P.S. The action. Photo, video, media reports: Armenia human rights activists protest and enter CoE conference in Yerevan exposing ruling regime’s hypocrisy

Perfect example of peaceful resistance by human rights activists in Armenia, who acted upon by exposing hypocrisy of ruling regime. Big respects !!

Perhaps, for the first time homophobia, anti-gay violence, along with other instances of intolerance and xenophobia in Armenia were so publicly and prominently confronted gaining wide publicity.

For more background info, read Unzipped: Text-book hypocrisy: Armenia hosts Council of Europe conference on combating racism, xenophobia and intolerance in Europe

Selected examples of photo, video, media and Twitter reports below.

Peaceful Demonstrators at COE conference today on tolerance. Thanks for being here. pic.twitter.com/sk7ExbGwIp
— Amb Heffern (@AmbHeffern) October 21, 2013

Pleased that Arm is hosting @coe Combatting Xenophobia conference. Amb Aves at opening session. Good that demonstrators had their say too.
— UK in Armenia (@UKinArmenia) October 21, 2013

Protesters entered the conference hall where the international conference “Fight against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Intolerance in Europe” was taking place - photos by Photolure

*Picture perfect

Epress: VIDEO: Armenian Activists Interrupt Conference on Combating Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance

 A group of peaceful activists staged a protest in Yerevan today during a “High Level Conference on Combating Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance in Europe” organized by the Council of Europe. The conference takes place in the frramework of theArmenian Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CoE).

Recall, according to the CoE website: “During the conference the participants will have the opportunity to reflect upon racism and xenophobia in political discourse, the role of human rights institutions in combating racial and ethnic discrimination, as well as topics related to combating hate speech and racial stereotypes on social networks and media.”

At 10:15 am, demonstrators protested outside the Armenia Marriott Hotel, where the conference was being held, pointing to the hypocrisy of Armenia’s authorities organizing such a conference. The activists recalled Armenian authorities’ reactions after the bombing of gay-friendly bar DIY, the threats against women’s rights organizations, and discrimination against members of the LGBT community.

The placards the activists held depicted the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) Coat of Arms, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, RA Deputy Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Khachik Asryan, and National Assembly Vice-President, HHK spokesperson Eduard Sharmazanov.

When RA Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian declared the conference had begun, the activists entered the hall where the conference was being held with the placards in hand.

Hotel security personnel, Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff, and the police attempted to escort them outside, but activists stood with their placards in front of the invited guests and stayed for about half an hour while the conference continued.

ArmeniaNow: Protesters disrupt high-level international conference in Yerevan

A number of protesters broke security and entered the conference hall at Armenia Marriott Hotel in Yerevan today to make their message heard by participants of an international event taking place there. 
The high-level conference attended by Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian and Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjorn Jagland is entitled “Combating Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance in Europe”. 

The activists held banners accusing the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) of “xenophobia and racism” and raising issues of women’s and LGBT people’s rights in Armenia.

In particular, they accused senior RPA member Edward Sharmazanov as well as leading representative of the opposition Dashnaktsutyun party Artsvik Minasyan of supporting those who bomb-fired an LGBT-friendly bar in Yerevan in May 2012.

The banners also mentioned another RPA member, Deputy Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Khachik Asryan, who called for burning an oppositionist at the stake over her critical comments earlier this month.

Hetq Online (with great photo-story): Protestors Disrupt International “Hate Crime” Conference in Yerevan

Activists protesting state sponsored discrimination and intolerance towards women and other minorities in Armenia, greeted participants as they entered Yerevan’s Marriott Hotel this morning for a conference entitled “Combating Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance in Europe”  Holding banners accusing the ruling Republican Party in Armenia and its officials as actually fomenting “hate crime”, the activists argued that the government itself should be the focus of the conference.

CivilNet (AM): Բողոքի ակցիա` Եվրոպայում խտրականության դեմ համաժողովի ընթացքում



[PINK Armenia: Appeal to the participants of the Council of Europe conference]

CivilNet (AM): Մի խումբ քաղաքացիների կոչը եվրոպացի պաշտոնյաներին

News.am - report, photos and video (AM) «Ֆաշիստական կուսակցության հետ չի կարելի քննարկել ֆաշիզմի հաղթահարումը». ակտիվիստները ներխուժել են դահլիճ 

Panorama.am - report, photos (AM) Ակտիվիստները եվրոպացիներին բողոքում են հայ «ֆաշիստներից», իսկ Հեֆֆերն էլ նրանց էր նկարում (լուսանկարներ)

Video by A1+ (AM): Իրարանցում խորհրդաժողովի ժամանակ

Georgia Ombudsman George Tugushi speaks at annual European LGBT conference

Good to see Georgia Ombudsman participated and presented at the ILGA-Europe annual conference currently underway in Turin. Let's hope, he will be as open and active re defending human rights for all and raising these issues back in Tbilisi, Georgia too.



*video of Georgia Ombudsman George Tugushi speech at the panel Human Rights and Traditional Values, ILGA-Europe annual conference in Turin, Italy. Thanks to @lishtotah for the link.

Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of Russia Today: 'Respect for gay rights could save Russia’s image'

Last September I posted on Unzipped about Russia-born Armenian Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of Russia’s main (state sponsored) English language TV channel Russia Today.

Citing Infox.ru, GayRussia.ru reports of a conference in Moscow aimed at discussing a seriously troubled international image of Russia. It took place on 15 June, with the participation of MPs, experts, public figures and journalists.

Margarita Simonyan raised the issue of recent police break-up of gay rights rally during the Eurovision 2009 in Moscow, prompting Infox.ru to headline its conference report as «Имидж России мог спасти гей-парад».

“This may seem like a minor thing for us, but in reality it has seriously spoiled Russia’s international image. After the break-up of gay parade, BBC dedicated an hour-long program to the event. The last time such thing has happened was during the August war in the Caucasus”, says Margarita Simonyan.

[…] Главный редактор телеканала Russia Today Маргарита Симонян вспомнила про разгон гей-парада в Москве, который долго обсуждался в иностранной прессе. «Это у нас кажется, что это мелочи, но на самом деле они очень сильно портят образ России. После разгона гей-парада этому событию была посвящена часовая программа на «Би-би-си». Последний раз такое было только во время августовской войны на Кавказе», — объяснила Симонян. […]

GayRussia.ru reminds that “Russia Today regularly and objectively covers different events in the life of the LGBT Community in Russia. This year the journalists of the channel not only covered the public action of the Slavic Gay Pride on May 16th but also the attempt to register a same-sex marriage on May 12th”.

These remarks by Margarita Simonyan are relevant not just for Russia. The state of gay rights and equality in any country is usually indicative of the state of human rights in general. This has, therefore, direct and significant impact on country’s international image.

Anyone who cares about Armenia’s international image should take a serious note of Margarita Simonyan’s remarks.

*photo - via Passport magazine

4th annual GALAS Armenian GLBT conference

"The Road to Equality: The Past, Present and Future of the Gay Rights Movement"

Saturday 18 April 2008

This year with prop.8 in the forefront, GALAS [LA Gay and Lesbian Armenian Society] is focusing the conference sessions on the important political issues relating to GLBT Civil Rights.

There are three sessions scheduled for the conference with excellent and notable speakers!

Session one, "Rear View Mirror: The History of the Gay Movement," we have invited Dr. Hale, a professor from CSUN and the Director of the Gender Studies Department. He is assembling a panel of speakers including guests who will speak about Proposition 6, the Briggs Initiative, etc.

Session two, "Detours: Current Events," will concentrate on Prop. 8 and what is happening right now in the California Supreme Court. The time line of the second session will start with why and how Prop. 8 was on the ballot, the election, and what has subsequently happened since the passing of prop. 8. The guest panel will include lawyers from Lambda Legal, representatives from the Gay and Lesbian Center, and managers of Vote for Equality Campaign who will speak about all aspects of prop 8 (the social, cultural, legal aspects...)

Session three, "The Road Ahead" will concentrate on action steps that need to be taken in the near and far future. This session will also include discussion about what plans are in gear with whatever decision is made by the California Supreme Court. Details are still in the works to make this an exciting session to conclude our conference. We will also speak about GALAS' future and its role in protecting LGBT Civil Rights.

GALAS Education/Resource Committee

Fighting for Muslim women's rights: International Congress on Islamic Feminism

"Some of the world's leading Islamic feminists have been gathered in Barcelona for the third International Congress on Islamic Feminism, to discuss the issues women face in the Muslim world." More...

http://www.feminismeislamic.org

2nd European Transgender Council transforms into 1st global conference of transgender activists

 

*based on press release

 

 

 

 

More than 200 transgender activists from 5 continents came together on 2-4 May for the 2nd European Transgender Council in Berlin.

Participants came from 83 groups and 38 countries, among them Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey,  Russia, Ukraine, Belarus,  USA, Peru, Japan, Namibia, Kyrgyzstan, Israel, Serbia, Iceland, Romania, Croatia.

Human rights issues, anti-discrimination legislation and an exchange of experiences on an international level were the central concerns of the Council.

The first comprehensive study (2007) of the legal rights situation and experience of health care of transgender people in Europe shows that transgender people continue to face massive violations of their human rights in most European states.

Despite much scientific controversy, forms of transgender continue to be listed in the DSM IV of the American Psychological Association (APA), just as homosexuality once was, and in the ICD-10 of the World Health Organization (WHO) as psychological disorders. DSM and ICD are guideline manuals used in healthcare to standardise the definitions of what constitutes mental illness. Transgender Europe (TGEU) emphatically refuses this pathologisation and will assist the next reformulation of the DSM in a critical manner, when this is carried out in 2011.

At the plenary meeting of Transgender Europe (TGEU), a new Executive Board and a new Steering Committee were elected, with representatives from Denmark, Germany, England, Ireland and Italy. The new President of the Organisation is Stephen Whittle, PhD, Professor of Equalities Law, Manchester Metropolitan University, President of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH, USA) and Vicepresident of Press for Change (PfC, UK).

Armenia participated in ILGA-Asia regional conference

Although a member of European Region of International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA), for the first time, Armenia participated in the 3rd ILGA-Asia Regional conference held in Chiang Mai, Thailand - 24 - 27 January 2008.

Acoording to "We For Civil Equality" (WFCE) Armenian LGBT NGO January newsletter, its head participated in this conference of about 160 lesbian, gay and human rights activists from both Asian and non-Asian countries.

"The conference was hosted by the Committee on Lesbigay Rights in Burma (CLRB) and M-Plus, a local gay group which runs a drop-in centre. Armenia was chairing plenary on transgender issues in Asia. A workshop was done on transgender issues and by Armenia’s initiative it was decided that Pan-Asian Transgenders Association will be established. The role of "We For Civil Equality" will be some kind of bridge between Europe and Asia."

"A street parade was held in the city for the first time as over 200 conference attendees, observers and members of the local LGBT community marched from the Buddhist Centre (Puttastan) to Pantip Plaza on Saturday night."

I certainly welcome this participation which indicates an increasing involvement of Armenian LGBT activists in various regional projects and collaborations.
***

Just one 'technical' remark: WFCE January newsletter states in relation to this news that "Geographically and politically Armenia is a part of Europe but culturally and morality is a part of Asia." While I would not go into debate as to which continent Armenia belongs to "geographically, politically or culturally", it seems everlasting and opinions differ, I find it bizarre the part about "morality". I personally would go for "politically and culturally - Europe", and geographically - Wikipedia description of Armenia as "transcontinental nation". As to "morality", that notion is the vaguest to define, and one could argue that "morality"-wise Armenia is closer to Greece or Balkan countries etc. In any case, I'd rather not mention "morality" at all.