On July 3 of this year, with the financial support of ILGA Europe, the Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO organized an online forum of Trans and LGBIQ Solidarity, which aimed to bring together representatives of the Trans and LGBIQ community in the region, trans activists from Eastern Europe and Central Asia to promote the exchange of experience and knowledge, and to strengthen solidarity among LGBTIQ people.
The Trans and LGBIQ Solidarity Online Forum was moderated by Milena Abrahamyan, and the speakers were Lilit Martirosyan, president of the Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO, from Armenia, Zakaria Nasser, a founder member of the Qorras group, from Lebanon, and Kanykei Kyzy, a trans activist from Kyrgyzstan. In her speech, Lilit Martirosyan presented the situation in Armenia, referring to the crisis caused by the Russian-Ukrainian war in the region and its consequences, intensifying pressures on human rights defenders, and cases of continuous violence and discrimination against trans people. Zakaria Nasser presented how Lebanon’s dire economic situation (in March of this year Lebanon’s annual inflation reached 264 percent) had a negative impact on the lives of LGBTIQ people and finding sources of funding for LGBTIQ rights organizations. Then the trans activist Kanykei Kyzy introduced the participants to the situation in the countries of Central Asia, thoroughly addressing the problems and legal status of trans people in each country. She noted that despite the differences between separate countries, the problems of trans people around the world are quite similar, and such experience exchange meetings are very important to find solutions to them. The speeches were followed by an interactive question and answer session, during which the participants had the opportunity to engage directly in the dialogue and receive answers to their questions.
By organizing such events, the Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO aims to create a platform for establishing new connections, sharing experiences and being inspired by each other’s activism. We believe that by coming together and learning from each other, we can create a more inclusive and supportive environment for all LGBTIQ people around the world.
Jul 27, 2023 Armenia, Yerevan
