Ukrainian LGBTQ+ community featured in new war‑time photobook

Photographer J Lester Feder has released a new photobook, *The Strange Face of War*, documenting the experiences of LGBTQ+ Ukrainians during the Russian invasion. The book combines intimate portraits and personal stories collected through interviews conducted for the OutRight charity, highlighting how queer citizens have contributed to democratic resistance and sought visibility amid conflict.

Feder notes that many participants willingly posed for photos, a contrast to other war zones, and that the project captures the first visual record of a queer community living through war. The work also references reports of torture and violence against queer individuals by Russian forces, especially in the occupied city of Kherson.

The photobook and accompanying exhibition aim to shed light on how authoritarian regimes misuse homophobia as a weapon and to preserve the resilience of Ukraine’s queer citizens.