The Queer Propaganda Fest festival will be held despite the war and the coincidence of dates with the Holodomor Remembrance Day
The non-governmental organization “KyivPride” announced the holding of the charitable educational festival “Queer Propaganda Fest” on November 23-24, despite the war, the dates coincided with the Holodomor Memorial Day, which is celebrated on the fourth Saturday of November. The organizers are on their Facebook page stated, that the event will not be postponed, although it caused public outrage.
In their post, the organizers of the festival noted that, when planning the event, they did not take into account the memorable dates.
“We would not do so now, but the events will take place on the specified dates with respect for the commemoration traditions. The detailed schedule will soon be published on the page“, the message states.
The organizers also promised that the participants of the festival will join the moment of silence and the action “Light a candle of memory” to honor the victims of the genocide.
“We are the LGBTQ+ community and Ukrainian at the same time — both of these identities are important to us“, the representatives of “KyivPride” emphasized.
The festival is not an entertainment event, but an educational one. It will take place in the format of a lecture, and is aimed at enlightening the LGBTQ+ community. Also, during the event, they plan to collect funds for FPV, electronic equipment and medicines for the Armed Forces.
As for the name of the festival, which also drew criticism, organizers explained that “Queer Propaganda” is an ironic response to accusations that it “promotes” the LGBTQ+ identity. They added that the word “propaganda” has recently been given new meanings, especially in the context of Russian disinformation.
