Armenian Gay Rights Movement: Key Events

  • December 2008 - Armenia endorses historic UN statement against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
  • September 2008 - PINK Armenia launches Information Centre in Yerevan
  • May 2008 - Armenian gay women group, the Women-Oriented Women’s (WOW) Collective, was established
  • December 2007 - PINK Armenia, second LGBT related NGO, was registered in Armenia
  • July 2006 - WFCE (also known as Menq), first LGBT NGO in Armenia, was formally registered by the Ministry of Justice
  • June 2006 - First (reported) symbolic gay wedding in Echmiadzin, Armenia
  • October 2004 – AGLA France organised first ever picket in front of the Armenian embassy in Paris. Around 30 gay activists protested on 30 October against homophobic outbursts by political forces and media in Armenia. AGLA's open letter to then president Kocharyan was published in Haykakan Zhamanak daily.
  • November 2003 - GLAG, first ever gay and lesbian Armenian group, was formed in Yerevan. Later, it was transformed into Menq - WFCE NGO
  • December 2002 - Decriminalisation of gay male sex in Armenia
  • December 2001 - AGLA France was established (ceased to exist in October 2007)
  • 1998 - LA Gay and Lesbian Armenian Society (GALAS) was established. Subsequently, LGBT associations were established in Armenian Diaspora elsewhere

Thursday, 22 January 2009

Armenia’s ruling Republican party spokesman “doesn’t like gays”

A new rubric by Aravot daily intends presenting a more intimate portrait of Armenian politicians and other ‘famous people’ chatting about family, first date, sex… Today it was Eduard Sharmazanov’s turn. He is a spokesman of the ruling Republican party in Armenia.

Perhaps being ‘inspired’ by Armenia’s endorsement of UN gay rights statement (ruling party?), he expressed his feelings towards sexual minorities, “as Armenian guy” of “normal Armenian value system”.

Eduard Sharmazanov says: “Apart from being a politician, I live my life following a normal Armenian value system. I accept that a person has rights which should not be violated but, as Armenian guy, I don't accept, for example, sexual minorities and strongly object such phenomenon”.
Բացի քաղաքական գործիչ լինելուց, ապրում եմ նորմալ հայկական արժեքային համակարգով: Ընդունում եմ, որ մարդը իրավունքներ ունի, որոնք չպետք է ոտնահարվեն, բայց, օրինակ, սեռական փոքրամասնություններին, ես որպես հայ տղա, չեմ ընդունում ու այդ երեւույթին կտրուկ դեմ եմ:
This is now part of his ‘intimate portrait’.