Queering the Ukrainian Diaspora: The Experiences of LGBTQI Ukrainian Migrants Following Russia's Full-scale Invasion

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This article offers a sociological exploration of the experiences of LGBTQI Ukrainian migrants in queering the Ukrainian diaspora following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Employing Vertovec's (1997) conceptualization of diaspora as both a social form and a type of consciousness, a study was conducted involving twelve in-depth, semi-structured interviews with LGBTQI Ukrainian migrants to examine their engagements with Ukrainian diasporic communities and spaces, as well as their embodiment of diasporic consciousness. Next, the study analyzed how their LGBTQI identities influenced these engagements and whether their experiences can be considered a successful queering of the diaspora. The findings revealed that participants frequently encountered challenges in queering the diaspora as a social form, referring to the creation of queer spaces within, or outside of, the established ethno-cultural diasporic communities, due to the invisibility and underrepresentation of LGBTQI identities within these spaces. However, participants exhibited a distinctly queer diasporic consciousness, characterized by a positive identification with their homeland that was shaped by both their ethno-cultural and sexual/gender identities. In this regard, this article enhances academic understanding of the experiences of LGBTQI Ukrainians, a largely understudied group, and highlights a greater diversity in how LGBTQI migrants may engage with, and queer, diasporas. It argues that diasporas may be queered not only through the creation of physical queer spaces but also through the integration of intersectional identities that shape mental states of belonging.