THE GUERRILLA ANGEL REPORT — (UPDATE: Sept. 23, 2013. Trans lawyer Masha Bast plans to run for President in Russia. See Below.)
After a high profile Russian lawyer with impressive credentials recently came out as a trans woman, she was asked why she picked this particular time to do so. In reply, Masha Bast said one of the reasons was to “protest against what is going on in Russia today. I couldn’t just sit there and do nothing.”
In an interview in The Moscow Times, Bast also said she is trying to raise awareness in Russia about the transgender community, and one of the ways she is doing this is by posting her progress in social media for others to follow.
She said the recent Russian law banning gay propaganda is a fascist law that targets certain groups. Bast also urges young trans people to come out — ‘the sooner, the better!’
Bast: “Too many trans people worry about how society sees them and think they’re a problem for society. Don’t think that. It is your right. If it makes someone uncomfortable, that’s their problem.”
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UPDATE Sept. 23, 2013 — In an interesting turn of events, trans lawyer Masha Bast announced her intent to run for president of Russia in 2018. There’s no doubt she has caught the eye of Putin — someone who recently signed legislation stifling some rights of trans and LGBT people in Russia,
From the Advocate: Masha Bast, an attorney with the Association of Russian Lawyers for Human Rights, announced the formation of her electoral campaign Monday, along with her intent to compete in the 2018 elections for president of Russia. Bast said she and her allies are seeking to hold the “first real democratic honest and fair elections in Russia.”
“Putin wants me to live in the middle ages, I personally want to live in the 21st Century.”
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Bash has a video about transphobia (captioned in English): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy9x6SiGmYY
I recently wrote about Putin and the “anti-LGBT propaganda” law: https://lexiecannes.wordpress.com/2013/07/23/is-russian-president-vladimir-putin-transphobic/
Read the entire Bast interview here: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/qa-transgender-lawyer-comes-out-in-protest/486021.html#ixzz2ekNiliXL
Presidential bid: http://www.advocate.com/politics/transgender/2013/09/23/trans-lawyer-launches-russian-presidential-bid
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Categories: Discrimination, Equality, Civil Rights, Transgender, Transsexual, Trans, Transphobia, exploitation, dehumanizing, violence, hate
LEXIE CANNES STATE OF TRANS 
God bless her for becoming a transgender in Russia. I know the free world transgender organizations should help support her financially in her advocacy endeavors. I know from experience, that she will loose a lot of legal work as she continues with her transition. The Russian Orthodox church will most likely slam being transgender by pronouncing it an immoral issue. Just what the Russian public transphobes will want to hear, so as to give them the excuse to do a little bashing of their own on trans folk.
Agreed, she may have a tough road. But she really didn’t have a choice. Thanks for your comments Brenda!