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

Wednesday, 4 February 2009

Amazing social ad by group of students at Yerevan State University... and more

"This world is for everybody"

PINK Armenia reports that group of students at Yerevan State University prepared this amazing equality and tolerance related social ad, as part of their final term works. PINK Armenia also participated there.

Brave, tastefully made, right to the point. Well done, guys! Congratulations for this excellent work!! As far as I am concerned, you passed your tests with honors.



*English text of the video

- Being homosexual is not a choice.

- Being infected with HIV, doesn't stop me being your friend.

- By denying me, you don't help me to leave drugs.

- I am a sex worker...
- My mother is the best mother in the world.

- We all are equal, this world is for everybody


Another impressive example of social activism is by lesbian Armenians and their partners/friends. These photos below, via Queering Yerevan, entitled "Censored".

Queer

Միասեռական (in Armenian)

2 comments:

marina said...

Hiiiiiiiiii everybody!!! I'm Marine, one of the authors of this social ad!!!
I want to thank everybody who took part!!!
And I want to say that I'm shocked because of such illiterate and absurd point of view which is written in one of our most popular newspapers!!!
I call on everybody to be more aware of the issue they are representing, because that can become a source of many problems for many people!!!

artmika said...

Hi Marine! As I said in my post, impressive work, well done!! People like you and your friends give us hope that things may change in Armenia... for better.