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Elvira Syed vs. transgender people

Elvira Syed is an Azerbaijani-American anti-transgender activist. Syed is the unaccepting parent of a deceased trans child.

note: this profile discusses suicide and self-harm.

Background

Elvira Akhmetshina aka Elvira Syed was born in July 1980, is originally form Azerbaijan, and resides in Connecticut. Elvira was married to Wasim H. Syed (1973–2017).

Raven Syed’s biography

Raven Syed was born in ~2005, graduated from Simsbury High School, then attended Rider University.

  • Academic: Actuarial science major, Trustee scholar.
  • Journalism: Copy editor for The Rider News.
  • Music: Treasurer and clarinet player for the Rider Pep Band, played 7 instruments.
  • Advocacy: Member of Spectrum Pride Alliance and All Broncs Belong Alliance, groups that support and uplift transgender individuals.
  • Leadership: Member of the Multicultural Student Leadership Institute.
  • Tutoring: Embedded tutor for finite mathematics at The Academic Success Center.
  • Language Skills: Spoke multiple languages, including English, Russian, Spanish, and German.
  • Interests: Music, martial arts (Tang Soo Do), Eurovision, and learning languages. 

According to a self-supplied bio on the student newspaper’s site:

Raven Syed, copy editor (he/him)

Raven Syed is a sophomore majoring in actuarial science and currently works at The Rider News as a copy editor. Outside of the newspaper, Syed is the Treasurer for The Rider Pep Band and works for The Academic Success Center as an embedded tutor for finite mathematics. Syed’s interests include music, martial arts, and foreign languages.

Raven’s friends shared the following biography:

Raven Syed, who passed on Oct. 14, was a friend to many at Rider University. Raven identified as a transgender man and lifted up people like himself as a member of Spectrum Pride Alliance and All Broncs Belong Alliance. 

Raven, an actuarial science major, was also a Trustee scholar, copy editor for The Rider News, treasurer and clarinet player for Rider Pep Band, and member of the Multicultural Student Leadership Institute. Raven spoke multiple languages, including English, Russian, Spanish and German.

Elvira Syed’s version

These are additional details according to Raven’s unaccepting parent Elvira, so some may not be accurate.

  • Raven’s other parent died of cancer when Raven was 12.
  • Raven engaged in self-harm until they got a dog.
  • Around the start of COVID, Raven began coming out, eventually coming out as trans in 2021.
  • Elvira was initially supportive about pronouns and legal name change.
  • Elvira began consuming anti-trans propaganda and showing it to Raven.
  • Elvira eventually forbade Raven from expressing a masculine gender identity.
  • Raven attended Rider University in 2023 on scholarship.
  • Raven lost permission to keep a dog at school following a noise complaint.
  • Elvira threatened to cut Raven off financially over gender transition.
  • Elvira was investigated for alleged abuse, but no charges were pursued.
  • In 2024, Raven, now an adult, obtained a testosterone prescription under informed consent.
  • Elvira removed Raven from their insurance policy immediately upon discovery.
  • Raven committed suicide on October 14, 2024, four days after a breakup.

Raven left a suicide note:

I just want to make one thing clear: I didn’t do this because I am on Testosterone. I don’t want my death to be used as a reason to be transphobic. I did this because of all the trauma my mom has caused me. I’ve turned into a person I completely dislike, and no one believes I can get better, not even the person I love most. I am sorry. I’ve lost faith. Raven (he/him/his)

Faced with what must be unimaginable guilt, Elvira instead blames Raven’s death on “gender ideology.” transgender faith leader Aaron Miller, Youth Director Tony Ferraiolo, and testosterone.

Elvira Syed has since become an activist within the movement of unaccepting parents, including Parents with Inconvenient Truths about Trans.

In June 2025, Elvira Syed collaborated with Project Veritas on a hit piece targeting Aaron Miller and Tony Ferraiolo, two trans-supportive people based in Connecticut who had helped Raven.

In July 2025, Elvira Syed was a panelist at the 2025 US Federal Trade Commission anti-trans workshop.

References

Roberson, Jay (May 8, 2025). Student’s October suicide causes discussion on campus welfare checks. The Rider News https://theridernews.com/students-october-suicide-causes-discussion-on-campus-welfare-checks/

Hartford County Connecticut Superior Court (January 26, 2024). Elvira Syed v. Aleksandr Shcherbinin [dissolution of marriage]. https://trellis.law/case/9003/hhd-fa24-6179637-s/syed-elvira-v-shcherbinin-aleksandr

Tiger, Jake (October 15, 2024). Student, Rider News staff member found deceased. The Rider News https://theridernews.com/student-rider-news-staff-member-found-deceased/

Mahatole, Siddhi (October 15 2024). Rider University Student Newspaper Editor Found Dead in Residence Hall. University Herald https://www.universityherald.com/articles/79364/20241015/rider-university-student-newspaper-editor-found-dead-residence-hall.htm

Selected anti-trans writing by Elvira Syed

Syed, Elvira (March 21, 2025). I Lost My Daughter To Gender Ideology. Here Is Her Story. Daily Wire https://www.dailywire.com/news/i-lost-my-daughter-to-gender-ideology-here-is-her-story

[Syed, Elvira] (March 31, 2025). Teens taking their lives while being on Testosterone. Parents with Inconvenient Truths about Trans (PITT) https://www.pittparents.com/p/teens-taking-their-lives-while-being

Anti-trans media featuring Elvira Syed

Project Veritas (June 26, 2025). TRANS PASTOR’S Actions Tied to Teen’s Tragic Suicide | A Mother’s Plea: Without Consent Part 2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ltPc__V8_I

Project Veritas (June 24, 2025). WITHOUT CONSENT Part 1: Connecticut Pastor, Youth Director, Secretly Push Kids to Gender Transition. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmqLU1we8dk

Resources

Trevor Project (thetrevorproject.org)

Facebook (facebook.com)