Experiences of transgender migrants from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Armenia, and Uzbekistan living in Russia

Abstract

Despite Russia being a major migrant-receiving country, it does not receive adequate attention in international literature, especially in relation to migrants belonging to marginalized groups. Based on interviews with seventeen transgender (trans) migrants from Central Asia and the South Caucasus with an experience of living in Russia, the study revealed the complex intersections between transphobia, migrantophobia, racism, and whorephobia. The migrants faced profound workplace discrimination and suffered from police and ultra-right groups. Cisgender migrants caring for the prestige of their nation and trans migrant sex workers striving to annihilate competitors were described as additional threats. Russian trans/LGBT organizations were reported to be difficult to access and their priorities differed from those of migrants. Despite these challenges, the respondents found Russia to be a more tolerant country than their home countries and benefited from migration in terms of possibilities to express their gender identity and earn higher income. The discussion section uses these data to compare transition in the sex/gender and geographical spaces.