Datenspuren 2025

Maryna Usmanova (b. 1979, Kherson) — feminist and queer activist, lecturer, narrative psychologist, director, and journalist. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and has researched the history of anarchism in Southern Ukraine.

For over ten years she led Insha, a feminist and LGBT-inclusive organization in Kherson, where she organized community projects, queer forums, feminist marches, and human rights advocacy campaigns. She has also worked extensively in journalism, cultural projects, and documentary theatre, exploring themes of gender, stigma, and social inequality.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion and the occupation of her hometown, Maryna has been forced to seek refuge in Germany, where she has lived for the past three years. Together with colleagues, she co-founded Kwitne Queer, an organization of Ukrainian queer refugees in Germany, continuing her work in community support, political education, and human rights advocacy.