Stranded Trans Woman in Ukraine Speaks Out Amidst Ongoing War with Russia

Vladimir Putin announced Russia’s decision to wage war and invade Ukraine on February 24, 2022. It left people around the world helpless and hopeless, with the inefficient measures of power to interfere and disrupt Russia’s diabolical plans to strong arm Ukraine. The invasion has resulted in deaths, fleeing citizens, and others essentially held hostage in Ukraine because they are transgender.

Zi Faámelu, a successful Ukrainian singer and transgender woman, remains in Ukraine because her legal sex and living gender are inconsistent with Ukrainian law. In other words, Zi Faámelu may not be granted the permission to cross the border as a trans woman because her passport and legal documents are marked as “male.”

“If you have a male gender in your passport, they will not let you go abroad. They will not let you through,” Zi Faámelu tells to CBS News.

Faámelu’s passport situation is common among other trans individuals who occupy countries that require strenuous medical evaluations to support their transition legally, or countries that absolve any acknowledgement of a trans life.

According to Faámelu, Ukraine isn’t the most “rainbow friendly place” and the invasion of Russia doesn’t add any glimmer of hope for her or any trans person that doesn’t have the proper documentation.

“Lives for trans people are very bleak here,” especially in the midst of increasing tensions, Faámelu says. “Many people have guns and weapons … It can be an excuse for violence … This is a very scary situation.”

Despite the tragic sequence of unfortunate events, and the dire conditions for transgender folk in Ukraine at the moment, Faámelu attempts to be hopeful and optimistic.

“There’s something about Ukrainians; they are very optimistic and joyful people … They never give up,” Faámelu says. “… You don’t know if you’re going to be alive the next morning. So, what are you going to do? I just prefer to dance in the kitchen, to be honest. Because if this is the last moment of my life, I just want to celebrate. I just want to dance.”