LGBTQ Anti-Coup Resistance in Myanmar

This report examines Myanmar’s armed conflict through the lens of LGBTQ people and their participation in the resistance against the 2021 military coup staged by the Myanmar Armed Forces. Firsthand narratives shed light on how the military coup has affected LGBTQ people, why they joined the anti-coup resistance, and the roles they played in various resistance movements since February 2021. The report uses the framework of conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence and brings visibility to the practice and normalization of punitive sexual violence against LGBTQ people fighting to end military junta oppression in Myanmar. The report provides recommendations for stakeholders in the international community to stop the military junta’s brutal aggression and to support LGBTQ activists and groups fighting for democracy and an end to the military dictatorship.