In a report on LGBT rights in Turkey, Agence France-Pressehighlighted Michelle Demishevich, the country's first trans woman TV reporter. She is an advocate for LGBT people in Turkey, knowing personally the kind of bias and discrimination her community faces.
In 2012, Demishevich was attacked and beaten while walking through a park, and since that time almost 50 trans people have been murdered in Turkey. According to AFP, while Turkish legislation allowing people to legally change their name and gender marker has existed since 1988, bias towards transgender people remains.
Demishevich spoke about Imams who will not allow the burial of transgender people in Muslim cemeteries, saying:
"Even after death, you continue your life, or whatever it is, on the fringes of society. So you live your life rejected by society, and even after death, you are excluded."
Next year, she hopes to run for office in legislative elections.
"There are very few people in my situation. We are the so-called 'lucky ones'."
Watch the full interview with Michelle Demishevich below: