Rights defenders react to transgender's self-arson in Tbilisi

A transgender woman has set herself on fire in front of the Tbilisi Mayoralty in protest against the growth of transphobia that she faced due to quarantine self-isolation. The organization "Movement for Equality" has called on the authorities to pay attention to the people deprived of social support and relatives' help.

The incident occurred on April 30, when Madonna Kiparoidze, an LGBT person, tried to set herself on fire in front of the Tbilisi Mayoralty, where a transgenders' rally was taking place at that moment. She managed to promptly take off her clothes, thanks to which she received no serious burns, although she was taken for examination to the hospital, the "Sputnik Georgia" reports.

"The state doesn't care about me; and I have no choice but to commit suicide in order to draw attention to my problems," Ms Kiparoidze has stated.

Later she explained that because of the ambiguous attitude from the society, she cannot find a job and is forced to be self-employed; and with the introduction of coronavirus quarantine, no earnings are possible, which is why she lost any chance to pay for her rented apartment.

Activists have urged the society to pay attention to the problems of transgender women.

The organization "Movement for Equality" has appealed to the authorities with a request to provide help to the LGBTQ community. "The restrictions imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic have mostly affected transgender people. Many lost their jobs, but these people have no social support and help from their families and relatives," says the organization's statement quoted on May 1 by the "Jam News".

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on May 2, 2020 at 07:20 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.