Japan-themed theatre play in Yerevan (Picture of the Day)

*via Paparazzi.am (Yerevan Puppet Theatre)

Deputy director of special school in Yerevan detained with charges of child rape and trafficking

A1+ reports, citing Yerevan police statement, that a deputy director of special school where children with anti-social (‘difficult’) background study, has been detained with charges of male rape and trafficking. According to reports, not only he allegedly raped at least one 12 years old male student but was also accused in physical violence towards pupils and forcing them to become beggars.

*Full A1+ report - under the comments section below (in Armenian)

Chaz Bono makes first public appearance with girlfriend Jennifer Elia

*365gay.com reports

Chaz Bono made his first public appearance last night since announcing his female to male gender transition. [read my earlier post - Cher's daughter Chastiti Bono comes out as transgender person]

Here’s Chaz and girlfriend Jennifer Elia at 2009 Outfest’s Opening Night Gala of “La Mission” at the Orpheum in Los Angeles.

Chaz is so likeable - and I think it’s great that the transgender community has another public face. The Daily News did a surprisingly warm story about his appearance last night, which is another good sign.

(photo - via 365gay.com)

Madonna's first naked photos on show in London

These are reportedly the first naked photos of Madonna made when she was 20 years old. They were later appeared in Playboy.

Not the most arty photos I've seen. Some other exhibits on display (as per below) were more interesting to me. These photos are on show (sale) at Impure Art gallery, 19 Earlham Street, Seven Dials, Covent Garden, London WC2, till 19 July.

Georgia Today: Georgian gays face upward battle in fight for acceptance

*Georgia Today

“My worst experience was not long ago, 2004, when a straight man made me give him a blow job and then threw me down the stairs, and beat me terribly.

Then he told me that if he ever sees me in this part of the city again he will beat me up the same way,” Babi said.

Babi B is a 50-year-old artist from Azerbaijan who has been attracted to men from a young age. Life at home taught him to keep his sexual orientation secret.

When his parents found out he was gay, his brother said he would purify the family’s name and slay him in an honor killing. The incessant aggression in Azerbaijan made him seek asylum abroad.

Although Georgia has bested its neighbor in many respects, homophobia and xenophobia are still deeply rooted in society.

Fighting a collective, Soviet mentality, Georgians are still lured into radical action fueled by politicians’ slush nationalistic messages.

Many things have changed in the world since Stonewall and Castro street, India decriminalized recently gay sex, but Georgians have veered little from their traditionalism. On Oct. 14, 2007, an incident on the reality show “Bar-4” that aired on Rustavi-2, a private television channel, stirred a controversy that revealed Georgia’s skeletons in the closet. One of the participants, Pako Tabaladze, made the jaw-dropping confession that he is gay and the whole nation was appalled. After his brazen deed, Pako was expelled from the show.

According to some media sources the decision was taken by the Georgian Orthodox Patriarchate, which often imposes its views on history, morality and sex on others.

It is no surprise that it does so successfully, when about 84 percent of the population is fervent believers. The Georgian Ombudsman, Sozar Subari, who is the country’s public defender, dismissed outright the case and decided to drop it from his report to parliament. Some politicians have made a career of restless hectoring of “the other.” During last year’s elections Nika Laliashvili, political secretary of the opposition Christian-Democratic Party said, “When I say the word ‘we,’ I mean the dominant culture, the moral majority in Georgia today.”

In 2006, on a mission to empower the community through free counseling and advocacy, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) NGO was registered. The organization offers free medical consulting and work with a psychologist. Though LGBT has received many threats, without breaking stride, the number of people visiting group sessions is three times higher today than in 2007. The NGO helps people overcome prejudices, their own, and those of others.

The organization’s president, Paata Sabelashvili, admits that “almost all have had bad experiences.” Although a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Georgia does not recognize “hate crimes” – a crime committed against someone because of his/her belonging to a certain group. Sabelashvili said that raising awareness in schools is unlikely since the Education Ministry does not show any enthusiasm to co-operate.

According to Sabelashvili, because of the patriarchal nature of society aggression against men is more tangible, while women are victimized mostly at work or at home. He added that the strong influence of the church, which often derides homosexuality, contributes to society’s intolerance of gays. While the LGBT president avowed that the level of homophobia in the country is “very strong,” he admitted that having a dialogue with young people is possible. This was proved after a lecture on “LGBT Rights” at Ilia Chavchavadze University received a positive response. However, the community is not ready to embrace gays yet, said Sabelashvili in a slightly regretful tone.

The Georgian Constitution says that “Everyone has the right to free development of his/her personality,” but a poll by the Caucasus Research Resource Center on, “What is your attitude towards different people?” begs to differ.

To the question whether you would be on friendly terms with gays, 81.4 percent replied “No.” The question, “Would you work with a homosexual?” received a 71.4 percent negative response. Interestingly, though, statistics about the distribution of HIV/AIDS cases, according to transmission route, show that 59.5 percent of Georgians are infected through intravenous drug use, 33.4 percent through heterosexual contact, and 2.7 percent through homosexual contact.

Nino Gvedashvili, a development officer with the Human Rights Center, said laughing that Georgian society is “very, very homophobic.” She said little has been done to raise awareness of the issue and conceded that some civil society organizations are also homophobic.

A recent media campaign for equality fell apart after the journalists who were supposed to participate and discuss minority issues did not show up or were silenced by their editors.　 Gvedashvili said that their organization has received threatening calls from the government in the past. Although she has gay friends, she said she does not support this lifestyle and prefers the union between a man and a woman.

On the streets opinions vary.

A philosophy student, Levan Shatberashvili, thinks that Georgian society is as homophobic as any other. He does not think that this problem is widespread, but said he does not agree with the idea of gay marriage. On the other hand, 78-year-old Georgian Professor Inesa Kiknadze said “Georgian society is not ready.” Gesticulating passionately, she said gays cannot be accepted because of strong traditions strengthened by religion. She personally does not care because she thinks that people are free. However, she admitted that reproduction is important and the gay lifestyle does not allow it.

Living in the shadow of a seemingly omnipotent church may not bode well for Georgians. Unable to escape from a traditionalist, communist mentality, society fails to recognize people’s right to live their own lifestyle. If Georgia is to integrate into Europe and become a fully-fledged democracy, fingers need to be wagged and wrists slapped.

Martin Tsekov
10.07.2009

*photo - via Georgia Today

Dorian Gray by Matthew Bourne

Matthew Bourne is one of my favourite contemporary British choreographers. I make sure not to miss his productions. So far, my top favourite among his works is the all-male Swan Lake.

And here is another treat: Matthew's interpretation of Oscar Wildes story of Dorian Gray . It's on Sadler's Wells in London 7-19 July. I've already booked my tickets. A must see, in my opinion. Below is a preview video clip of Dorian Gray.

London Gay Pride 2009 (photostory)

Video


































Slideshow (more than 200 photos)


*All photos are available on my Picasa Web Album

LGBT cartoons

*source: LGBT cartoons (thanks to lgbtusa.net & lgbtuniverse.net for the link)

PINK Armenia launches "Masculinity: breaking stereotypes" project at their new office in downtown Yerevan

PINK Armenia LGBT NGO launches "Masculinity: breaking stereotypes" project at their new office in downtown Yerevan.

On June 27 “Public Information and Need of Knowledge” NGO organized an event on the occasion of new “Information, Education, Communication” (IEC) office opening and “Masculinity: breaking stereotypes” program starting. The event was organized with the help of NGO’s staff, members, volunteers and friends. [...]

Within the framework of this NGO’s activities we organize trainings, group discussions, film watching and other events. You can get information about these activities from PINK calendar. And every Wednesday visitors can get psychosocial support and confidential and anonymous counseling concerning sexual health.

Main objectives “Masculinity: breaking stereotypes” of the program are to break stereotypes and spread tolerance. PINK IEC’s basic steps will be toward gender identity. Organization also continues its main and primary program implementation which is prevention of sexually transmitted infections and human rights protection.

PINK Armenia is now located at 2 Pushkin street. They work Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 19:00, and the office is open from 14:00 to 19:00 for anyone who is interested.

Congrats to PINK!! Their previous office was shut down due to financial reasons. However, they never stopped their activities, and continued working in the field with the help of friends and other NGOs. Along with blogging and being active via social networking sites, they also launched the official website of their organisation: pinkarmenia.org

London Gay Pride 2009 (video)

London Gay Pride parade (march), 4 July 2009

In this video: armed forces, police, fire brigade, National Health Service (NHS), Transport for London (tfl), British Airways (BA), sex workers, drag acts, Calvin Klein underwear models, swimmers, football players, Russian flags...



*Here is link to my Photostory

The Armenian Reporter on gay Armenians

Abused, mistreated, and stigmatized: Yet there is still hope for gay Armenians

by Yelena Osipova

Published: Saturday June 20, 2009

Yerevan - Last year 21-year-old Khachik, a university student from Yerevan, was thrown out of his home when his parents found out he has a "nontraditional" sexual orientation. Khachik told the Institute on War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) earlier this year that his parents said he was no longer their son and that he had to leave the house.

Khachik is far from being the only one in Armenia to face such an attitude, even from close relatives and friends. The same IWPR article quotes psychologist Davit Galstyan, who, throughout his career, has come across cases such as a mother rejecting her own children and sending them to an orphanage after learning that their father, her husband, is gay; or a father throwing out of the house his 14-year-old gay son, who then turned to street prostitution.

Social outcasts

On a social level, homophobia seems to be deeply ingrained in the Armenian psyche.

At least some representatives of the Armenian Apostolic Church have taken the view that homosexuality is a grave sin. In an online program "My Priest," where the Araratian Patriarchal Diocese provided answers to about a thousand questions regarding the stance of the Church on various issues, Deacon Tigran Baghumian wrote, "homosexuality is a spiritual vice and sin" and, since such relations are "unnatural," they should be condemned. He cited various chapters from the Bible to support his view.

Interviewed in 2003 by GayArmenia.com, chairperson of the Armenian Helsinki Association Mikael Danielyan said, "Our society is either illiterate and believes that homosexuality is a disease to be treated, or people simply do not wish to accept something which is different from their traditional understanding of morality and family."

Predictably, fringe groups like the "Armenian Aryan Order" have proposed sending gay Armenians to Europe, "as homosexuality is a part of the European values." But the attitude is not limited to the right wing.

A prominent environmental activist, Karine Danielyan, has described homosexuality as a national security problem, citing demographic decline in Armenia.

Legal matters

In 1922, homosexuality ceased to be a criminal offense in the newly formed Soviet Union. However, as Soviet mores grew socially conservative, it was later reintroduced into penal codes. Article 116 of the Armenian Penal Code (1961) said: "Sexual intercourse of a man with another man (sodomy) is punishable by confinement for up to five years."

The article was repealed in 2003, after the Council of Europe set decriminalization of homosexuality in Armenia as one of the requirements for joining the organization. What is more, in December 2008, the Armenian government endorsed a UN statement against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. That move caused a public outcry from some parts of the society.

The UN statement is just a declaration, however, and does not have the power of other legally binding documents.

A report, Forced Out: LGBT People in Armenia, released in February 2009 by the ILGA (International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Inter-sex Association) Europe chapter and the Centre for Culture and Leisure (COC), states that the protection of human rights in Armenia is very limited in practice. The report notes that "failure to respect, protect, and fulfill the rights of the LGBT people pervades all levels of society," be it the government, the community, or the family.

What is more, harassment and abuse by law-enforcement agents, along with institutional discrimination, still persist. Mr. Danielyan of the Armenian Helsinki Association, who has dealt with LGBT issues, has reported frequent cases of attempted extortion and blackmail by the police. In an IWPR article published in 2004, he said that the police have often taken advantage of gay men who would prefer to pay bribes rather than let the officers inform their families and employers about their sexual orientation. Furthermore, gay people can be arbitrarily detained, which is usually accompanied by verbal and physical abuse.

There have also been many reported cases of discrimination and abuse in the armed forces. Since homosexuality is regarded as an illness or pathology, most gays are barred from serving in the military. Those who are drafted, Mr. Danielyan says, can be later "diagnosed" with homosexuality, and sent to mental institutions for "special treatment."

If they get to perform their service, gay conscripts face humiliation, harassment, and violence.

Most gay Armenians live in fear and few dare to come out and stand up for their rights.

Problem with the media?

There is very little publicity for gay people in Armenia. Although the ILGA-Europe/COC report suggests that to date there are no publications, radio, or TV programs about the LGBT issues in Armenia, as well as no visible movement or community activities, there has been a lot going on over the Internet. Many social networking sites and blogs (GayArmenia.com; Unzipped: Gay Armenia Blogspot; Yesoudo.com) have become LGBT venues for making new acquaintances, participating in discussions, sharing news and information, and providing mutual support. Overall, since decriminalization, the situation seems to have improved at least for some of Armenian gays.

Micha Meroujean is the founder and president of the former Armenian Gay and Lesbian Association (AGLA) in Paris. He is originally from Armenia. He said in an interview with this author that despite several attempts at creating an openly LGBT organization since 2003, PINK Armenia (Public Information and Need for Knowledge) NGO is the closest so far. Although PINK primarily focuses on HIV/AIDS-related issues, it also promotes equality for LGBT people in Armenia. "You may say that the organization is there, but it is still very fragile," he added.

When these issues are addressed by the media, they are often treated with mockery and ridicule. What is more, references to gays often occur in news related to crime, HIV/AIDS, drug addiction, or commercial sex.

Aravot daily is one of the most popular and also one of the more independent newspapers in Armenia. In one place, it resorts to stereotyping: "As a rule, homosexuals work as hair-dressers, actors, singers, reporters, and models." In another, in writes: "Apparently, homosexuality is already regarded as normal even in Armenia; so normal, that we have even endorsed a UN statement against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation."

Representing sexual minorities in a fair, accurate, and balanced way would not only help to promote the rights of these groups, but could also promote the awareness necessary for breaking that vicious circle of victimization.

Mr. Meroujean said, "Armenian society needs to see, listen to, and discuss [the people it has considered] outcasts. When there is no public debate or contradictory information, the old clichés and prejudices persist and continue dominating public opinion."

Action needed!

Laws, by themselves, cannot change the situation, unless there is a proper climate to help progress. LGBT Armenians need changes beyond simple legislative reforms: the process of change is related to many cultural and educational factors, Mr. Meroujean said. He suggested, for example, that the government should introduce special awareness programs for university students and schoolchildren. "This needs to be done now. And the changes will come later," he added.

Other means can include more LGBT visibility, both, in terms of activism and public involvement; greater media coverage; public awareness campaigns; and, most certainly, lobbying the political and cultural leaders within Armenia.

Dziunik Aghajanyan, Head of the Department for International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in an interview, "We need to advance the human rights protection with an emphasis on respect and tolerance toward another human being, irrespective of political or any other orientation that he or she might have."

Society should overcome its own stereotypes, and should try getting over the idea of accepting "European-imposed" human rights. After all, Europe is where Armenia is striving to get one day, isn't it?

*Thanks to O.K. for the link.