New Armenia: Revolution in the minds as PM Nikol Pashinyan stands up for trans weightlifting champion and against censorship

This was perhaps the most revolutionary speech that Armenia PM Nikol Pashinyan made so far. He stood up for human rights despite conservative hate groups’ backlash against (partial) state financing of the film re Armenian trans weightlifting champion, and offered his unwavering support to Mel. Inspirational and unprecedented for Armenia.
 
*video: 13 November 2019, PM Pashinyan answering MPs questions

[Of course, there were some problematic wording and passages in his speech, but the key here is to consider the context and view it as a whole.]

There is a huge resistance to the Revolution and its ideals from old regime linked circles. Left without usual source of illegal earnings but still able to utilise their illegal wealth and connections in state institutions and media, they try to sabotage and discredit Armenia’s new leadership.

Since the Velvet Revolution, old regime forces manipulated public agenda by exploiting LGBT rights and putting them against ‘national values’. After months of hesitation and trying to avoid directly addressing any LGBT-related issues, (I hope) government understood that without firmly and unequivocally supporting human rights for all, they simply leave more space for old corrupt circles and their proxies to keep manipulating it more and more, shrinking the space for reforms.

This speech followed another important one against censorship. Finally, Armenia has a PM who publicly confronts calls for censorship/limiting freedom of expression in art, culture etc. I love how he brought up an example of Charents. He could have gone further by quoting Charents homoerotic poetry, but hey, may be next time…


*video: 4 November 2019, PM Pashinyan live on his Facebook page

Few days before, a similar statement was issued by the Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Arayik Harutyunyan. This is what I expect from state reps in New Armenia: firm no to censorship without any conditional language. I hope these words will be evidenced in practice.

«Նախարարն ընդգծեց՝ Հայաստանում այլևս չի լինելու սատանիզմի հիմքով, այլ մտացածին հիմքերով համերգներ չեղարկելը: Արվեստը լինելու է ազատ, որովհետև անկախ պետության կարևորագույն գրավականներից մեկն ազատ արվեստն է: Ոլորտի գերատեսչության ղեկավարի խոսքով՝ որոշ մարդիկ, ովքեր փորձում են քաղաքական դիվիդենտներ հավաքել, հետադիմության առաջամարտիկներ են: «Այո՛, մարդիկ կարող են որոշակի սկզբունքներից ելնելով՝ ասել, որ այս արժեքն իմը չէ: Մենք պետք է հարգանքով մոտենանք մեր այդ քաղաքացիներին, այդ խմբերին: Բայց արվեստում ցենզուրա սահմանելն անթույլատրելի է», - շեշտեց նա:

Consider this also within the context of proposed radical reforms in education which are key in changing people’s mentality. Here we are: real issues vs manipulations by old regime and connected with them ARF Dashnaktsutyun party.

As frequently (if not always) in modern Armenia history, Dashnaks are on the wrong side of it. They manipulated this occasion and started actions against the reformist minister but ultimately against the government and PM. They supported hatred, discrimination, homophobia and transphobia under the disguise of fight against educational reforms and for ‘national values’.

Bizarre things happening in Armenia: government (!) advocates against censorship in arts/culture, while some cultural reps argue for censorship; government wants to give universities greater independence re choosing courses, while some students & uni reps prefer having compulsory subjects…

Also related: Ultra-nationalists Outraged by Outdoor Contemporary Dance Performance in Yerevan

*Trailer of documentary film re Armenian trans weightlifting champion Mel: “Mel and Meline"/"Մել" ֆիլմի թրեյլերը

And not to forget the shameful open letter by number of sport federations and sport personalities  against trans weightlifting champion Mel. It is utterly shameful and simply disgusting on so many levels. It illustrates how much hatred, homophobia and transphobia embedded in Armenia sport. To see so many united against ONE? Despicable. I never saw such unity by them for any good cause.

To remind, all those sport federations were (still are) affiliated with old regime reps and oligarchs, including BHK (‘Prosperous Armenia’) party head Gagik Tsarukyan (nicknamed ‘Dodi Gago’). They turned them into corrupt business enterprises to exert influence and keep sport under their control.

Ironically, newly appointed national ambassador for UNICEF Armenia - Olympic champion wrestler Artur Aleksanyan, is among the signatories. And until now, UNICEF Armenia office failed to act on this, instead promoting him further. Also, at least 3 of the signatories were charged over doping scandal. As they say: “գողն առաջինն է բղավում` բռնեք գողին” [the thief screams first - catch the thief]

*This is how I see New Armenia - full of colours. Picture - via Grigor Yeritsyan’s FB page, WCIT (World Congress on Information Technology) 2019 concert on Republic sq., Yerevan, 6 October 2019

The Velvet Revolution was an incredible event of historic significance for Armenia when people succeeded to change corrupt illegitimate regime. But in order for the Velvet Revolution to succeed, it needs to get transformed into a revolution in the minds.

Recent events culminated by Nikol Pashinyan’s speech effectively launched that very phase of the Revolution. Difficult road ahead but hopeful if successful - for all Armenia citizens, whether champion or not.

History in the making: for the first time in Armenia parliament, transgender woman addresses the state of trans people in the country

History was made in Armenia on Friday 5 April 2019, when during parliamentary hearings on the UN UPR (Universal Periodic Review - the process of a review of the human rights records of UN member states), for the first time ever, transgender woman Lilit Martirosyan, head of Right Side NGO, addressed MPs, members of Armenian civil society about the state of trans people in the country.

It was a powerful speech, right to the point, very well delivered. As subsequent reactions on Armenian FB and media illustrated, such level of visibility shocked the system. Instead of discussing the content of her speech, the main talking point on FB was the very fact that transgender woman was ‘allowed’ to enter and deliver speech in the parliament.

Parliamentary human rights committee chair Naira Zohrabyan of BHK party was ‘outraged’ by Lilit’s speech, citing ‘agenda hijacking’. She described Lilit’s speech “disrespectful” towards her personally, towards human rights committee and the parliament. Number of activists left the hearings as a protest re Naira Zohrabyan reaction.

What kind of ‘agenda’ you are talking about, MP Zohrabyan? Agenda that includes only convenient for you and your party topics? Agenda that excludes LGBT people from human rights discussions? If this is the agenda you are referring to, then it only deserves being ‘hijacked’.

To remind, Naira Zohrabyan became chair of human rights committee in the Armenian parliament solely as part of their party’s quota. She (and the party she represents) has no comprehension of the notion of human rights whatsoever and should be challenged constantly. They are so at odds with the ideals of the Velvet Revolution.

To complete the picture, suffice to say that following the hearings there were death threats on Armenian FB against Lilit Martirosyan, LGBT rights activists and… flowers for Naira Zohrabyan.

But hey, back to the positive news, well done Lilit !! Big respects !!

Below is a full transcript in English of Lilit’s speech, and video (English captions).

“Dear members of parliament, colleagues and guests,

We are making history today. Even a few months ago, it was impossible to even imagine what is today a reality in the post-Revolution Armenia.

I am delivering this speech to you from Armenian parliament podium, as a transgender woman. But I ask you to see me as a collective figure. Being a member of the Armenian transgender community, and the president of the Right Side human rights NGO, I encompass in myself tortured, raped, kidnapped, subjected to physical violence, burned, immolated, knifed, subjected to murder attempt, killed, emigrated, robbed, subjected to stigma and discrimination in social, medical, legal, economic areas and in every aspect of a dignified life, unemployed, poor and morally abandoned, Armenian transgender’s image.

Up until 2018, we have registered 283 similar cases against transgender people, and I don’t know what is scarier - this number or the fact that only a minor part of these cases were registered by the police or by other competent bodies? And if you take the above number “283” as the number of transgender people in Armenia, whose rights were violated, then, for me, it means that there are 283 criminals living next to me and you. And who knows, maybe the 284th will commit their crime just tomorrow. What is also concerning is that people who defend transgender people are also subjected to physical violence and persecution. In just one month, some people had cut the throat of a transgender person and have violently beaten the other one in their own apartment. And completely burned down the apartment including their personal belongings. Think about this, gentlemen.

I call upon you, including the representatives of transgender people, to get involved in the implementation of policies and legislative reforms related to gender equality and ensuring human rights in general. And we are ready to support you in building democracy in our homeland.

Thank you.”