also be made by heading "Moscow Komsomolets." 

Unlike such headings and comments of high -ranking Russian officials, the original publication is not about the battalion, but about the platoon. Activists invite the military and specialists relating to LGBT, as well as the heterosexual supporting them to “sign a contract with one of the motorized infantry units of the Armed Forces”, and after undergoing an interview and training, a platoon will “complete the task on the contact line”. LGBT organization guarantees confidentiality, and those who are interested invite you to write to the groups of the group on Facebook. In response, the administrators will present the necessary information and a list of specialties by which you can submit an application. The organization "Military LGBT and our allies" separately emphasizes that it was not originally planning to make a set of people who want to open.

Despite the headlines of some Russian media, connecting the initiative with the leadership of the Armed Forces, the military refuted this connection. On March 7, a representative of the Ukrainian General Staff Bogdan Sienek reportedWhat is the news of the Akhinea, which is distributed "with the aim of discrediting the Ukrainian army and the Armed Forces." Senyk supported the version that previously spread that the Union of Military LGBT and our allies is associated with the Kremlin - the organization “Union of War Veterans with Russia” made such a conclusion. This assumption is based solely on the fact that the website of LGBT organization was posted on Russian servers. The supporters of this version did not provide other evidence. Activists of this information refuted, and on March 9, a post was published in which Tied These accusations with the upcoming elections to the Public Council under the Ministry of Veterans.

Thus, the Ukrainian military related to LGBT was really proposed to be part of one of the units. But that it will be created specifically and it will consist exclusively of representatives of sexual minorities is not reported in the call. There is no evidence that we are talking about the battalion - the news source refers to the formation of a platoon. It was also not incorrect to connect this proposal to the leadership of the Armed Forces - the command has refuted this information, it was not possible to find official documents on the creation of such a unit. In fact, the initiative comes from a relatively small public association, and it is not known whether the appeal of this community will come true in the emergence of a real unit. Perhaps we are talking about an already existing platoon, whose leadership is known to members of the community as LGBT Frendles.

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What do our verdicts mean?

Read on the topic:

1. lgbtmilitary.org.ua
2. https://novyny.24tv.ua/en/lgbt-podrazdolenija-vsu-rezkaja-reakcija-novosti-rossi-i-ukrainy_n1562172