Ermiya Fanaeian Biography – Early Life, Age, Career, Family and More

Ermiya Fanaeian is a Palestinian transgender activist and political organizer based in Salt Lake City, Utah. She is best known for her work in LGBTQ+ rights, feminist causes, and queer community defense. Born to Iranian immigrant parents, she first rose to prominence in 2018 when she co-founded the Utah chapter of March for Our Lives at just 19 years old. Later, in 2023, she founded Armed Queers Salt Lake City (AQSLC), a Marxist-Leninist queer and trans-led group promoting armed self-defense, anti-capitalism, and grassroots resistance.

Her shift from gun control advocacy to pro-gun militancy placed her under the spotlight again after the Charlie Kirk assassination case, where her group came under FBI scrutiny. Despite criticism, she remains committed to activism for trans liberation, Palestine, abortion rights, and marginalized communities.

Ermiya Fanaeian Wiki/Bio

Full NameErmiya Fanaeian
Date of Birth1999 
Age26 years (as of 2025)
ProfessionTrans Liberation Activist, Political Organizer, Community Defender
HometownSalt Lake City, Utah, USA
Current ResidenceSalt Lake City, Utah, USA
NationalityAmerican

Ermiya Fanaeian Early Life

Ermiya Fanaeian was born in the U.S. around 1999 to Iranian immigrant parents. Growing up in Salt Lake City, she experienced the struggles of immigrant families while shaping her identity as a trans Palestinian woman. Her early years remain private, but her later activism reflects a deep awareness of social justice issues like gender equality, queer liberation, and racial justice. By her late teens, she had already stepped into organizing work, merging her lived experiences with political activism.

Ermiya Fanaeian
Ermiya Fanaeian (Photo Credit: Instagram.com)

Ermiya Fanaeian Education

There are no detailed public records about Ermiya Fanaeian’s formal education. However, her writings, lectures, and activism suggest a strong background in social sciences, queer studies, and community organizing, possibly from self-study and grassroots involvement rather than traditional academic routes.

Ermiya Fanaeian Career Highlights

Ermiya’s activism started in 2018 when she co-founded the Utah chapter of March for Our Lives, a student-led movement advocating for stronger gun control after the Parkland shooting. She quickly became a recognizable face in Utah activism, even appearing on stage with Elizabeth Warren during her 2019 presidential campaign stop in Salt Lake City.

By 2020, she pivoted from gun control to armed self-defense for queer communities, founding the Salt Lake City chapter of Pink Pistols. In 2023, she launched Armed Queers Salt Lake City (AQSLC), blending Marxist-Leninist politics with LGBTQ+ community defense. Her group hosted lectures at the University of Utah, worked on Palestinian solidarity, abortion rights, and critiqued corporate influence on Pride events.

Her activism earned her the “7 for 17” Award from Utah Global Diplomacy in 2022, recognizing her contributions to gender equality and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. However, by 2025, AQSLC came under FBI investigation in connection to the Charlie Kirk assassination case, although Ermiya herself has not been charged.

Career Milestones

MilestoneYearDetails
Co-founded March for Our Lives Utah2018Youth-led gun control movement
Onstage with Elizabeth Warren2019Salt Lake City campaign event
Founded Pink Pistols SLC2020Queer firearms self-defense group
Received UN “7 for 17” Award2022For advancing gender equality
Founded AQSLC2023Armed Queers Salt Lake City launched
FBI Scrutiny2025Investigated post-Charlie Kirk assassination

Ermiya Fanaeian Controversies

Ermiya’s activism has sparked both praise and criticism. Her shift from gun control to armed queer self-defense drew media attention, with critics labeling AQSLC a far-left extremist group. In 2025, after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, right-wing outlets linked her to the incident due to her group’s ideology, though no evidence or charges connected her directly.

A 2025 video from her Cuba May Day Brigade trip resurfaced, where she discussed using revolutionary tactics in the U.S.—fueling further backlash. While some see her as a “troublemaker,” others hail her as a courageous defender of marginalized communities in a hostile political climate.

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