Educational short film on need for comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation in Armenia

This great educational short film (in Armenian), with the use of nice graphics and pics,  illustrates various types of discrimination, so widespread in Armenia, and why it is essential to have a comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation, including discrimination based on sexual orientation.


Մեկ հասարակություն ՝ մեկ իրավունք from EPF Armenia on Vimeo.

#госдеп2 - Russian TV programme by Ksenia Sobchak on motives of scandalous homophobic law in St Petersburg

Highly recommend watching #госдеп2 Russian TV programme with Ksenia Sobchak [Ксения Собчак] re homophobic law in St Petersburg. My personal favourite - among guests of the programme - was sexologist Sergei Agarkov. He did not speak much, but whatever he said was spot on. Armenian sexologists & co, especially the ones who became media 'stars', as of lately, should take a note of their colleague's answers.

And here is what journalist Olga Bakushinskaya said re motives of such laws and stirring up hatred and homophobia in Russian (and not only!) society: "... потому что людьми которые полны ненависти легче управлять" [...because it’s easier to rule over /manipulate with people who are full of hatred]. Quote of The Day, indeed.

More on this topic:

Gazeta.ru editorial: "Traditional orientation" (RU)

Must watch: Russian TV programme makes mockery of proposed anti-gay "propaganda" law in St Petersburg

How I ‘became’ gay. A very personal reflection ahead of return to Stalinism and Fascism in Russia

Georgia parliament approved anti-discriminatory amendment. Any crime motivated by sexual orientation - "aggravating circumstance"

Georgia made a significant step forward towards outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation. Georgian parliament adopted in its final reading anti-discriminatory amendment that will consider any crime motivated by sexual orientation an "aggravating circumstance".

We need similar provisions for Armenia too. I wonder if the European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) made similar recommendations for Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey? If they have not made yet, well, they should. A comprehensive anti-discrimination provisions covering, along with criminal code, health care, employment, provision of services, education and so on, should be a MUST in a way of furthering integration with the EU.

For now, I may only re-instate what I mentioned in my previous related post: As of now, Georgia is clearly the most advanced country in the South Caucasus in terms of legislative provisions on LGBT issues. [Read more: Georgian Legislation on LGBT Issues - “Regional Network Against Homophobia” book chapter]

*Civil.ge reports

Parliament approved on March 27 with its third and final reading an amendment to the criminal code making the racial, religious, sexual orientation or other bias motives of an offender an aggravating circumstance to be taken into account by the courts.

Aggravating circumstances, according to amendment, will apply to any offense motivated by “race, colour, language, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, political and other views, disability, citizenship, national origin, ethnicity, social identity, origin, property and other status, place of residence or other discriminatory grounds and intolerance.”

The amendments was made in response to recommendations from the European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), a human rights body of the Council of Europe, which has been calling on Georgia to enact legislation providing for racist motivation to constitute a general aggravating circumstance applicable to all types of offenses.

The initial proposal was prepared at the Civic Integration and Tolerance Council at the President of Georgia, followed by broad discussions with civil society groups and stakeholders, including in the regions in cooperation with the Public Defender’s Council of National Minorities in frames of USAID project.

In the process of further discussions in the Parliament, upon the recommendations of civil society groups the draft was amended to include not only ethnic, racial or religious factors in the list of discriminatory grounds but also sexual orientation.

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/

Fighting Phobia - Council of Europe video re: discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity

Featuring Anna Safaryan, from Human Rights Defender office, Armenia:

"Armenia as you know is a country in development. In this area, we have many problems, so it's very important for us to have the experience, to listen to experts who are really experts in this area, to hear their opinion, their work and after, have something we can use in our country."

(many thanks to Adrineh + Lara for French translations)



*Fighting Phobia - Discrimination on Grounds of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. Recorded at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg on 22-23 June 2011.

CoE country-specific "thematic studies" on homophobia & transphobia, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia and Turkey

I didn't have time to read the reports yet but FYI...

*source: Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights 

Country thematic studies on homophobia, transphobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity

For the preparation of the report “Discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity in Europe”, research was conducted in all 47 member states of the Council of Europe. For each Council of Europe member state independent national experts or consultants prepared a legal report and a sociological/social report to which access is given on this webpage. These reports are published for information purposes only. Any views or opinions expressed in the reports are those of the author and do not represent or engage the Council of Europe or the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights.

The country thematic studies relating to the 27 EU member states were shared with the Council of Europe by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). These were commissioned by the FRA to serve as background material for the 2010 update of its comparative legal analysis on discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity across the EU Member States. The views expressed in these country thematic studies do not necessarily reflect the views or the official position of the FRA and are made publicly available for information purposes only.

Armenia  Legal study on homophobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity  The social situation concerning homophobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation in Armenia Azerbaijan  Legal study on homophobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity  The social situation concerning homophobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation in Azerbaijan Georgia  Legal study on homophobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity  The social situation concerning homophobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation in Georgia Russian Federation  Legal study on homophobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity  The social situation concerning homophobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation in Russian Federation Turkey  Legal study on homophobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity  The social situation concerning homophobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation in Turkey

Armenia and beyond: No explicit recognition of persecution on the basis of sexual orientation in national legislation and data on asylum and refugee cases - Council of Europe report

Twenty-six member states have explicitly recognised in their national legislation that sexual orientation is included in the notion of “membership of a particular social group” (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden). In the other member states there is no explicit mention in their legislation. There are, however, at least seven other member states which, even in the absence of such explicit recognition, have had asylum claims in which sexual orienta- tion has been recognised as a ground for persecution (Denmark, Greece Norway, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom) evidenced by decisions of national competent bodies in these countries.

In the other 12 member states which are parties to the 1951 Convention there is no explicit recognition of persecution on the basis of sexual orientation as a valid ground for asylum claims either in legislation or in actual successful cases filed by LGBT asylum seekers (Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Estonia, Georgia, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Montenegro, the Russian Federation, Serbia and “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”).

*Read also: Groundbreaking Council of Europe report issues ‘red cards’ to many member states, incl. Armenia, for failing gay rights

Groundbreaking Council of Europe report issues ‘red cards’ to many member states, incl. Armenia, for failing gay rights

Details about Armenia (+ South Caucasus countries and beyond) related particulars - in subsequent posts

Full report: "Discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity in Europe"

Via Council of Europe: “Millions of people in Europe are discriminated, stigmatised and even victims of violence because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.”

This stark message from Commissioner for Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg, lays bare the scale of homophobia and transphobia in Europe, uncovered in his report launched today.

Speaking about lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender (LGBT) people, Hammarberg says: “They cannot fully enjoy their universal human rights. There is an urgent need for all European governments to remedy this situation and take policy and legislative measures to combat homophobia and transphobia."

The report is the result of a two-year study. It contains a socio-legal analysis of the situation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people people across the 47 Council of Europe member states, relying on data and information made available by public authorities, national human rights structures, non-governmental organisations and experts. It also builds on research and data made available by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights. [...]

Hammarberg adds: “There is considerable resistance among many people, including political leaders, to discuss the full enjoyment of universal human rights by LGBT persons. Even if this may not be a popular human rights topic, the time has now come to take the discussion forward and make it concrete. Converging efforts by the Council of Europe, the European Union, the OSCE and the UN are essential for ensuring the full enjoyment of universal rights by LGBT persons everywhere.”
***
Says Martin K.I. Christensen, Co-Chair of ILGA-Europe’s Executive Board (via PINK Armenia, via ILGA-Europe): “We hope that this report along with the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers Recommendations adopted in March and a number of the judgements by the European Court of Human Rights, will provide European countries with a solid road map towards full equality and respect of LGBT people’s human rights. We believe there is sufficient European consensus and legal foundation for such improvement, all is required to fill the existing gaps is a political will of the national governments to bring their countries in line with the expected European standard.”

Happy bday, "As You" / "ԻՆՉՊԵՍ ԴՈՒ" e-magazine !!

Happy bday to this new bilingual (Armenian/English) e-magazine "As You" / "ԻՆՉՊԵՍ ԴՈՒ". As promised by PINK Armenia, it was launched today to break the self-imposed silence marking the Day of Silence in Armenia. I look forward to reading challenging and thought-provoking articles on As You.

***
via As You:

Welcome to the “As you” newborn e-magazine! 

We offer you some interesting articles on various themes to judge upon.The major aim of the e-magazine is to represent the changes and activities occurring in civil society, raise such social issues that are often neglected and unfortunately are not being addressed. In this e-magazine, you may find articles about sexual health, human rights and about gender issues. In “Culture” section, we will present you stories about history outside the history. And the “Traveler” section is dedicated to the histories about Armenia by people through Armenia, their impressions and adventures.The periodical includes information about activities undertaken by various NGOs and services provided by them.

***
I particularly liked the description of "Diversity" project by PINK Armenia:

"[...] Positive changes, unfortunately, do not come overnight usually; it’s rather a long way to build and to pass and the very civil society has to input efforts and attempts in its turn to make the country more prosperous.

“Public Information and Need of Knowledge” NGO launched “Diversity” 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 ultra-nationalist 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 (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender)- related issues 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.

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.

This project aims to bring positive changes, nurture and spread the ideas of equality, civil society, as well as to fight the negative taboos, stereotypes and to eliminate discriminative attitudes of the society."

Here is hoping...

Police chief Alik Sargsyan, national security “hOrinats Yerkir” Arthur Baghdasaryan, and US State Department human rights report on LGBT discrimination in Armenia

Armenia

Societal Abuses, Discrimination, and Acts of Violence Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

Societal attitudes towards homosexuality remained highly unfavorable, with society generally viewing homosexuality as an affliction.

Persons who were openly gay were exempted from military service, purportedly because of concern they would be abused by fellow servicemen. However, the actual exemption required a medical finding via psychological examination that gays possessed a mental disorder, which was stamped in their documents and could affect their future.

According to human rights activists, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender persons experienced some of the most humiliating discrimination in prisons, where they were forced to do some of the most degrading jobs and separated from the rest of the prison population.

Societal discrimination based on sexual orientation continued to be a problem with respect to employment, family relations, and access to education and health care for sexual minorities.

In an interview with the Iravunk biweekly that appeared in the newspaper's December 24 to 27 edition, Artur Baghdasarian, secretary of the National Security Council that advises the president on national security matters, answered a question on homosexuality stating that, "Such conduct does not fit in with our society. Family and Armenian traditions prevail for people who were the first to adopt Christianity. Those unnatural things are unacceptable to us. I am against limitations of human rights in general. However, I consider homosexuality is extremely dangerous for Armenia." [Unzipped: Gay Armenia - read also “Unnatural” national security ‘top’/‘bottom’ Arthur Baghdasaryan says homosexuality “extremely dangerous” for Armenia]

In an interview in the Hraparak daily on December 6, National Police Chief Alik Sargsyan answered a question on the gathering of homosexuals in one of Yerevan's central parks, stating that, "We try to take them to such a place where they won't be seen, but they like to appear in public. We do not practice any violent measures, do not violate human rights, it is their business, but in our city, it is not appropriate for people…I cannot bear them physically." [Unzipped: Gay Armenia - some of my relevant posts re Alik Sargsyan]

***
Reports on Georgia and Azerbaijan
***
Relevant post from 2010: US State Department human rights report: "Societal Abuses, Discrimination, and Acts of Violence Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity" in Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

US State Department human rights report re: discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in Georgia and Azerbaijan

Georgia

Societal Abuses, Discrimination, and Acts of Violence Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

There are no laws that criminalize sexual orientation, male-to-male sex, or female-to-female sex. However, social prejudices against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) behavior were strong. The Georgian Orthodox Church strongly denounced such behavior. Cases during the year included death threats against an LGBT activist and the use of antihomosexual slogans by a candidate in the municipal elections.

There were a few LGBT organizations. However, they could not work exclusively on LGBT issues or work openly as LGBT organizations because of the extensive societal stigma against homosexuality; instead they promoted tolerance more broadly.

On April 8, threats were made against an LGBT activist by an anonymous administrator of a Georgian language Facebook Web page entitled "Death to Homosexuals." The threats were of sufficient concern that the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Prosecutor's Office opened an investigation. According to the Ministry of Justice, the investigation continued at year's end. Facebook closed the Web page of its own volition.

On May 25, the GYLA filed suit to suspend the candidacy of an opposition candidate in the municipal elections for posting antihomosexual messages on his Facebook Web pages. The NGO claimed that the messages violated the election code which prohibits fostering hatred and enmity. The Tbilisi City Court ruled against GYLA.

In August false rumors of a gay pride parade in Batumi sparked the condemnation of the Georgian Orthodox Church, including a statement from the patriarch on August 20, and led to protests in front of a hotel where organizers were reportedly staying on August 25 and 26.

In December 2009 police searched the office of an NGO that promotes LGBT equality. Reportedly, they used antihomosexual slurs, made unnecessary strip searches, unnecessarily damaged organizational posters, and unnecessarily ransacked offices. The Ministry of Internal Affairs denied that any procedural violations took place and maintained that the profile of the organization was irrelevant in terms of the law. The ministry reported that its General Inspection Office gave one officer a reprimand at the "severe" level in accordance with the police code of ethics, as his actions were determined to be unethical and inappropriate for police officers. Two other officers were also given a reprimand at the "severe" level for not preventing the above-mentioned officer from making the unethical statements.

The public defender stated his priorities included protection of LGBT groups and individuals.

Azerbaijan

Societal Abuses, Discrimination, and Acts of Violence Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

Numerous incidents of police brutality against individuals based on sexual orientation occurred, according to a local NGO. Authorities did not investigate or punish those responsible for such acts, largely because victims were unwilling to file complaints due to fear of social stigma.

During the year, members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community continued to refuse to lodge formal complaints with law enforcement bodies out of fear of reprisal or retaliatory persecution. Also during the year, the LGBT community held almost monthly gatherings; these were routinely raided.

During 2009 police raided gay bars on four occasions and arrested almost 50 persons. Police reportedly held the individuals and threatened to expose their sexuality publicly unless they paid a bribe. The human rights Ombudsman's Office intervened to resolve the incidents.

There was one NGO that worked on LGBT issues in the country. This NGO worked to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and provided legal advice, psychological assistance, and outreach activities. The NGO reported no official harassment of its work. There were no attempts to organize gay pride marches during the year; however, there was a small gathering on May 17 to commemorate International Anti-Homophobia Day.

On August 11, police found the bodies of two transgendered individuals, Zamiq Gasimov and Yadigar Kuzmin, in Baku. The police arrested three perpetrators who admitted to killing the two on the basis of hatred toward sexual minorities. A local NGO reported that it was unable to obtain updates on the case, for which the investigation had been closed.

In December the Prosecutor General's office issued a statement regarding a murder investigation that could be interpreted as linking "nontraditional" sexual orientation to criminal behavior.

There was societal prejudice against LGBT persons. While being fired from a job for sexual orientation remained illegal, LGBT individuals reported that employers found other reasons to fire them. Discrimination in access to healthcare was also a problem.
***
Report on Armenia - Police chief Alik Sargsyan, national security “hOrinats Yerkir” Arthur Baghdasaryan, and US State Department human rights report on LGBT discrimination in Armenia
***
Relevant post from 2010: US State Department human rights report: "Societal Abuses, Discrimination, and Acts of Violence Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity" in Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

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."

Video and report by A1+ on IWPR roundtable to discuss problems faced by LGBT people in Armenia (AM)

*via A1+

Նույնասեռականները բողոքում են

Այսօր Պատերազմի եւ խաղաղության լուսաբանման ինստիտուտի հայաստանյան գրասենյակում նույնասեռական անձինք բարձրաձայնում էին իրենց խնդիրների մասին, որոնց մասին երբեւիցե չեն համարձակվել խոսել: Պատճառները, նրանց ասելով` շատ են: Ի դեպ, այսօրվա քննարկմանը եկել էին բազմաթիվ հայ լեսբուհիներ եւ գեյեր:

Նույնասեռական անձինք կամ ինչպես իրենք են ասում` ԼԳԲՏ համայնքը (լեսբուհի, գեյ, բիսեքսուալ, տրանսգենդեր-խմբ.) խնդիրներ են ունենում բոլոր բնագավառներում: Պատասխանելով «Ա1+»-ի հարցին` «Հանրային տեղեկատվություն ու գիտելիքի կարիք» ՀԿ-ի ղեկավար Մամիկոն Հովսեփյանը նշեց, որ այսօր իրենց համայնքի ներկայացուցիչները աշխատանք հիմնականում կարողանում են գտնել սպասարկման ոլորտում, մյուս դեպքերում ամեն ինչ կախված է հիմնարկի տնօրենից:

Հիմնական խնդիրները, ըստ քննարկման մասնակիցների, ծագում են իրավապահ մարմինների հետ շփման ժամանակ: Շատ հաճախ էլ իրավապահ մարմինները գումար են կորզում նույնասեռական անձանցից` վախեցնելով, թե հակառակ դեպքում հարազատներին կասեն: Դա, ըստ Մամիկոն Հովսեփյանի, առավել ակնհայտ է բանակում, երբ հայտնաբերելով, որ ծառայողներից մեկը նույնասեռական է, նրան ենթարկում են բռնության, հոգեբանական ճնշման, ինչպես նաեւ` լինում են բռնաբարության դեպքեր ոչ միայն զինծառայողների, այլեւ հրամանատարների կողմից:

Նրա ասելով` նույնասեռական զորակոչիկի նկատմամբ ծաղրուծանակը սկսվում է անմիջապես բժշկական ստուգման ժամանակ. «Ես մինչ օրս ոչ մի գրականության մեջ չեմ հանդիպել, որ մարդու սեռական կողմնորոշումը կարող է դալտոնիզմի աստիճանով որոշվել: Չգիտեմ` ինչ-որ ներվային հիվանդություններ են փորձում ստուգել. ասում են` ձեռքդ պարզի. աչքերդ փակ քթիդ փորձի հասնել, եթե ստացվեց, ուրեմն հիվանդ ես»: Դրանից հետո Մամիկոն Հովսեփյանի փաստարկներով` նույնասեռական զորակոչիկին ուղարկում են հոգեբուժարան` որպես հոգեկան հիվանդ բուժման:

ԼԳԲՏ համայնքի ներկայացուցիչ Լուսինե Վայաչյանն էլ նշեց, որ տրանսսեքսուալներն էլ իրենց սեռը փոխելու համար ստիպված են լինում դիմել բազմաթիվ խորամանկությունների, քանի որ բացակայում են այն իրականացնելու օրենսդրական հիմքերը: Իրենց խնդիրների միակ լուծումը նրանց կարծիքով` կլինի այն ժամանակ, երբ կլինեն համապատասխան օրենսդրական նորմեր եւ հասարակության իրազեկումը:

IWPR roundtable - 'I would rather be labeled crazy than be raped in the army’: gay men in Armenia (survey)

*va Epress.am

The roundtable on LGBT issues in Armenia organized by the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) Armenia took place today. IWPR representative Sara Khojoyan opened the session by introducing the organization’s activities and mentioning that this roundtable was organized as a sort of follow-up to an article she had written earlier which described some of the issues LGBT people face in Armenia.

Then, Mamikon Hovsepyan from PINK Armenia (Public Information and Need of Knowledge) NGO introduced the research his organization had conducted and presented in May this year.

The project, called “We and Our Rights,” aimed to collect data concerning cases of discrimination and rights violation toward LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) people in Armenia and to find out to what extent legislation of Republic of Armenia regulates LGBT rights protection and their responsibilities.

Hovsepyan mentioned that discrimination against LGBT people occurs in all facets of life: at school and at work, in military service, while seeking healthcare services, and so on. He also mentioned that discrimination also occurs in the media — through news stories that ridicule, criticize and demean the lives and experiences of LGBT people in Armenia.

The PINK Armenia representative also referred to incidents of rape and violence in Armenia’s armed forces. Despite the fact that the World Health Organization (WHO) removed homsexuality from their list of mental disorders in 1990, according to Hovespyan, Armenia does not prescribe to the WHO criteria and still labels homosexuality as a mental disorder. Thus, gay men in Armenia can be exempt from military service if they state their sexual orientation.

According to the men surveyed in the report (as women in Armenia don’t serve in the military), they would rather be labelled “crazy” than be subject to rape or violence at the hands of their fellow soldiers or officers.

IWPR: 24 September 2010 - Round Table Discussion - LGBT community problems in Armenia

I'd like to commend IWPR for this initiative and look forward to 24 September. (For Armenian version of press release - see comments section below.)

***

Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) Armenia Branch is inviting you to participate in a round table discussion on Armenia’s LGBT community (lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders) problems and possible ways of their solution which will take place at 14:00, on 24 September, 2010.

Since no official surveys are conducted regarding LGBT community in Armenia with different structures claiming the community doesn’t experience problems at all, this round table discussion is aimed to raise some problems facing LGBT community.

Armenia’s LGBT community constantly faces discrimination in employment, legal and social fields. To show employment problems community currently deals with IWPR’s Caucasus Reporting Service published an article “Armenian Gays Face Intolerance, Discrimination in July, 2010 (http://iwpr.net/report-news/armenian-gays-face-intolerance-discrimination).

[Unzipped: Gay Armenia - for my reflections on IWPR article, see IWPR on employment discrimination because of sexual orientation in Armenia]

LGBT community often faces intolerance in Armenian society. Thus, US embassy emphasizes in its Human Rights 2009 report that “general societal attitudes towards homosexuality remained highly unfavorable”: “Society continued largely to view homosexuality as an affliction. Societal discrimination based on sexual orientation continued to be a problem with respect to employment, family relations, and access to education and health care for sexual minorities.”

During the round table Mamikon Hovsepyan, head of Public Information and Need of Knowledge (PINK) NGO, will present a report, called “We and Our Rights”, published as a result of qualitative research and legal analysis conducted by his organization in 2010.

Lusine Vayachyan will also present her thought on issues related to sex reassignment surgery (SRS), legal and other obstacles that make impossible to perform transsexual surgery in Armenia.

Representatives of Armenia’s Ombudsman office, police, ministries of justice and labor and social affairs, government officials, as well as representatives of local and international human rights organizations, media and LGBT community are invited to take part in the round table discussion.

Discussion will take place at IWPR’s Armenia Branch office, 39 Yeznik Koghbatsi St, Yerevan, Armenia.

This round table discussion is organized within Building Bridges/Building Capacity in the South Caucasus project supported by funding from the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) helps people living in the most challenging environments have the information and capacity they need to drive positive changes in their lives – holding government to account, demanding constructive solutions, strengthening civil society and securing human rights.

For additional information please apply to Sara Khojoyan or Zara Ghazaryan

Institute for War and Peace Reporting Armenia Branch
39 Yeznik Koghbatsi, 0010, Yerevan, Armenia
Tel/fax: +37410 53 92 04
Email: sarakhojoyan@gmail.com; zaraiwpr@gmail.com
Web site: www.iwpr.net

IWPR on employment discrimination because of sexual orientation in Armenia

One of the latest reports by the Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR) has a more specific focus on important problem - employment discrimination because of sexual orientation in Armenia. The author of the report describes experiences of few gay men, and how employment discrimination makes some gay men to engage in sex work - Armenian Gays Face Intolerance, Discrimination. Job-seekers routinely rejected because of sexual orientation.

Nineteen-year-old Argam Babayan’s dyed blond locks, carefully manicured fingernails, plucked eyebrows and eyeshadow set him apart from most young men his age in Armenia.

Fearing he would face discrimination as a homosexual in this conservative society, Argam used to explain away his unusual appearance by saying he was a follower of the “emo” trend in music and fashion.

Like all young men in Armenia, Argam was due for conscription into the army when he turned 18. But when he told the medical examiner at the draft office he was gay, he was rejected for service.

Since coming out, Argam has been unable to find permanent work, and has turned to prostitution as a way of earning a living. [...]

There are, however, few mistakes in the report I’d rather not see:

- “The main meeting point for members of Armenia’s LGBT community is Mankakan Park near Yerevan City Hall.” Wrong. This is not a “meeting place” for LGBT community. It’s a place for cruising and sex workers.

- A less important mistake but still... “Precise figures for Armenia are not available, but applying United Nations data showing that the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual, LGBT, community makes up between four and seven per cent of most countries’ populations, the number for Armenia would be 12,000 or 13,000.” Even if they consider conservative estimates of 4-7%, it’s not 12-13 000. One zero is missing.

What is important in this article is that it exposes one more time the attitude of human rights Ombudsman’s office: ‘no complain, no problem’.

The office of Armenia’s human rights Ombudsman seemed unaware that the LGBT community faces discrimination, saying no one had made a formal complaint in this regard. They made similar statements in past too.

“We get non-specific complaints such as that they’re hated or ignored, but nothing concrete,” said Grigori Grigoryants, spokesman for the ombudsman’s office. “Intolerance of gays does exist in Armenia because of the religious views here, but either nothing explicitly illegal is done to them, or else they haven’t come to us with specific complaints.”

However, I can confirm that there were formal complaints made too, which apparently got ‘conveniently’ ignored by the Obudsman’s office. But I would agree that most of such cases remain unreported. This is mainly due to lack of trust in institutions that are supposed to deal with such cases; and fear of being outed among family/friends.

In a follow-up piece - Story Behind the Story, journalist Sara Khojoyan provides an interesting insight on making this report. She describes challenges faced in getting in touch with gay Armenians, making them open up to her, and how this experience helped her to overcome her own prejudices.

When I was commissioned to write an article about Armenia’s gay community, I did not anticipate the problems I would face finding people to talk to. It took me a month to arrange the meetings I needed, each of them laboriously set up via a mutual friend.

[...] I had never met a gay man before, so I was as nervous about the meeting as he was.

[...] But it all turned out well – he was open and helpful, which helped me overcome many of the prejudices I felt.

[...] Each time I wanted to meet someone, a mutual friend would call them, tell them I was trustworthy, get their permission to give me their number, and then give it to me. It was a laborious process that shows the suspicions they feel about outsiders in a city where the police take no notice of their problems. [...]

What pleased me most about working on this story was that not only did I overcome my own prejudices and make new friends in the gay community, but I also learned a whole new system for making the contacts needed to meet them.

Annual group exhibit at NPAK to focus on identity and social structure

New opening at NPAK (Armenian Centre for Contemporary Experimental Art) - Annual Group Exhibition 2 September - 30 October 2010 curated by Sonia Balassanian.

"MULTI-LAYERED IDENTITY AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE"

Every individual has open and hidden layers of identity. Some are hidden and closed by personal choice, some because of social taboos, and others forced by socio-political pressures.

Closeness and openness of inner layers of identity is a matter of individual choice. There are some who have the courage and audacity of expressing a view, position or posture — on sexual orientation, political position, interpretation of historic events—which is either unacceptable or condemnable by the general public. But none-the-less they have the courage of expressing them.

Most of the artists usually express their personal and private feelings through metaphorical symbols. A situation, which enriches the work creates opportunity for interpretations, meditations and dialogue. There are also artists who are open and bold, which is also an acceptable mode of expression...

You may access this exhibit's brochure here

Study: Homophobia is associated with... homosexual arousal

What we all knew based on anecdotal evidence - that the most homophobic people could be in fact ‘repressed’ homosexuals - has its scientific proof. With all its limitations, this study from mid-90s published by the American Psychological Association provides conclusions that all homophobes out there will - without doubts - be ‘thrilled’ to know.

Is Homophobia Associated With Homosexual Arousal?

(access to full research paper)

The authors investigated the role of homosexual arousal in exclusively heterosexual men who admitted negative affect toward homosexual individuals. Participants consisted of a group of homophobic men (n = 35) and a group of nonhomophobic men (n = 29); they were assigned to groups on the basis of their scores on the Index of Homophobia (W. W. Hudson & W. A. Ricketts, 1980).

The men were exposed to sexually explicit erotic stimuli consisting of heterosexual, male homosexual, and lesbian videotapes, and changes in penile circumference were monitored. They also completed an Aggression Questionnaire (A. H. Buss & M. Perry, 1992). Both groups exhibited increases in penile circumference to the heterosexual and female homosexual videos. Only the homophobic men showed an increase in penile erection to male homosexual stimuli. The groups did not differ in aggression. Homophobia is apparently associated with homosexual arousal that the homophobic individual is either unaware of or denies.

Letters @ Unzipped: Experience at Yerevan cafe

[...] There's some really interesting things happening in Yerevan in terms of gay and lesbian culture, issues, and rights. Your blog has been a HUGE help for me in understanding things. I am in Yerevan for the first time and I felt totally lost, but your thoughts give me a pretty good navigation of things. 

Also, in terms of the "there are no gays in Yerevan" discourse, I had a really interesting experience at a cafe one morning. I have tattoos all over my body and the waiter came up to me and started to ask me about them. I said that I try to hide them as much as I can (which is hard because it's so hot here!) and he said that people here have them too but they hide them. They hide a lot of things. Then he leaned in really close and said "There's a lot of gays in Armenia but they keep it secret." I have been stuck on the affect of this moment for a couple of weeks now. I keep thinking about it. Why did he tell me this? Did he read me as queer and so decided I was a safe person to talk to about it? Was it his way of coming out to me? Was he just picking up on my sexuality and wanted to let me know that there were people like me here? I'm still rather confused. I talked to my father about it, who lived in Yerevan years ago, and he says that if I look different, my tattoos, piercings, etc., then I most likely also gay. But I don't buy into that. 

I don't know what it was about that moment but I cannot get past it. Any thoughts? [...]

T.S.

British Medical Association declares that 'conversion therapy' for gays is discredited and harmful

Medical profession in Armenia should take a note of this important development. This should be publicised among Armenian psychiatrists and other doctors, as some of them still offer (or attempt to offer) a 'therapy' aimed at changing sexuality.

The Independent reports:

BMA declares that 'conversion therapy' for gays is harmful

By Sarah Cassidy

Friday, 2 July 2010

Gay rights campaigners were celebrating "a watershed moment" yesterday after doctors said so-called "conversion therapy" designed to change sexuality was discredited and harmful.

More than two-thirds of doctors at the British Medical Association's annual meeting in Brighton approved a motion backing a call for the Royal College of Psychiatrists and other mental health standards bodies to reject such treatments and ban their use in their codes of practice.

Health departments should also investigate alleged cases of conversion therapy being funded by the NHS, the meeting agreed.

The vote follows a year-long undercover investigation published in The Independent in February. Patrick Strudwick, a journalist and campaigner, posed as a "patient" to reveal how evangelical therapists – some operating within the NHS – tried to "reorient" homosexual men and women using techniques developed in the US. One of the people Mr Strudwick interviewed described his treatment as "psychological torture".

Mr Strudwick called yesterday's vote a "watershed moment in the struggle for gay equality".

He added: "My undercover investigation for The Independent, which prompted this motion, highlighted the fact that not only are psychiatrists and psychotherapists still peddling these abhorrent techniques, but that in some cases the NHS are paying for it.

"Hopefully, anyone involved in the so-called treatment of homosexuality will realise that the medical profession considers them dangerous charlatans, and will reconsider their beliefs. I also sincerely hope that any vulnerable gay person who is unhappy about their sexuality takes notice of this motion and realises that it is the world that needs to change, not them."

Tom Dolphin, vice-chair of the BMA's junior doctors committee who proposed the motion, said: "Sexuality is such a fundamental part of who a person is, that attempts to change it just result in significant confusion, depression and even suicide. You can't just wish away same-sex attraction no matter how inconvenient it might be."

But Cardiff consultant neurophysiologist Gareth Payne said there was no "gold standard" evidence that conversion therapy did not work and was harmful. He said it was important to respect the wishes of patients who asked for the therapy.