Celebrating Ukraine’s Independence

On August 23, Project Kesher Israel hosted a special gathering at the Ramat Gan LGBTQ+ Center marking Ukrainian Independence Day, featuring Zorian Kis, First Secretary of the Embassy of Ukraine in Israel and Ukraine’s first openly gay diplomat.

Zorian spoke openly about his journey, LGBTQ+ and civic activism, the war in Ukraine, and the experience of representing his country as an openly queer person. The conversation also highlighted the longstanding partnership between Ukraine’s feminist and LGBTQ+ movements, an especially meaningful connection for PKI community members.

The evening created a warm space for participants to share experiences and memories of Ukraine, migration, identity, and activism, while opening the door to future collaborations, including a film discussion and an initiative to preserve and share Ukrainian-language queer literature in Israel.