Outrage as Armenia Fund Telethon promotes homophobia

UPDATE 29 April 2011: VO.X frontrunner Aram Rian has re-edited and replaced the controversial portion of the band’s "I Love Armenia" music video, by removing the reference to homosexuality as “perversion”. We have reached a mutual understanding with the group and consider this matter resolved as dialogue has taken place. We no longer have reason to believe either Aram Rian or VO.X is homophobic, and we wish them success in their future endeavors.
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UPDATE 7 December 2010: Contrary to Twitter and Facebook reactions, the Executive Director of Armenia Fund, Inc. and the Executive in Charge of Production for Telethon 2010, officially denied that VO.X music video was aired during the Telethon 2010: "My name is Sarkis Kotanjian, I am the Executive Director of Armenia Fund, Inc. and the Executive in Charge of Production for Telethon 2010. Officially, I hereby state that no VO.X music video aired on Armenia Fund's Telethon 2010. Please stop this nonsense once and for all." (see comments section below).
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The idea of fundraising for a good cause that unites Armenians all over the world is a good one and difficult to resist. However, over time, there have been growing questions whether the Armenia Fund (http://himnadram.org and http://www.armeniafund.org), or “Hayastan” All-Armenian Fund, is serving its purpose in its current format, citing corruption and state of human rights in Armenia, you name it... (e.g. see here)

And now, as if all the above were not enough, one more concern has been added to the list.

This year the Fund’s Telethon became infamous for all the wrong reasons by featuring homophobic music video of the Armenian band VO.X.

I am not going to repeat what I have already said about VO.X (here and here). There are reasons why this band entered the Armenia Homophobia Hall of Shame:

Homophobic music video by Armenian band VO.X disguised under "progressive ideas"

Armenian music band VO.X on PR defensive to 'justify' homophobia

Number of Facebook and Twitter users expressed their outrage re the promotion of homophobia during the Fund’s Telethon, with calls for boycott.

@geoy:
@unzippedblog As a gay man I was donating year after year to #Armenia Fund. The homophobic song during telethon show outraged me. It's over!

@mmkarmenia:
no cent to #ArmeniaFund if they want to create this kind of a Armenia youtube.com/watch?v=5j8vf1…#homophobia #HateSpeech

@tzitzernak:
Wow -Not surprised some #armeniafund folks are homophobic, but how on earth did the video get approved??? @unzippedblog

Armenia Fund must set the record straight once and for all, and clearly distance themselves from the homophobia displayed during the Telethon. They must ensure that similar incidents won’t happen again, and those responsible for choosing this band held accountable. Otherwise, they risk further antagonising (if not already) a significant proportion of Armenians from the Fund.

Until then, there is no way I could support the Armenia Fund. I call others to refrain from supporting it too.