Meydan TV told the story of 27-year-old trans woman Loren. She lives in the city of Sumgait and works as a stylist in one of the beauty salons there.
Loren was born in a village of 23 houses in Shabran and lived there until the eighth grade, continued her education in Baku, and then moved to Sumgayit.
When Loren went to study in Baku from the region, she remembers how she was faced with discrimination and insulting expressions.
In Azerbaijan, LGBTI+s are subjected to various types of pressure and persecution, and there is an epidemic level of hatred and discrimination against LGBTI+s. At least 200 people were arrested during mass raids in 2017. After their release, they reported on the torture and degrading treatment they faced. Those events were documented by Nafas LGBTI Azerbaijan Alliance.
According to the report of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA-Europe), Azerbaijan ranks last among 49 European countries in the ranking of LGBTI+ rights protection for several years, including 2021.