Local
Chaos, daily bombings: Gay man on plight of family trapped in Kyiv
Serge Duka fled Ukraine with now husband in 2013
A gay man from Ukraine who lives in D.C. with his husband says his mother-in-law remains hunkered down in her apartment in the country’s capital.
“She tells herself that everything’s fine,” Serge Duka told the Washington Blade on March 1 during a telephone interview. “That’s her way of coping with the whole situation.”
Duka, who lives in Chevy Chase, first spoke with the Blade a week after Russia began its invasion of Ukraine.
He said he and his husband wanted his mother-in-law to leave Kyiv before the war, but “a friend of a friend” convinced her to stay. Duka repeatedly stressed he didn’t think Russian President Vladimir Putin would follow through with his threat to invade Ukraine.
“She is not in particularly good health,” said Duka on March 1, again referring to his mother-in-law. “She’s almost 70 years old and we don’t want her out there. We don’t want her to leave her apartment.”
Duka on Wednesday told the Blade in a second telephone interview that his mother-in-law with whom he and his husband speak every day remains in her Kyiv apartment.
Duka said there are “buildings that are destroyed” in the area of Kyiv where his mother-in-law lives, but her building “still stands.” Duka also told the Blade that it would prove difficult for his mother-in-law to evacuate Kyiv because the situation at the city’s train station is chaotic.
“She won’t be able to wrestle her way in,” said Duka.
Duka lived in Kyiv for seven years before he and his husband moved to the U.S. at the end of 2013 and asked for asylum because of the anti-gay persecution they suffered in Ukraine. Duka is from Rivne, a city in western Ukraine that is near the country’s borders with Belarus and Poland.
Duka on March 1 said his parents go to a makeshift bomb shelter that “they basically created less than a week ago in the basement of their apartment building” several times a day.
“No one expected that,” he said. “The expectation was the war would be in the entire east side (of Ukraine) and not the west side. They go there at least three to four times a day on a daily basis because of the air raids from Belarus.”
Duka on Wednesday told the Blade his parents’ situation has not changed.
“My parents are relatively safe,” he said.
“They run to the shelter down the street four times a day,” added Duka. “It’s not getting any worse. It’s not getting any better. They’re tired, angry.”
The invasion continues to spark worldwide condemnation and sweeping sanctions against Russia, Putin and members of his inner circle.
Magomed Tushayev, a Chechen warlord who played a role in the anti-LGBTQ crackdown in his homeland, died during a skirmish with the Ukrainian military’s elite Alpha Group outside of Kyiv.
Media reports indicate Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill on Sunday categorized Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a struggle to protect two separatist regions in the eastern part of the country from “gay parades.” Russian authorities on March 5 announced they had detained Brittney Griner, a member of the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport after she allegedly had hashish oil in her luggage.
A White House official previously told the Blade the Biden administration has “engaged directly” with LGBTQ Ukrainians and other groups that Russia may target if it gains control of their country. Insight and other organizations inside Ukraine continue to raise money to support LGBTQ Ukrainians in Kyiv, Kharkiv and other cities under Russian attack. LGBTQ advocacy groups in neighboring countries and around the world have also backed these efforts.
Former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych’s decision in 2013 to reject an agreement that would have brought his country closer to the European Union sparked a protest movement that culminated with violent clashes in Kyiv’s Maidan square. Yanukovych, who was allied with Putin, resigned and fled to Russia.
“Back then Russia created a huge campaign against the European Union and one of the main talking points was the point that they called Europe Sodom,” Duka told the Blade on March 1. “The Ukrainian people were targeted with all these stories about how there was 58 genders in Europe and children will be forced to change genders … they will give your children to gay people and all sorts of crap.”
Duka also said he thinks Russia funded neo-Nazi groups in Ukraine that targeted gay people. He noted to the Blade that his now husband was an LGBTQ activist and “was targeted heavily on the internet.”
“That’s one of the reasons why we left,” said Duka.
Duka said he and his husband continue to watch the news for updates on the war.
“When I sleep, he watches the news,” he said. “When he sleeps I watch the news and we are talking to our parents and relatives.”
Duka said he and his husband also feel helpless.
“There’s basically nothing much I can do,” he said.
Duka said the U.S. government has done “everything” it can do outside of sending troops to Ukraine, which he does not support.
“If they actually start the Third World War, it will be in Ukraine,” he said.
“If Russia started to fire nuclear weapons, they’ll be dead,” added Duka, referring to his family.
This week, President Biden announced a ban on Russian oil and natural gas as part of a crippling sanctions regime now joined by many businesses, including Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. A Polish plan to deploy jet fighters to Ukraine via an air base in Germany was rejected by the United States as too risky. Amid the intense bombing of Kyiv, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has appeared defiant and even broadcast a live message from his presidential offices this week. A 40-mile Russian convoy outside the capital remains stalled amid reports of problems with fuel and mechanical breakdowns. For the latest news on the Russian invasion, please visit our website.
The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at [email protected].
Congratulations to Congresswoman Sarah McBride (D-Del.) on being honored with this year’s Stonewall Award from Whitman-Walker Health. Amy Nelson, senior director of Legal Services, said, “Congresswoman Sarah McBride is working to make healthcare accessible to all, and this award recognizes her support of healthcare as a human right. Our legal program supports families facing unprecedented challenges to stay healthy and safe – families that Congresswoman McBride champions with a deep understanding of the issues they face and the legislative expertise of how to support them.”
McBride, in a press release, said, “I am honored to accept this year’s Stonewall Award from Whitman-Walker Health — an organization that has spent 40 years doing vital work to ensure every person can access the dignity of care. In the wealthiest and most developed nation on earth, the ability to receive care should not be a matter of luck—it should be the law of the land. I am proud to be recognized as a partner in this work and to support Whitman-Walker Health in their mission to build a healthier society for all.”
Congratulations also to Wes Drummond who will join Clear Space Theatre Company in Rehoboth Beach, Del., as its third artistic director. Managing Director Joe Gfaller said, “This is an exciting moment of growth for Clear Space as we welcome Wes to join our remarkable team. I am confident he will be an excellent partner as we work with our entire staff, board, and committed team of volunteers, to ensure Clear Space can achieve its full potential in pursuit of our mission to unite and enrich our community through every production on stage, and every arts-based learning program we offer throughout our community.”
On accepting the position Drummond said, “I’m honored to join Clear Space Theatre Company as artistic director, and beyond excited for what we’re about to create together. Clear Space has established itself as a vital and vibrant part of the cultural life of coastal Delaware, and I feel incredibly fortunate to step into this next chapter alongside such a passionate and dedicated team. Rehoboth Beach is a place defined by creativity and community, and I look forward to listening, learning, and building meaningful relationships across the region in the months ahead. My vision is to help Clear Space continue to grow as a bold, forward-thinking, cultural force, that champions fearless storytelling.”
Drummond served in leadership roles at Duluth Playhouse in Duluth, Minn., from 2021 to 2026, including four years as executive director followed by one year as executive producing artistic director, guiding the organization through a period of significant transformation and stability in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a director, he has worked extensively in New York City, Chicago, and at regional theaters across the country, directing both musical theater and plays with a focus on storytelling that bridges classical works with contemporary perspectives. He has collaborated with leading figures in the industry, including Tony Award-winning director Matthew Warchus, and Tony-nominated director Michael Greif. He is an associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.
Wes earned his MFA in directing, Penn State University, where he studied under Tony-nominated director, Susan H. Schulman.
Virginia
Va. Supreme Court invalidates Democrat-backed redistricting plan
Voters narrowly approved new congressional districts last month
The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday struck down a Democrat-backed redistricting plan that voters approved last month.
Ten of 11 of Virginia’s congressional districts favor Democrats in the plan that passed by a 51-48 vote margin in last month’s referendum.
The Human Rights Campaign PAC is among the groups that support it. The court by a 4-3 majority invalidated the referendum results.
District of Columbia
Maren Morris to headline Capital Pride Concert
Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter came out as bisexual in 2024
Capital Pride Alliance, the group that organizes D.C.’s annual LGBTQ Pride events, announced on May 7 that nationally acclaimed singer-songwriter Maren Morris, who identifies as bisexual, will be the headline performer at this year’s Capital Pride Concert scheduled for June 21.
The concert takes place as part of the annual Capital Pride Festival held on Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., usually between 3rd Street near the U.S. Capitol and 9th Street.
“Morris, known for her genre-blending sound and outspoken support of LGBTQ+ rights, will be joined by a standout lineup, including acclaimed queer rapper Leikeli47, pop icon Lisa Lisa, Juno-nominated producer and DJ from the ‘Heated Rivalry’ soundtrack, Harrison, and ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Season 18 winner Myki Meeks,” according to a statement released by Capital Pride.
“In a moment when LGBTQ+ people are being challenged across the country, the Capital Pride Concert is a space where our community is fully seen and heard,” Ryan Bos, the Capital Pride Alliance CEO and president, said in the statement. “Bringing Maren Morris to the stage reflects this year’s theme: Exist, Resist, Have the Audacity,” Bos said.
The statement notes that the concert takes place as part of the annual D.C. Pride Festival, which is open to the public free of charge, with tickets available for purchase for specific areas listed as the Capital Stage Pit Zone and the VIP Concert Zone.
It says the festival takes place from 12 –10 p.m. and points out that in addition to the music performed by multiple other performers on several stages, festival attendees “can explore hundreds of exhibitors, community organizations, and artisans, along with multiple food courts and beverage gardens throughout the festival footprint.”
Information on the Capital Pride Alliance website shows that the festival takes place one day after the annual Capital Pride Parade, scheduled for June 20 and which is expected to travel from 14th and T Streets, N.W., to Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., where it is expected to end at 9th Street.
The statement adds that following the stage performances during the June 21 festival, which are expected to conclude around 8 p.m., “the celebration will continue with the Capitol Sunset Dance Party, closing out the evening against the backdrop of the U.S. Capitol.”
The online publication Today, which is part of the NBC “Today” television show, reported that Morris came out as bisexual in a 2024 during Pride. It reports Morris “shared several images of herself holding a Pride flag to mark the occasion, writing, ‘Happy to be the B in LGBTQ+’”
Comings & Goings
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Calendar: May 8-14
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