Shevchenko has also served as the co-chair of the LGBT Council of Ukraine, and was elected to the board of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer & Intersex Youth and Student Organisation (IGLYO).

Olena Olehivna Shevchenko, sometimes called Lena, was born in 1982, in the Darnytskyi District of Kyiv, while it was part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.

[12] As there had been no openness in society, the push for human rights resulted in a backlash from more traditional elements in Ukraine, who preferred gays and lesbians to remain hidden and women to serve only in customary roles.

[16] Though activists initially had a permit, the venue was later barred, after a judge ruled that the protest might provoke conservative opposition and the police indicated reluctance to offer protection.

[17] Knowing that the permit was tied to the venue, Shevchenko requested a new location, but according to police the assembly was illegal and she was arrested along with seven other protestors and five counter-demonstrators.

[17] In 2013, civil unrest interests in the country launched Euromaidan, a protest against the government decision to form closer ties with Russia and move away from Europe.

Shevchenko joined with other activists in Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square), but because of her background in sport, refused to be relegated to providing food in the camp kitchen.

[12] When the government of Viktor Yanukovych finally fell in February 2014,[18] Shevchenko expressed hope that a new era of respect for human rights would prevail.

[14] When the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula by Russian forces caused refugees to flee the area, Shevchenko tried to convince landlords to house displaced members of the LGBT community.

The venue provided short-term housing, counseling and medical services, tips for finding employment, and passes for the transportation system.

[19] Though Shevchenko chaired the committee that planned the 2014 Equality March for Kyiv, the event had to be canceled when police notified her that they would be unable to provide security.

Encouraging participants to fight against discrimination, the annual event includes lectures, workshops on developing protest movements, film screenings, and photographic exhibitions.

The shift did not eliminate attacks on activists but was able to protect and expand the methods used to fight for human rights, socio-economic parity, and de-escalation of violence in an increasingly militarized society.

[12] Shevchenko was one of the participants in the PinchukArtCentre's 2015 exhibit, Patriots, Citizens, Lovers…, which featured the art of Carlos Motta and included interviews with eleven activists highlighting queer culture and discussing the history and issues faced in their community.

[22] In 2016, during the Festival of Equality in Lviv, Shevchenko reported that sixty of the two hundred activists registered were able to make it to the conference hall, which was surrounded by opponents of the event.

The judge ruled that there were no such legal regulations that had been passed outlining procedures for enforcing the Administrative Code, thus under the covenants of the European Convention on Human Rights, Shevchenko could not be charged or held responsible for the poster or its content.

[26] At the Festival of Equality held in Chernivtsi in 2018, right-wing radicals, accompanied by priests, attempted to prevent attendees from accessing the venue.

[29][30] In response, Shevchenko and Insight launched a lawsuit in April at the Shevchenkivskyi District Court against him for spreading disinformation which could provoke violence against the LGBT community.

[29][30] Because of movement restrictions due to the pandemic and previous positions of the court in such matters, Diana Krechetova, a journalist for the Associated Press, reported that the lawsuit was likely to be dismissed.

[29][30] In 2010, Shevchenko was elected to serve a two-year term on the board of directors of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer & Intersex Youth and Student Organisation (IGLYO).

[5][11] She was elected to serve on the board of the European branch of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) in 2016, and was reelected for further terms in 2018 and in 2020.

[9][36] That conference was attacked by opponents who launched tear gas and broke windows with baseball bats, despite protection of local police and private security.

Activists established two safe houses on the Polish border and began creating networks with teams in Bulgaria, Moldova, and Romania to strengthen their regional outreach and ability to assist Shevchenko inside Ukraine.

Lesbian and queer refugees and their children who need to leave Ukraine are given a phone number to establish contact with El*C activists on the other side of the border, who take them to the shelters and provide basic support, until a more permanent placement abroad can be made.