Epress.am News from Armenia
Fleeing the war in Ukraine, Russian trans couple Olga Hamilton and Seana Sun faced new dangers in Armenia. After being targeted in a hate campaign by Armenian neo-Nazi Telegram channels in June, they encountered total inaction from local police. With their savings depleted and no safe shelter, it has become perilous for them to live and work in Yerevan. They are now locked in a rented apartment, unable to afford food or rent, and have even been forced to halt their hormonal therapy.
Olga and Seana met in 2019 and have been together ever since. Rejected by their families, they traveled across Russia searching for a safe place to live, eventually settling in Crimea in 2021. However, as Russia’s war against Ukraine escalated and mobilization chaos spread to Crimea, they had to relocate to Moscow, where they found refuge in LGBT+ shelters.
“In the summer of 2023, the Putin regime launched a severe crackdown on trans people, banning transition and spreading propaganda that demonized us as the state’s primary enemies. We were physically attacked and threatened by angry, drunk mobs, making it clear that staying in Russia was no longer an option,” Olga explains.
The couple sought safety in Armenia, one of the more accessible exits from Russia, but found that Armenia also posed significant risks. They began working in the escort industry, but one client, linked to a local neo-Nazi Telegram channel, outed them and used their photos to start a hate campaign.
Despite their efforts to involve the police, who showed little interest in pursuing the harasser, the couple identified the perpetrator themselves. “The lack of action against the Khaytarak Telegram channel, responsible for the suicides of five trans people and the suffering of many others, raises serious concerns,” says Seana.
Now in hiding, Olga and Seana are urgently seeking funds to escape Armenia and return to their ancestral homeland, Ukraine. “Even with the conflict there, Ukraine feels safer for us than Russia or Armenia,” Seana adds.
For urgent financial help, donate to the following bank card: 9051 2152 0731 4819 (Armenian Drams).