A collaboration between QNU and J. Lester Feder
The first in-depth visual and oral history of an LGBTIQ+ community in war – now on European tour.
About the Exhibition
Drawing on more than a decade of reporting in Ukraine, Feder’s photographs and firsthand accounts give voice to queer Ukrainians – soldiers, medics, activists, refugees and survivors of war crimes.
The project documents how Vladimir Putin’s rhetoric about „protecting traditional values“ and the instrumentalisation of homophobia became weapons of war – and how LGBTIQ+ people in Ukraine fought back: fighting for their country alongside their fellow Ukrainians — and fighting for the rights this country has long denied them.
The exhibition combines rigorous journalistic storytelling and the tradition of queer documentary photography with community insight. As authoritarian movements across Europe adopt Russia’s anti-LGBTIQ+ propaganda, The Queer Face of War stands for resistance, solidarity and the power of images and words. LGBTIQ+ visibility is more than representation – it is power, and a measure of democracy itself.
Tour dates
🇦🇹 Vienna, 8–22 May 2026 | Atelier Galerie Roland Puschitz
As an official part of the Eurovision Song Contest „offstage“ programme, the exhibition reaches a pan-European audience – including over 2,500 ESC delegates and the general public. J. Lester Feder will give personal guided tours.
📅 Full programme of Atelier Galerie Roland Puschitz
🇩🇪 Berlin, 19 May 2026 | Bundesstiftung Gleichstellung, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 34, 10178 Berlin | 6:00–8:30 pm
In collaboration with LSVD+, J. Lester Feder presents The Queer Face of War in a book presentation with a get-together. The evening is aimed at representatives from human rights policy, LGBTIQ+ organisations, civil society, academia and the diplomatic corps. Registration required.
🇳🇱 Amsterdam, July – August 2026 | WorldPride Amsterdam
As an official partner of the WorldPride Empowerment Fund, the exhibition will be presented under the central theme of UNITY. Venue and exact dates to follow.
Press & contact
For press enquiries and interview requests with J. Lester Feder: Louise Juhl | louise.juhl@queere-nothilfe-ukraine.de
Press release available for download