Throughout the year, the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice highlights profiles of grantee partners throughout the world and their successes. The Multi-Donor LGBTI Global Human Rights Initiative (GHRI) is a unique partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to support local efforts to protect LGBTQI+ people from violence, discrimination, stigma, and criminalization through grantmaking to LGBTQI+-led organizations; research on the lived realities of LGBTQI+ people; social and behavior change communications (SBCC) and other strategic communications capacity strengthening; and emergency response. The Astraea Foundation was fortunate to travel to Armenia with USAID’s Senior LGBTQI+ Coordinator, Jay Gilliam, to visit grantees and witness the ways community-led organizations are advancing LGBTQI+ inclusive development programs, policies, research, and training.
We interviewed Lilit, a member and representative of Right Side NGO in Armenia, to get insights into trans and queer liberation work in the region.
Can you tell me a little about yourself and your organization?
I am a trans woman, trans rights activist, and human rights defender from Armenia. My specific areas of expertise include trans people’s rights and protection, their health and wellbeing, anti-discrimination, as well as hate crime and speech protection. Right Side was founded on January 25, 2016, by a group of trans activists in Armenia. We serve sexual and gender minorities, refugees, asylum seekers, people living with HIV and other disadvantaged sex workers. The organization emerged in response to the urgent need to protect the rights of transgender people and sex workers in the region. Its primary focus is on creating lasting solutions to promote the quality of dignified lives for these communities, aiming to prevent violations of human rights and overcome social difficulties. Right Side serves as a vital advocate for transgender individuals and sex workers, striving to initiate socio-cultural and legal reforms to address systemic inequalities and discrimination.
Could you share some of the top issues for LGBTQI+ communities in Armenia?
The LGBTQI+ community in Armenia faces multifaceted challenges – hate speech, violence, hate crimes, discrimination, lack of job opportunities and education, lack of healthcare services, and houselessness. Among the top issues we are addressing are advocacy for legal gender recognition and protections, establishing safe spaces, ensuring access to gender-affirming care, and supporting individuals fleeing dangerous situations. Right Side actively addresses these concerns by advocating for legal reforms to protect the rights of transgender people and sex workers, providing essential support services (health, social, humanitarian, legal), and fostering community building initiatives. By working to change societal perceptions and break norms, Right Side endeavors to create a more inclusive and accepting environment for LGBTQI+ individuals in Armenia.
What kinds of financial support do you receive and how does it meet your needs?
Right Side has received core funding and social and behavior change communication grants, which have enabled us to respond effectively to the needs of the LGBTQI+ community. These grants support Right Side efforts in protecting the community, promoting their wellbeing and safety, advancing human rights protections and legal reforms, and challenging societal norms and attitudes. Through strategic programming and advocacy actions funded by these grants, Right Side can implement vital initiatives that directly benefit transgender people, sex workers, and the broader LGBTQI+ community in Armenia.
Where do you hope the LGBTQI+ community and movement will be in five or ten years?
In the coming five to ten years, I envision significant progress for the LGBTQI+ community and movement in Armenia. With continued advocacy, legal reforms, and societal awareness campaigns led by organizations like ours, I hope to see greater acceptance and inclusion of LGBTQI+ individuals in Armenian society. I anticipate improved legal protections, expanded access to healthcare, and the establishment of more safe spaces for LGBTQI+ individuals. Ultimately, I aspire to witness a society where LGBTQI+ rights are fully recognized and respected, and where all individuals can live authentically without fear of discrimination or prejudice.
The Astraea Foundation believes that community-driven, well-funded, and empowered queer movements will propel liberation work forward and create brighter futures for us all. To learn more about Right Side and their trans rights work in Armenia, visit them on Facebook and Instagram
Support to Right Side is made possible through the Multi-Donor LGBTI Global Human Rights Initiative (GHRI), an eight-year, $55 million public-private partnership that leverages financial and technical contributions from multiple parties including USAID, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Global Affairs Canada, the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, Equality Without Borders, the Williams Institute, Wellspring Philanthropic Fund, and Franklin & Marshall College. Over 40 LGBTQI+ civil society organizations have been supported through the GHRI.
