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

Monday, 4 May 2009

Lesbian Armenian: moving and liberating personal account on ‘coming out’ to parents

I highly recommend reading this honest, moving and liberating personal account on ‘coming out’ to parents by a lesbian Armenian “Chicago Girl”. She just came out to her Armenian parents at the turning point in her life, after breaking up with her girlfriend of 5 years and turning forty.

She was out to (almost) everyone except family members, because she always thought that “family was different”. She was afraid of upsetting her parents. However, break up shook the things up in her life, and made her realised that she “allowed the fear of disappointing and potentially losing [her] family rob [her] of [her] own future happiness”.
[...] This break up made me reassess everything in my life. Two weeks after the break up I came out to my best friend from growing up and to my older brother and his wife (who were as supportive, loving and accepting). Then to my father (who said he loves me no matter what and that I am a great daughter). Then I had a nice, adult-like sit down with my mom and dad in their living room where I told them what I think I deserve in life and that they have to work towards acknowledging my sexuality. After that I told my younger brother. This mission could not have been aborted. I was determined, sincere, focused and gentle. And I did it for my future and the happiness of my future family.

The 'break up' also led to a 'shake up' in my soul. Coming clean like this was the closest thing to a religious experience that I ever felt. It was like being re-born; like baptizing my soul and liberating it from the immobilization caused by years of fear and some layers of shame. Today, I am a better, more self-aware version of myself. And, my life has transformed leading up to and after turning 40 in every way possible. As a result of coming out to my entire family, everything has changed. Except...my broken heart remains.
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