From November 23 to 25 this year the program coordinator of Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO participated in the Regional Conference on the Impact of the Anti-Gender Movement on the Rights of LGBTIQ+ Persons in Pristina, which was organized by the Center of Social Group Development, LGBTI Equal Rights Association, Centre for Equality and Liberty Kosovo in cooperation with the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Unit of the CoE. 

The conference aimed to promote dialogue and cooperation in the face of growing anti-gender sentiment.

In the “Position of trans women in the movement and society” section of the conference, the program coordinator of the Right Side NGO made a speech, presenting the situation of the rights of LGBTIQ people in Armenia. She highlighted the crisis created as a result of the Nagorno-Karabakh war and displacement, which has left a lasting impact on the region and exacerbated the vulnerability of the Armenian LGBTIQ+ community. She also addressed the disturbing growth of hate speech in the Republic of Armenia, which was especially aggravated after the tragic murder of trans woman Adriana on August 20 of this year, when the Internet was flooded with a new wave of hate speech, violence and death calls and threats against Trans LGBIQ people. Adriana’s murder is yet another reminder of the violence and prejudice that continues against the LGBTIQ community, especially trans individuals. All of this poses a serious threat to the safety, mental health, and general well-being of community members.

The conference was an important opportunity for the Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO to establish relations and exchange experience with the Balkans and Caucasus partners. We will continue to work effectively with NGOs and activists in the region to jointly create a future based on equality, inclusion, and accountability for vulnerable groups, particularly Trans LGBIQ individuals.

November 29, 2023 Armenia, Yrevan