Right Side NGO

Right Side NGO is a non-governmental human-rights organization based in Yerevan and focused on transgender rights, sex-worker rights, and broader equality issues in Armenia. Founded on 25 January 2016 by Armenian LGBTQ+ rights activist Lilit Martirosyan, it is described as Armenia's first transgender-rights organization and the first trans-led organization in the South Caucasus. Its work combines direct community support with public advocacy, research, awareness raising, and engagement with domestic and international institutions. The organization serves transgender people, transgender sex workers, and other sex workers. Its stated areas of concern include protection from discrimination and violence, access to legal and psychological assistance, health and safety information, HIV-prevention awareness, vocational education, labor rights, and the reduction of social stigma. Right Side NGO also seeks changes to public policy and legal frameworks affecting gender identity, sex work, documentation, and the treatment of marginalized communities. Its activities have included seminars, capacity-building workshops, vocational courses, public campaigns, research projects, and annual transgender community camps. Right Side NGO has worked with Armenian and international civil-society partners, including Pink Armenia, and has developed relationships with diplomatic missions, United Nations agencies, the Council of Europe, and other human-rights networks. It is a member of the European Sex Workers' Rights Alliance. With support from ILGA-Europe, the organization implemented a data-collection project concerning hate crimes, violence, and discrimination against transgender people. It has also received support from the European Endowment for Democracy and the European Foundation for Democracy for equality, awareness, and identity-document initiatives. A significant part of the organization's public work has concerned legal identity and civic participation. In 2019, it organized Armenia's first Gender Equality and Diversity Cultural Festival as a pre-event connected with the country's planned first pride parade. In 2019, it announced assistance for transgender citizens seeking Armenian passports bearing names consistent with their gender identity and expression, reporting that several people had already obtained revised documents. The organization has also participated in public discussions and international advocacy relating to LGBTQ+ rights in Armenia and the wider region. Right Side NGO expanded its regional links through cooperation with HPLGBT in Ukraine and Tbilisi Pride in Georgia. In September 2022, it opened a safe-space office for the LGBTQ+ community in Yerevan with support from the Swedish Embassy in Armenia. The facility was presented as a place for community support and protection in a difficult social environment. In 2023, representatives visited the United States and met with a range of human-rights, democracy, and philanthropic organizations to discuss conditions for LGBTQ+ people in Armenia and international support for local activism. The organization also responds to violence affecting transgender people. In August 2023, it organized a candlelight vigil in Yerevan for Adriana, a murdered trans woman. The event brought together LGBTQ+ activists, Adriana's family, and diplomatic representatives, but was disrupted by hostile agitators. This episode illustrated both the organization's role as a community advocate and the continuing security risks faced by LGBTQ+ people and their supporters in Armenia. As of November 2022, its governing board consisted of five activists, including trans women, trans men, and a non-binary person; several board members were also sex workers. The publicly available material does not identify every board member by name.

Right Side NGO was established in Armenia on 25 January 2016 by Lilit Martirosyan. Its creation marked an important institutional development for transgender rights in the country: it became Armenia's first organization dedicated to transgender rights and the first trans-led organization in the South Caucasus. From the beginning, the organization combined community support with public advocacy, addressing the overlapping vulnerabilities experienced by transgender people, transgender sex workers, and other sex workers. Its program has included legal, social, and psychological assistance; information on health and safety; HIV-prevention awareness; vocational training; community education; seminars; capacity-building workshops; and campaigns intended to challenge stigma. Right Side NGO has also advocated legal and policy reforms concerning gender identity, discrimination, documentation, and labor rights. Its work has involved both direct service delivery and the creation of public evidence about violence and exclusion. In cooperation with ILGA-Europe, it implemented a project collecting information on hate crimes, violence, and discrimination affecting transgender people. The organization has built partnerships in Armenia and internationally. It has worked with Pink Armenia on LGBTQ+ matters, including advocacy for easier gender self-identification, and has cooperated with diplomatic missions, United Nations agencies, the Council of Europe, and other civil-society networks. Its membership in the European Sex Workers' Rights Alliance connects its Armenian work to broader European sex-worker-rights advocacy. Funding from the European Endowment for Democracy supported equality and awareness activities, while support from the European Foundation for Democracy was associated with assistance for transgender people seeking identity documents that better reflected their identities. Public-facing activities became increasingly visible after 2016. In May 2016, the organization marked the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia. In 2019, it organized Armenia's first Gender Equality and Diversity Cultural Festival, conceived as a pre-event for the country's planned first pride parade. That year, it also announced assistance for transgender citizens seeking passports with names consistent with their gender identity and expression, stating that several applicants had already received revised documents. In 2020, founder Lilit Martirosyan received the Human Rights Tulip from the Government of the Netherlands. The organization also began working with HPLGBT in Ukraine and Tbilisi Pride in Georgia to strengthen regional activism and human-rights cooperation. In March 2022, representatives participated in a panel discussion organized by the GALAS LGBTQ+ Armenian Society. Later that year, on 3 September, Right Side NGO opened an LGBTQ+ community safe-space office in Yerevan with support from the Swedish Embassy in Armenia. The opening was attended by diplomatic representatives and Armenia's Human Rights Defender Kristinne Grigoryan. In February and March 2023, representatives traveled to the United States for meetings with organizations including the National Endowment for Democracy, Urgent Action Fund for Women's Human Rights, Human Rights Campaign, Global Fund for Women, Freedom House, Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, and the National Democratic Institute. The visit was accompanied by public discussion of discrimination, human-rights violations, and ways for supporters in the United States to assist LGBTQ+ people in Armenia. Right Side NGO has also acted as a community protection and memorial organization in response to violence. On 21 August 2023, it organized a candlelight vigil in Yerevan for Adriana, a murdered trans woman. More than 100 LGBTQ+ activists, family members, and diplomatic representatives attended. The vigil was disrupted by people throwing eggs, bottles, and stones, and the reported failure of police at the scene to intervene drew attention to the insecurity surrounding LGBTQ+ public events. As of November 2022, the organization's governing board consisted of five activists, including trans women, trans men, and a non-binary person; three board members were also sex workers. The available reference material does not provide a complete list of board members or a current executive roster.

• 2023

  United States advocacy visit

  [1]Right Side NGOen.wikipedia.org

  Representatives met with American civil-society, democracy, and philanthropic organizations to discuss LGBTQ+ rights and support for Armenian activism.

• 2022

  Yerevan safe-space office opens

  [1]Right Side NGOen.wikipedia.org

  Right Side NGO opened a new LGBTQ+ community safe space in Yerevan with support from the Swedish Embassy in Armenia.

• 2020

  Human Rights Tulip awarded to Lilit Martirosyan

  [1]Right Side NGOen.wikipedia.org

  The organization's founder received the Human Rights Tulip during a Dutch government ceremony on Human Rights Day.

• 2019

  Gender Equality and Diversity Cultural Festival

  [1]Right Side NGOen.wikipedia.org

  The organization hosted Armenia's first festival devoted to gender equality and diversity as a pre-event connected with plans for the country's first pride parade.

• 2019

  Passport assistance initiative

  [1]Right Side NGOen.wikipedia.org

  Right Side NGO announced support for transgender citizens seeking Armenian passports with names aligned with their gender identity and expression.

• 2016

  Right Side NGO is founded

  [1]Right Side NGOen.wikipedia.org

  Lilit Martirosyan founded the organization on 25 January in Yerevan, establishing Armenia's first transgender-rights organization and the first trans-led organization in the South Caucasus.

• 2016

  First documented public commemoration

  [1]Right Side NGOen.wikipedia.org

  Right Side NGO marked the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia on 16 May.

A trans-led Armenian human-rights organization combining direct community services, evidence-based advocacy, public education, and policy reform for transgender people and sex workers.

• Legal, social, and psychological services · 2016

  Community support services

  Right Side NGO provides support intended to help transgender people and sex workers address legal, social, psychological, health, and safety needs. The service model is community-centered and complements the organization's broader work on rights protection and discrimination.

• Community education and capacity building

  Trans Camp

  The organization's annual trans camp brings together members of the transgender community for education, mutual support, capacity building, and discussion of rights and safety issues. The available material does not specify the number of annual participants or individual editions.

• Legal advocacy · 2019

  Identity-document assistance

  Right Side NGO assists transgender citizens seeking Armenian passports bearing names consistent with their gender identity and expression. The initiative forms part of its advocacy for more accessible gender self-identification and practical recognition of transgender identities.

• Research and documentation

  Hate-crime and discrimination data collection

  Implemented with ILGA-Europe, this project focused on documenting hate crimes, violence, and discrimination experienced by transgender people. Its purpose was to strengthen evidence for advocacy and policy reform.

• Community facility · 2022

  LGBTQ+ safe-space office

  Opened in Yerevan in September 2022 with Swedish Embassy support, the safe-space office provides a physical setting for community support, protection, meetings, and rights-related activities.

• 2023

  Disruption of vigil for Adriana

  A candlelight vigil organized by Right Side NGO for Adriana, a murdered trans woman, was disrupted in Yerevan by agitators who reportedly threw eggs, bottles, and stones at mourners. The reference material states that police present at the park did not intervene.

  Source

Read more

• 2022LGBTQ+ safe-space initiative

  Yerevan · Armenia

  Right Side NGO established a safe-space office for the LGBTQ+ community in Yerevan with support from the Swedish Embassy in Armenia.

  Outcome. The office created a dedicated venue for community support and organizing; the opening was attended by diplomatic representatives and Armenia's Human Rights Defender.

  Source
• 2019Gender Equality and Diversity Cultural Festival

  Armenia

  The organization hosted Armenia's first cultural festival centered on gender equality and diversity as a pre-event for plans concerning the country's first pride parade.

  Outcome. The festival increased public visibility for gender and LGBTQ+ equality issues, although the reference material does not quantify its audience or longer-term effects.

  Source
• 2019Transgender passport assistance

  Armenia

  Right Side NGO announced assistance for transgender citizens seeking passports with names aligned with their gender identity and expression.

  Outcome. The organization reported that several citizens had already obtained new passports and that the initiative had received European Foundation for Democracy funding.

  Source
• 2016International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia commemoration

  Armenia

  Right Side NGO marked the international day on 16 May through public activity highlighting opposition to anti-LGBTQ+ prejudice and violence.

  Outcome. The event established an early visible public advocacy activity for the newly founded organization.

  Source

• 2022

  Establish a permanent LGBTQ+ safe space in YerevanStrategy

  Background

  The organization sought to provide a stable physical setting for community support, protection, meetings, and activism.

  Action taken

  Right Side NGO opened a new safe-space office in Yerevan with support from the Swedish Embassy in Armenia.

  Aftermath

  The office became a visible institutional resource for the LGBTQ+ community; its opening drew diplomatic and human-rights officials.

  Source

• 2019

  Expand practical support for gender-consistent identity documentsStrategy

  Background

  Transgender citizens in Armenia faced difficulty obtaining official documents reflecting their gender identity and expression.

  Action taken

  Right Side NGO announced that it would assist citizens in obtaining Armenian passports with names consistent with their gender identity and expression.

  Aftermath

  The organization reported that several citizens had obtained new passports, while the initiative received European Foundation for Democracy support.

  Source

1. 1Right Side NGOen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Right Side NGO official websiterightsidengo.com