June 22, 2022

Originally published by Rolling Stone, June 22, 2022. Russian bombs brought Stepan and Maxim together. Now Russian bombs have driven them apart. The men, now both in their early thirties, were living almost 20 miles apart in the eastern Ukrainian region called the Donbas, where Russian-backed separatists went to war in 2014. They likely would […]

Trans People Leaving Ukraine Face Danger and Transphobia. This Organization Is a Safe Haven.

June 1, 2022

LGBTQ, Refugee Rights, Transgender Rights

Originally published by Teen Vogue, June 1, 2022. Olha Poliakova first realized something was wrong at 5:20 a.m. when her cat leapt from his usual sleeping spot on her shoulder. As Poliakova entered consciousness, she was vaguely aware of a loud boom outside. She thought a truck driver had taken a shortcut through her neighborhood. […]

“People Are Not Coming Back to the Closet”: The Fight for Ukraine Is Also a Fight for LGBTQ Rights

March 4, 2022

LGBTQ

Vladimir Putin’s assault on LGBTQ rights made him a hero to the global far right and a pariah in Ukraine. As the invasion enters its second week, queer Ukrainians are fighting back. Portrait of Olena Shevchenko, courtesy of Olena Shevchenko. Posted originally in Vanity Fair, March 4, 2022. On the seventh day of the war, Olena […]

J. Lester Feder

Journalist and photographer

Gay Couple Struggles to Stay Together as War in Ukraine Rages On

Trans People Leaving Ukraine Face Danger and Transphobia. This Organization Is a Safe Haven.

“People Are Not Coming Back to the Closet”: The Fight for Ukraine Is Also a Fight for LGBTQ Rights

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Geography