From a Facebook group to the front lines of human rights, Xheni Karaj has transformed personal visibility into collective resistance, leading the fight for equality and dignity in Albania.
Freedom, for me, is the radical act of living our truth out loud even when the world tells us to hide. It’s the space to love without fear, to exist without apology, and to build a future where no one is erased, silenced, dehumanised or made to feel less than human. Xheni Karaj
Xheni Karaj is an Albanian LGBTI+ activist, born and raised in Tirana. After studying psychology at the University of Tirana, she began her civic engagement in 2009 by creating a small Facebook group to fight discrimination against the LGBT community. That modest initiative soon grew into a movement that would become one of the most important forces for queer rights in Albania.
In 2012, during a widely watched television program, Xheni decided to come out live on air in response to a politician’s homophobic remarks. That simple yet groundbreaking gesture made her one of the first openly lesbian public figures in the country and marked a turning point for LGBT visibility in Albania.
Over the following years, she led and strengthened Aleanca LGBT, an organization promoting equality and the protection of queer people’s rights, and contributed to the creation of STREHA, the first shelter for homeless LGBT youth in the Balkans. She was also among the organizers of the first Pride Parades in Tirana — events that initially gathered only a few people but have since become symbols of courage and hope.
Her journey has not been without hardship: she has faced threats, insults, and physical aggression, living in a society where homophobia remains widespread. Yet she has never stopped speaking out, convinced that visibility itself is a form of resistance and a way to give voice to those who cannot.
Drawing created for the 25th Foreign Policy Conference of the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Berlin.
Her activism is grounded in the belief that individual freedom and respect for diversity are the foundation of any just society. In 2022, she received an important international human rights award recognizing her courage and commitment, establishing her as one of the leading voices of the LGBTI+ movement in the Balkans.
Today, Xheni Karaj continues to work toward building a more inclusive Albania — one where no one has to hide who they are or whom they love.
