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, 5 February 2009

Host of Armenian Public TV “2 Stars” music show Felix Khachatryan makes homophobic remarks

Apparently, there were some 'blue-coloured' references made by Felix Khachatryan, host of “2 Stars” (“2 Astgh” – “Stars on the Stage”) music show on Armenian Public TV. (“blue” is a mainly derogatory reference to gays in ex-Soviet countries).
The participating couples consist of one famous singer and another famous person, belonging to a different sphere (sport, politics, theatre, etc.). The judge and the TV-viewers during each live program assess the couples’ singing and artistic skills.
I do not watch that show, therefore asked around to confirm whether these incidents happened. Sadly, I got confirmations. Kind of routine homophobia, derogatory references and use of language by host Felix. Particularly, these remarks were made in reference to a duet performing I Will Survive (Anna Khachatryan & Mkhitar Avetisyan). I’ve heard also about one instance of offensive reference re “maleness” by singer-judge Shushan Petrosyan in reference to a male duo Aram MP3 & Garik Papoyan.

This is one of the rare but welcome occasions that I have to praise Aravot daily’s gay related publication denouncing music show host Felix’s use of homophobic references on Public TV. The author G. Hovsepyan makes some valid points implying that normally people who are insecure in their sexuality, or in closet, try to show off by using routine homophobia, listing similar other examples too. The author states that just because one defends human rights of blacks, women or “blues” does not mean that s/he is black, woman or “blue”, reminding that Public TV of Armenia is for “blues” too.

See, it’s this kind of Aravot I’d like to read more if not always. Aravot which exposes hypocrisy and fights prejudices, not the one which multiplies them.

«ԵՐԿՈՒ ԱՍՏՂ»-Ի ԿԱԶՄԱԿԵՐՊԻՉՆԵՐԻՆ ԵՎ ՀԱՂՈՐԴԱՎԱՐ ՖԵԼԻՔՍԻՆ

[...] Լավ, կարճ կապեմ, վերջում ուզում եմ ուղղակի դիմել «տաղանդավոր» հաղորդավար Ֆելիքսին. Ֆելիքս ջան, ո՞ր «կապույտ»-ից ես այդքան վառված, որ Հանրային եւ ոչ հատվածային հեռուստաալիքով ոչ մի առիթ բաց չես թողնում նրանց փնովելու: Լսե՞լ ես, որ ասում են. ինչքան շատ ես խոսում անկեղծությունից, այնքան կեղծ ես, ինչքան շատ ես խոսում քո երջանկությունից, այնքան դժբախտ ես, ինչքան ասում ես «սիրում եմ», այնքան քիչ ես սիրում եւ այլն...

Վերջում մեկ անգամ եւս ուզում եմ հիշեցնել, որ «Հ1»-ը հանրային հեռուստաալիք է, ուստի ոչ ոք իրավունք չունի ասելու՝ «չես հավանում՝ ալիքը փոխի»: Երկու դիտողություն եւս՝ սեւամորթների, կանանց, «կապույտների» իրավունքների մասին արտահայտվողը պարտադիր չէ, որ լինի սեւամորթ, կին, կամ «կապույտ»: Երկրորդ՝ Հայաստանի հանրային հեռուստատեսությունը դիտում են նաեւ «կապույտները»:
Գ. ՀՈՎՍԵՓՅԱՆ

Aram MP3 & Garik Papoyan


Anna Khachatryan & Mkhitar Avetisyan - I Will Survive


Lilit Hovhannisyan & Vahram Petrosyan - Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word

3 comments:

Mamikon Hovsepyan said...

This was the only program that I liked and could watch on this channel but during last show I was nervous because of Felix's stupid jokes. For example I know Shushan has so many gay friends so do Felix, how Shushan can ask: "Aram and Garik, you both are HEALTHY men, how you couldn't find girls to sing with them"
Bur Felix was repeating phrases about gays, during all event, what, he wanna hide something? cause I heard from different people that he is one of those "blue guys".
Also when he was presenting the song "sorry seems to be the hardest word" he was so sorry that once it was sung by Elton John, he was making stories why Elton John performed it with BLUE boys band and how they did it. I don't remember the details but he was so stupid, the program was awful

artmika said...

Thanks for providing more details, Mamikon. He probably thinks it's "funny". Well, it's not.

Summer School for Curators, Yerevan said...

At least, Aravot is being quite activist with its new publications. Perhaps, the bashing of Eva Hakobian made them aware that the daily was starting to resemble yellow press.
Angela