OUR SCENE | COMMUNITY MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Ukrainian Alien:
From Minneapolis with Love BY ISAAC JOHNSON | PHOTOS COURTESY OF DENYS PASHYNSKYI
What started as a loving inside joke and nickname, revealed the inspiring story and individual: Denys Pashynskyi (pronounced Dennis). Denys, a fiery and delightfully boisterous Ukrainian immigrant is a lover of diversity, diverse experiences, and creativity. Making his acquaintance and knowing his story inspires more than he probably realizes. Denys grew up in the small town of Ivano-Frankove, about 15 miles outside the city center of Lviv, in western Ukraine. He lived there with his family until he was 16 and then split his time between home and the city of Lviv, where most of his family now resides. In the west they still carry traditions of indigenous Ukrainains and have more likeness to the rest of Europe than eastern Ukraine. Denys says in western Ukraine, “we appreciate architecture, knowledge, art, and tradition,” however, “despite the fact that we are all so diverse, it was still pretty tough [to live there] because Ukraine is big on religion.” For someone who values authenticity, the emphasis on a particular religion made it difficult for him who, “wants to live freely and just say that they are gay instead of having to hide and live in the misery of a double life,” says Denys. He wasn’t really given the luxury of that choice however, when at a young age kids started untrue rumors that alluded to his sexuality. The bullying that ensued was an inescapable reality of a toxic environment full of bigotry towards a young boy who was outspoken and fearless to be himself. With a strained relationship with his family, he courageously found chosen family in Lviv but still never turned his back on his own. Creating a liviloodhood without a degree is difficult in Ukraine. Denys completed a bachelors in hospitality management and then discovered a travel program to go work in hospitality in a different country. “I always wanted and dreamt of an AmeriContinue on page 84
82 LAVENDER JUNE 2-15, 2022
