In the spring of 2021, I was walking around the streets of Kyiv and realized that graffiti was a form of communication between me and the city.
It’s like a subconsciousness of the city.
And at a time I didn't like what Kyiv was telling me and I didn’t feel that it was talking to people like me.
So I invited a few friends to write on the walls at night.
A community started forming around us, people from Ukraine and other countries were sending us words of solidarity and support.
Rebel Queers was more like a movement, anyone could join by buying spray paint and starting to write queer slogans in their city. Our protest was directed against transphobia, queerphobia, etc. But first and foremost, it wasn’t against something but rather in honor of queer people.
Rebel Queers was not only about graffiti, our aim was to unite and mutually support the queer community of Kyiv.
Some of the members of our community evacuated and are currently abroad and they continue protesting and keep being active.
It is important for us to state clearly that “none of us are free until all of us are free,”therefore, in our activism we express transnational solidarity.
As an outgrowth of Rebel Queers, we have set up United Action, a group that speaks out against the “western” tendency to gatekeep victimhood and solidarity.
While there is so much suffering and injustice in the world, the only ethical response to it would be uniting and acting against the injustice. Standing in solidarity with the oppressed, we must build strong communities and fight alongside. Our oppressors are cooperating and we should as well.