
Our work abroad
More and more LGBTIQ+ Bulgarians are emigrating. Many of them have not lost interest in what is happening with the LGBTIQ+ community in Bulgaria. We want to be active together - even remotely. Become part of our global interaction network!
Events abroad
Since 2021 we organise "Wish You Were Here" community events outside Bulgaria. So far we have had visited London, Berlin and New York.
If you would like us to visit you, please email us at board@deystvie.org













Advisory Board
Our Advisory Board of LGBTIQ+ Bulgarians and allies abroad came into force in 2021. It meets online 4 times a year and is a tool in guiding our activities abroad.
If you would like to join the advisory board, please email board@@deystvie.org with your resume attached.

04
Project Name
Elitza Ranova
USA
Elitza is a coach, trainer and consultant in leadership skills and coaching in the state of Massachusetts, USA. In support of Deystvie, Elitza contributes professional experience as a university lecturer in social sciences. Elitza is a PhD in Anthropology from Rice University in Houston, Texas, a researcher in medical ethics, and a consultant in qualitative research. Elitza is a defender of the rights of trans people, and firmly believes that there can be no justice without full respect and equality for the LGBT+ community.
Jasmina Tacheva
USA
Jasmina is an Assistant Professor at Syracuse University's School of Information Studies where she directs a lab researching the intersection of data, AI, and society. She is currently working on a book about cyberbullying, homophobia, and transphobia defense strategies. In her free time, she writes poetry and short stories, and spends her summers in Sofia.
Nikolay Nikolov
USA
Nikolay is a video journalist at The New York Times. He previously worked at Mashable London, where he led a team of producers covering the role of new technologies in climate change mitigation. Outside of work, he is engaged in academic activity, researching the changes in everyday life over the last 75 years in Bulgaria.
Danielle Tinkov
United Kingdom
Danielle is a computer science graduate and has spent over a decade working in the software industry. Recently, she transitioned to management in one of Britain's leading energy companies and has been working with the company's diversity organization to promote LGBTI+ advancement in the workplace. One of her major accomplishments has been securing coverage for trans healthcare in the company's medical insurance plan, which benefits around 3,000 employees. Danielle has a keen interest in science, history, and philosophy.
Vessy Tasheva
Ireland
Vessy is the Founder & CEO of Vessy.com (a global DEIB and Mental Health consultancy) working with clients across Europe, North America, Latin America, and India. She is also a Diversity & Inclusion Board Member of Positive Luxury (shaping a sustainable future for luxury). In the last 11 years, prior to becoming a founder, she has worked as Chief Strategy Officer of a talent tech startup, as well as in various roles across product, marketing, and culture in companies between 4 and 800 employees.
Lilia Hadjiivanova
USA
Lilia is Associate Director of the Center for Gender and Sexuality Law at Columbia Law School and an Executive MPA candidate at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, concentrating on Global Policy.
Before that, Lilia worked in different areas of education, nonprofit management, policy, and social services, including being a key part of the staff that launched the Immigrant Opportunities Program at the historic LGBT Center in New York City. She holds a BSc in Communication and Media Studies from Loughborough University in the U.K., and a MA in Communications with a major in Critical Studies of TV and Film from California State University, Los Angeles. Lilia is also involved in activism related to movements for immigrants' rights, LGBTQ rights, and reproductive rights. She lives in New York City with her wife, Terry, and two cats, Glowy and Penguino.
Angel Miklashevsky
Germany
Angel is a research fellow at the German Research Institute for Public Administration in Berlin and a Ph.D. candidate in Public Administration. He holds a B.A. in Political Science, Public Administration, and Sociology and a M.A. in Public Administration and Public Policy from the University of Potsdam. In his dissertation on representative bureaucracy, Angel investigates the impact of demographic characteristics of public servants, such as their gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and migration background, on their decision-making while performing administrative discretion. Previously, he worked as a coordinator for LGBTI+ refugees and immigrants at the Immigration Authority of the city of Potsdam. In his spare time, Angel voluntarily provides legal advice to LGBTI+ refugees at NGOs and gives lectures on LGBTI+ refugee rights at universities and schools. With the support of Deystvie, he and his husband appeal to the European Court of Human Rights to have their marriage recognized in Bulgaria.