Anna Safaryan - Defender of Minorities Rights (Armenia Ombudsman Office)

*via Armenia Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) website

Anna Safaryan
Leading Specialist of Vulnerable Groups Protection and Cooperation with Non-Governmental Organizations

Equality is touchstone of justice; jointly both of them make the essence of freedom.

97% of people living in our country according to census data are Armenians by nationality. All national minorities together form only 3% of the population. But Armenia is a motherland of all its citizens, and all of them have equal rights.

The exceptional mission of Armenian Apostolic Church in the spiritual lives of our people is recognized by the State. At the same time the Constitution of our country provides free space to other religious organizations’ activities. No one should be discriminated for his national identity, religion, or sexual orientation. This is the real expression of democracy, pluralism, equality and freedom, which is fixed in the Constitution and is protected by us.

Defender of Minorities’ Rights

/emphasis mine/

Keep Yerevan clean of hate garbage - social ad by ArmComedy

FYI mayor of Yerevan and residents. Respects to ArmComedy.



Relevant posts from my archive:

Homophobic posters in Yerevan, Armenia 

Council of Europe issues non inclusive anti-discrimination report on Armenia amid rise in intolerance towards minorities 

PINK Armenia launches Diversity project

*full AM version
**full English version

Synopsis

“Public Information and Need of Knowledge” NGO (PINK Armenia) is launching this project, willing to reach a high level of acceptance of diversity, mutual respect and cultural sensitivity by promoting the ideas of tolerance, respect, and understanding. Nowadays, sadly, the rise of neo-Nazi movements and ultranationalists is registered. It’s a pity, but often activists of these movements take ultranationalist or neo-Nazi ideas for and represent them as nationalism, even worse – as patriotism. Gender based Human Rights violations, xenophobia, homophobia, neo-Nazism, ignorance and illiteracy will do nothing but flourish, if no serious actions are taken, if these issues remain unaddressed or silenced, or ignored, and the marginalized and discriminated groups will be defamed as ‘good’ as nowadays.

Addressing and fighting the issues of stereotypes, intolerance, xenophobia, homophobia, discrimination based on gender, including LGBT- related issues[1] are highly important for this project, as well as generally are the issues of any kind of discrimination based on age, sex, gender, sexual orientation. Moreover, a list of must-dos includes spread of knowledge on the issues mentioned above, inspiration, youth empowerment, preparation of human rights activists, cooperation with other NGOs, inclusion of wider public, marginalized and discriminated groups into the actions and events presented above. We especially stress the idea of youth empowerment all across the nation.

Main activities and events within the framework of this project will include – organization of seminars, round tables, flash mobs, exhibitions and other various types of cultural, social and public events, writing articles, creation of an e-magazine, building a relevant library and e-library, creation, translation and spread of various relevant materials with regard to the issues, challenges and to the scope of activities mentioned above.

Women Resource Center non-governmental organization will support us in the frame of this project.

The activities and events organized during “Diversity” project shall lead to the promotion and to better understanding of human rights both as a theory and as a practical tool to use in daily life, realities and situations, as well as in case of abuses, abuse reporting, etc."

Trainings/workshops/roundtable discussions

"There will be trainings, seminars and other types of activities organized for the active and promising youth willing to become human rights advocates, activists and peer-to-peer educators. Also, there will be supervision provided from our organization to other civil society organizations that will make steps towards organizing similar activities and events. It is through this kind of activities that there will be shaped a chosen core of active volunteers, activists, educators and peer educators especially in the regions of Armenia for whom we will organize annual trainings/workshops on the topics of human rights, tolerance, diversity and other important topics and issues."

"In the framework of this project we will implement round table discussions on matters that are relevant for marginalized and vulnerable groups in Armenia. The discussions are framed responsive to gender and LGBT issues. This kind of activities are a very good source to both gather and share proper, actual information and knowledge on problems these groups face today, also to find constructive solutions, to empower them and contribute to their consolidation."

Working with media

"Another sphere where we will extend our activities and will try to enhance cooperation is Mass Media. In Armenia, Mass Media is trying to follow the example of the state by leading its development toward the creation of a mass media system that informs and empowers all the members of the society, also enhances democratic values. Slowly, topics such are gender equality, gender based violence, LGBT issues, tolerance, human rights are being more discussed. Changes are visible. Nonetheless, there is still a lot to be done in that field either. Thus, PINK Armenia will cooperate with various types of mass media in order to promote and raise the issues of human rights, gender, LGBT, challenges that exist in those spheres, as well as means to overcome them."

Quarterly e-newsletter

"As a mean of possible cooperation with wider media, to help overcome difficulties concerning the lack of knowledge and information, we plan to create an e-newsletter with other activists and civil society representatives, which will be published once in three months. The newsletter will include articles about the projects, activities, events planned and carried by PINK Armenia and partner organizations. Also, there will be a room for recent domestic and international news concerning the topics of human rights, civil society, gender issues, LGBT community, sexual healthh, culture, etc."

Art Attack - Russia

*via Towleroad

A gay rights activist (top) and a migrant worker (bottom) who are part of Russia's art collective Voina took part in a mock lynching in a mall in Moscow in order to draw attention to the marginalization of minorities. The event took place in conjunction with Moscow's 'City Day' over the weekend.

More on Voina here.

Global Voices on Armenian LGBT blogs

Armenia: LGBT Blogs

Many thanks to Onnik Krikorian, Regional Editor for Caucasus at Global Voices Online, for this exceptional round up of Armenian LGBT blogs. I am very happy to witness that LGBT Armenians are becoming more active in using blogging tools as means to make their voice heard and increase their visibility in our society. In fact, this visibility is very slowly but increasing, indeed, and contribution of blogs is of great importance here as they are effectively the only sources which report on these issues. Sadly, as Onnik rightly indicated, traditional media remains silent or prejudiced towards gay community but there are some positive signs there too. Global Voices and its Caucasus editor are doing outstanding job in making voices of those under-represented and silenced groups and minorities heard, ensuring their wider exposure and audience.

Aravot newspaper: Routine homophobia on ‘behalf’ of Armenian bloggers

Thanks to the post made by Nazarian, I noticed this article by Aravot daily (in Armenian).

They dislike political games and disregard homosexuals

(title of Aravot article on blogging in Armenia)

What on earth homosexuals have to do with an article on blogging in Armenia, one may wonder. The answer is simple. Journalist Tatev Harutyunyan probably worried that her article on blogging would not attract much attention, so she had to sensationalise it, to spice things up. What else could be more attention grabbing than gay-related headline or homophobic rhetoric? Nothing, apparently.

The whole article was based on mentioning few Armenian blogs within the LiveJournal’s vibrant community and then an interview with blogger Uzogh (aka Ruben Muradyan). And it was from his words she somehow managed to build up that title, although as I understand from Uzogh’s subsequent post, it’s not blogging she was really interested in, but rather who bloggers support for presidential elections in Armenia and… ‘minortities’ as she put it – meaning gays. I am not going to go into the details related to the blogging part of that article, it is full of over-generalisations and mistakes, although I must admit that it’s one of the rare reflections of blogging and bloggers in Armenian media. However, Aravot journalist did not even bother making at least brief research on a subject matter (blogging) she was writing. What I want to do here is to discuss the issue of routine homophobia.

I was not surprised in relation to Aravot newspaper’s periodic ‘masterpieces’. Last spring it published an ill-informed and blatantly homophobic article on gay people in Armenia, ironically rightly stating that gay life is pretty much hidden in our country without even realising (?) that it’s partly because of media attitudes like theirs, that gay men and women prefer remaining ‘in closet’ (“hidden”).

Therefore, my first reaction was disappointment, not with the Aravot but with blogger Uzogh who I thought agreed to be published under that title…

I met Uzogh and couple of other bloggers in Yerevan for pre-New Year drinks. We had very pleasant time together. I still have good memories of our get-together. I did not specifically raise gay related issues there, because I thought it was not the occasion, although the topic came out naturally due to recent protest action by few bloggers, including Uzogh, who protested against Azerbaijani Days in Armenia and handed in soaps to organisers. Uzogh re-assured then that their last ‘soap action’ was not intended to be homophobic. And I believed him, although I would certainly prefer if bloggers use other than soap symbolic for their action, as soap in that context for any local Armenian (as perhaps opposed to foreigners or Diaspora Armenians) instantly associated with negative connotation related to gay people, in a kind of routine, but not always obvious way.

When asked by Aravot journalist what do Armenian bloggers write about “minorities”, implying gays, Uzogh (who was apparently considered in this article as a sort of voice of bloggers) answered: “There are more serious issues we discuss. What do you want us to write about gays [in original Armenian version – normally derogative shortened Russian use of ‘homosexual’ –‘gomik’]?.. how great that they exist? or let’s go beat them?..” So here we are: based on Uzogh’s answer, Aravot journalist concluded that Armenian bloggers “disregard homosexuals”. I wonder how would she categorise me or many other Armenian bloggers who certainly do not fit into that description?

I am glad that Uzogh clarified in his blog (in Russian) that the published version of the interview is over-generalisation and misinterpretation of his words.

However, what concerns me most is the widespread use of derogative references, e.g. Armenian or Russian versions of ‘faggot’ etc, by many Armenian bloggers in LiveJournal community. Some use it because of direct homophobic insults they want to cause; others use these words without specific homophobic connotation, just because they used to, because our everyday language is full of this sort of ‘labels’. Language is funny and at times dangerous thing: flexible, rigid, hiding or exposing. Overall, language is a good proxy of the social state of society, and in this case a proxy indication of the level of homophobia in our society, on very routine level.

Only when people start thinking twice before using derogatory language (like they do now in case of race references), it would mean that at least on formal society level it is not OK to insult people based on their differences.

People who routinely use these derogatory, homophobic references should understand that behind the ‘labels’ are people, like me, you…

Let's go to modern Russia, and here we are, we all - Armenians, or in fact any other Caucasus people, gay or straight, are minorities. There also a widespread use of routine hatred language there, in relation to non Russians, people of Caucasus origin, people who are different, whether in media or in everyday life. It also became an important proxy indicator of the level of racism and intolerance in Russia. We justifiably protest it, and unfortunately witness what are becoming frighteningly routine racist killings.

Intolerance towards one minority group generates intolerance towards other… creating the sort of environment where extreme right-wings, religious fanatics and others find it’s OK to attack foreigners or ethnic minorities, it’s OK to attack gay and lesbians, it’s OK to attack people with different opinions, political opponents, human rights activists, it’s OK to attack journalists…

Attacks on minorities: ugly face of Russia’s capital fuelled by its Mayor

Attacks on foreigners or ethnic minorities are becoming frighteningly common in Moscow, Russia.

AP (23 June 2007): Dozens of Russians brawled with people from the Caucasus and Central Asia in what Moscow police said was a coordinated attack by anti-immigrant and right-wing activists. Nearly two dozen people were arrested and one person was hospitalized. The violence Friday night was the latest incident involving hate crimes or attacks on foreigners in Russia, particularly dark-skinned immigrants from poorer regions and republics of the former Soviet Union.


Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov “condemned” the violence, telling the news agencies that "any display of chauvinism, xenophobia or nationalism will be harshly put down." What a hypocrite! Moscow became more intolerant (than ever!) under his governance.

I want to make parallels of this latest news on attacks on ethnic minorities and the very recent attacks on gay activists, which are also becoming frighteningly common. The same Luzhkov called gays “Satanic” and fuelled hate and violence towards LGBT people by extreme right-wing and religious fanatics.

Intolerance towards one minority group generates intolerance towards other. I am not saying that it’s the only reason, but I believe it is an important basis for creating the sort of environment where extreme right-wings, religious fanatics and others find it’s OK to attack foreigners or ethnic minorities, it’s OK to attack gay and lesbians, it’s OK to attack people with different opinions, political opponents, human rights activists, it’s OK to attack journalists… And we never saw any punishment, quite the contrary. As The Armenian Observer Blog recently stated, “It’s safe to kill Armenians”, in reference to the decision of Moscow court to acquit the murderer of 19-year-old Armenian Artur Sardaryan, despite the evidence of witnesses.

Two days ago Russia’s Supreme Court ruled that Moscow Gay Pride ban was “legal”. Mr Luzhkov says he will not allow a gay pride parade "in any form" and that any attempt to march in the streets will be "resolutely quashed." The quashing of resistance applies not just to gay people but to other who protest against the official line or who are simply different.

Reward: it looks likely that Moscow mayor will be re-appointed by president Putin for fifth term in office (!), I suppose, “for services to motherland”…