I was saddened to learn of the death of Marlen Scandal shortly before The Queer Face of War was published. Marlen was a veteran, an activist in two revolutions, and a drag performer who carried Ukraine’s story across the world. 🕯️

Nazi Germany sent 15,000 queer men to concentration camps. Not one told their story publicly until nearly 30 years after Hitler’s death. Here’s why that silence — and one man’s decision to break it — matters for my book cover. 🧵

When BuzzFeed News hired me as a global queer rights correspondent in 2013, my first assignment took me to Kyiv, where I wrote about how Russia was trying to scare Ukrainians away from alliances with western democracy with slogans like “Association with the EU equals same-sex marriage.”

Thanks so much @miriamelder.bsky.social for launching me down this path!

I am thrilled to share some exciting news: I’ve just published my first book, The Queer Face of War: Portraits and Stories from Ukraine, which is now on sale in the EU. This project is the culmination of my journey as a journalist, activist, and photographer over the past 13 years.

Thrilled to share I’ve received an Excellence in Journalism Award from @nlgja for my @nytimes essay adapted from The Queer Face of War. www.nytimes.com/2024/03/15/o... 📖 The book version of The Queer Face of War is coming soon. Stay tuned!

For @businessinsider.com, I wrote about why I'm worried Millenials like me won't be able to achieve a secure #retirement. Retirement planning assume the economy will grow as it has over the past decades, but the future seems riskier than ever. www.businessinsider.com/rise-of-mill...

Historic warrants announced today seeking the arrest of top #Taliban leaders for persecuting women and #LGBTQ people #ICC www.icc-cpi.int/news/stateme...

Oddly relevant in today's climate.

Kyiv Pride was supposed to hold an event yesterday in Kyiv, but were forced to cancel when protestors attempted to break through a cordon of police with smoke grenades and firecrackers. #LGBT #Ukraine #pride www.instagram.com/p/DDW8p1TIP1...

Earlier this year, I wrote that a raid on a drag bar in a remote Russian region could start mass repression of queer ppl nationwide under a new policy threatening queer ppl w sentences up to 10 years in prison. Now there are mass raids in Moscow nightclubs. www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/11/30/m...

Snuggle Saturday #dogs

Were you a fan of BuzzFeed News? (Or did you work at BuzzFeed News?) If so, you're in luck — I made a starter pack of former BFN people: go.bsky.app/MaKxkfL