Dear friends,
I began the project that became The Queer Face of War almost four years ago, weeks after Russia launched its full scale invasion of Ukraine.
Queer Ukrainians shared a lot with people I’d interviewed in other wars: They were fighting an enemy that had made homophobia part of its propaganda. They were afraid prejudice would make them unsafe if they joined the military or unwelcome in shelters if they fled the fighting. Trans people had difficulty crossing borders because of the gender marker on their documents. Same-sex couples couldn’t protect their families because they were not allowed to marry.
But unlike people I’d interviewed from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, the Ukrainians I met wanted their pictures taken so that the world would know their stories. I’m thrilled that audiences in the US, UK, and the rest of the world will finally be able to see them when The Queer Face of War is released worldwide on February 3.
I'm proud of this book—and humbled that the people in it trusted me with their stories.
I'm also aware that it arrives at a precarious moment. The war is grinding into its fourth year. Russia’s hitting Ukraine harder than ever while international attention has drifted. Support for Ukraine’s war effort and civil society—including the LGBTQ+ organizations I partnered with—is declining. The people in these pages are still in danger, and their stories matter more now than when I first heard them.
Three things you can do:
If you're in Washington, DC, please join me at Politics and Prose’s Wharf location on February 6 at 7:00 PM for my first book reading. I’ll be in conversation with Chris Geidner, publisher and author of Law Dork to discuss homophobia and the global assault on democracy. More details are on P&P’s website.
Help spread the word. If you're on social media, a post about the book—or even just sharing one of mine—makes a real difference. I'll be posting throughout launch week and beyond and would be grateful for any signal boost.
Order the book. Readers in the US can order it directly from me here, or from Amazon and other booksellers anywhere in the world.
Thank you for following this project over the years. Getting it into the world is just the beginning of something, not the end.
With gratitude,
Lester
Donations help me continue sharing these stories, including exhibitions in the works in Kyiv, Berlin, and New York. A portion of funds raised support aid to women and LGBTQ+ people in Ukraine.