Hello. I am a transgender girl Yulia, I am 23 years old, before moving to Lithuania I lived in Minsk. I worked in the IT sphere.
I help independent investigative journalists to collect, prepare and verify information. While in Belarus, I wrote a media aggregator in Telegram and am preparing it for launch. I am also engaged in monitoring and collecting information about the situation of transgender people and incitement of hatred towards them. Privately, I give consultations to LGBT persons, and there have been cases of working with parents. I also give consultations on digital hygiene.
In the winter of 2023, I began to receive threats, and at the end of April I was grabbed by police officers near my house, beaten (they were in a white van… they drove up, got out, did not identify themselves in any way, I began to fight back, for which I was initially beaten), threatened, insulted, shredded my phone.
After the April attack, I finally lost my sense of security, completely shut down, I was afraid to leave the house, I lived the time until I got my visa as in a terrible dream, fear and tension as if killing me from the inside. After the first threats, in winter, I realized my vulnerability, and after the April incident I lost the remnants of peace. The amendments of the Ministry of Culture, which equated LGBT with pornography, added fuel to the fire.
I requested visa support, got a visa and two days after receiving my passport I left Belarus with a small amount of money and a backpack, leaving everything behind. Despite the current difficult situation, I don't regret it, because the relief I got was almost priceless.
Since I left with one backpack, now I have to start everything from scratch: legalize, rent a place to live, get basic things, take a course of psychotherapy to stop being afraid of everything and everyone around me, in a word — to start living again.
Unfortunately, I have found myself in a situation where I cannot do without your help. I will be grateful for every center of help. I hope to get out and do more good for people.
How much is needed?
€3000
€1500 — rent for 3 months
€600 — basic things
€500 — 10 sessions with a therapist
€400 — health insurance, residence permit and other documents