Armenia: Transgender Activist Lilit Martirosyan speaks on activism and LGBTI rights in the country
Friday, April 8, 2022 4:45 PM
Lilit Martirosyan describes her activism as a transgender woman in Armenia and backlash to LGBTI rights and visibility. In 2019, she became the first LGBTI rights activist to address the Armenian Parliament. Many transgender women, including Martirosyan, experience physical assault and discrimination in Armenia. In response to her activism, she has faced threats of violence from commentors on social media and members of Parliament. In December 2021, the Council of Europe urged Armenia to adopt legislation protecting against discrimination based on SOGI (sexual orientation and gender identity).
Compiled from: Mania Israyelyan, “I Was Born in a Body That Was Not Mine,” Institute for War and Peace Reporting (March 31 2022).