Armenia’s 3rd largest city Vanadzor joins Yerevan in RainbowFlash to mark the International Day Against Homophobia - for the first time ever!!

RainbowFlash in Yerevan

*picture by Nazik Armenakian

*picture - via PINK Armenia Facebook page

For the second year in a row, PINK Armenia marked the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) with a Rainbow Flash.

RainbowFlash events are organized every year. According to the data, 48 cities have participated in the event in 2010, including Yerevan, and in 2011 the number has reached till 50. Countries that participated include; Russia (23 cities in 2010), Germany (21 cities), Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Israel, Czech Republic, Singapore and Armenia. [...] 

On May 17 at 7pm people gathered in Yerevan near the Swan Lake for participating in RainbowFlash 2011. The colorful part began when everybody received our pins with “As I am” message on it. Excited, with happy smiles and high mood, we were distributing between each other the balloons. Not only LGBT people but also some heterosexual men and women were involved. [...] 

So important to have this kind of small, but reinforcing and empowering events that inspire and revive hope. Hope and faith that it is possible to live in a country, where there are posters all around the city warning people to condemn homosexuality, because it makes the nation unclean… hope and faith that change is possible and we may create our own little Armenia; all-inclusive, non-discriminatory, friendly and cheerful regardless any characteristics… 

Rays of love and positive energy were around us that day!

I could see quite a few familiar faces in this video. Love you, guys!



[Read also from my archive: PINK & friends make history in Armenia by marking IDAHO and turning Yerevan sky rainbow]
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RainbowFlash in Vanadzor

Here is how the event was unfolded, as described by the local activist.

They didn’t have gas for the balloons. Instead, they blew the balloons themselves and put the relevant messages inside. At 4 o'clock they headed towards the “most important street” in Vanadzor. As they reached the main square, they divided and spread all over the square, and started fixing the balloons here and there. In 5 minutes, the square got ‘decorated’ (more or less) with the balloons. People started taking the balloons and destroying them to get the inside messages.

There was one guy from the media who did an interview with the activists.

After an hour or so, you could still see people walking with the balloons via the streets of Vanadzor.

I can only commend the activists in Vanadzor for this action and hope that people will get the messages... eventually