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Serving with Pride: LGBTQI+ Rights and Realities in Armed Forces and Conflict

At an event hosted by the EU Delegation to the UN and the Permanent Mission of Estonia in Geneva, representatives from governments, armed forces and the queer community came together to discuss equality and inclusion in the military and the experiences of LGBTQI+ people affected by armed conflict.The panel discussion was followed by the opening of the photo exhibition “Unseen in Life, Visible in Death”.

The picture shows a room full of people with a panel of 4 people standing in front of the audience
© © European Union, 2026

On 17 September, the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva and the Permanent Mission of Estonia brought together international experts and people with lived experience for the Human Rights Council 63rd session side event “Serving with Pride: LGBTQI+ Rights and Realities in Armed Forces and Conflict.”

Co-sponsored by Ukraine, France and the United Kingdom, the event discussed the inclusion of queer people within armed forces and the particular challenges and vulnerabilities they face in situations of armed conflict. The panel discussion was followed by the opening of the photo exhibition “Unseen in Life, Visible in Death”, featuring queer Ukrainian soldiers. 

Opening the event, EU Ambassador Deike Potzel highlighted the involvement of queer soldiers in their country’s defence:

Today, significant progress has been made in enabling LGBTQI+ people to serve openly and equally in many armed forces. Yet formal equality does not automatically translate into inclusion. Informal barriers, discriminatory attitudes and concerns about safety and openness can continue to shape military life. - EU Ambassador Deike Potzel

Joining the event via video call from the front lines in Ukraine, Vadym Pylypenko, co-founder of the Ukrainian LGBT+ military group, proudly described how his group had developed from grassroots activism to becoming a political actor with influence advocating greater legal equality and recognition.  

Hallway with framed black and white pictures on the left and some European flags on the right

© European Union, 2026

Samantha des Forges, UK Ministry of Defense Director of Conduct, Equity & Justice, spoke about how the current backlash against queer people can make it more difficult for people to live openly and with pride. 

Sven Schönauer, a Captain in the Swiss Armed Forces and secretary of the association QueerOfficers Switzerland, stressed that LGBTQI+ members of the army share the same motivation as other members: they are all just people wanting to serve and to defend their home country. 

The discussion, moderated by Estonian Gender Equality and Equal Treatment Commissioner Christian Veske, concluded with Estonian Ambassador Riia Salsa-Audiffren.

We need to respect, protect and fulfil the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights by all LGBTQI+ persons, including those serving in Armed Forces. Equality is not optional for free and resilient societies. - Estonian Ambassador Riia Salsa-Audiffren

The event also officially launched the photo exhibition “Unseen in Life, Visible in Death”, which tells the stories of LGBTQI+ people in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine, bringing a personal dimension to the discussion through experiences of identity, service, loss and resilience.