Norwegian Helsinki Committee calls Armenia authorities to adopt anti-discrimination legislation and tackle hate crime

Read also: DIY watershed: one year on since gay friendly bar firebombed in Armenia capital Yerevan

*via the Norwegian Helsinki Committee

One year after the bombing of the DIY pub and violent counter demonstrators attacked a Diversity March in Yerevan, Armenia still suffers from widespread intolerance and discrimination of minorities. The legislation does not include hate crime with intent towards gender and sexual minorities, and the government fails to protect the rights of these citizens. Media is more often used as a tool to build up under prejudice and intolerance, and homophobic statements are frequently used by stakeholders to gain popularity.

- The Norwegian Helsinki Committee is concerned with the development in Armenia, and supports local civil society activists in their struggle for tolerance and respect of all groups in the country, says Secretary General of the NHC Bjørn Engesland.

Women, LGBT-persons, ethnic and religious minorities are under increased pressure in the homogenic society. Any alternative behaviour is subject to public scrutiny from the neighbours to the authorities and might be seen as a threat to the national ideal of a masculine head of the family, ready to defend his motherland from the many enemies around.

Several state officials were justifying the hateful crime after the bombing of the DIY pub, including the spokesperson of the ruling Republican Party. Later the same month, a discreet march devoted to the UN World Day of Cultural Diversity was attacked by a large group of violent thugs, supported even by priests in their traditional black cloaks. The thugs were additionally provoked by the way the event was portrayed in the media as a gay parade. The police were initially protecting the participants of the march, but later advised the attackers of where they had taken refuge. [...]

The Norwegian Helsinki Committee joins the local activists in the aim to remove homophobia and intolerance in Armenia, and urge the Armenian authorities to

- Include civil society activists in the process to develop effective anti-discrimination legislation that also addresses intent and hate-crimes against all minority groups;

- Widely discourage homophobic and intolerant statements by public figures and derogatory terminology in the media;

- Prosecute offenders of hate crime and protect representatives of minority groups and their defenders. 

On 14-15 May, international experts and stakeholders will gather in Oslo for a two-day conference on right-wing extremism and hate crime directed towards minorities in Europe and beyond. The conference is arranged by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the NHC urge everybody who have an interest in the theme to watch the conference live via web here or get updates from the conference on Twitter using the hashtag #REHC2013

#nohate Roundtable discussion on hate culture in Armenia 1 year on following DIY firebombing

Read also: DIY watershed: one year on since gay friendly bar firebombed in Armenia capital Yerevan

*source: PINK Armenia

Exactly one year ago, on May 8th, 2012, three young men bombed DIY pub in Yerevan, which was

followed by scores of state officials justifying the hateful crime. In connection with this, on May 8, 2013 at 12:00 pm, Ani Plaza Hotel hosted “Hate Culture in Armenia: One Year Later”, a round-table discussion organized by concerned citizens with the support of Human Rights House – Yerevan.

The discussion began with activist Lala Aslikyan presenting a chronology of events that took place before and after the bombing. “DIY pub opened its doors in April of 2011 and was subject to frequent threats and attacks by groups of young fascists just a few months after its opening. Attackers would constantly destroy property, break bottles and glass, and spit on the premises,” said Lala. “At 5:00am on May 8th, 2012 five young men bombed the pub. A few days later, extremists graffitied the walls of the pub with images and symbols of fascism. Although the suspects were arrested, one suspect was bailed out shortly after and police released the other after he promised not to leave the country.”

Lusine Ghazaryan presented the legal process of the case, emphasizing that what happened was a hate crime because the act was aimed at destroying not only property, but to intimidate and threaten the owner of the pub as well as the safety of her supporters. “The criminals were charged under Article 185 of the criminal code, which does not include hate crimes,” said Lusine. Adding that this case might have great strategic importance, as it can bring significant positive changes in the law to include intent.

Mamikon Hovsepyan of PINK Armenia spoke about institutionalized homophobia and how every time there are elections, political parties draw attention to LGBT people and use homophobia as a means to gather an electorate since a majority of the population is homophobic. “They target specific people and last year after the parliamentary elections the target was Tsomak”, said Mamikon.

Human rights defender Arthur Sakunts noted, “the structure of the government is monopolized, which creates fertile ground for the emergence of different forms of discrimination to which religious organizations, LGBT individuals, women, ethnic minorities, foreign citizens and anyone else who is somehow different from the ruling majority are subject to. The solution to this problem is Article 1 of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia which states that Armenia is a sovereign, democratic, social state governed by the rule of law”.

Round-table participant Yura Manvelyan, editor of Epress.am said, “The mass media has created an image of the enemy: Turks, Jehovah’s Witnesses, homosexuals, and feminist activists. The journalist is the only connection between the editor and the microphone. Therefore, the journalist has control of how they want to create the story and twist it around. Usually journalists perpetuate hate culture through their own stereotypes and prejudices.”

DIY watershed: one year on since gay friendly bar firebombed in Armenia capital Yerevan

One year on... since neo-nazi thugs attacked gay friendly bar DIY in downtown Yerevan. Below are my reflections of what has happened since the event that should have sent shockwaves... Yet let’s see what has since changed.

DIY, the bar: no longer exists. While there are still gay friendly places in Yerevan, no longer there is a place (venue) that I can call *home*. Instead, a disgusting “Patriot Pub” full of ultra-nationalist hateful sh*t opened next door. Everything that DIY stood against.

The firebombers: still at large. The investigation took a year (!) to complete, and now the case is in the court. I wonder what exactly they were ‘investigating’, while everything was recorded and at least direct perpetrators are known and bailed out. The date of hearings is expected to be announced.

LGBT people in Armenia: they became less visible, less vocal. Do not expect any public actions in near future, not even to express protest by marking the anniversary of DIY firebombing. [There was a roundtable discussion on 8 May in Yerevan about culture of violence re DIY, I will post more about it separately, but this is not what I am referring to.] More people, including some prominent LGBT Armenians, left the country.

Diaspora: only very few individuals and groups (such as AGLA NY, GALAS, petition) publicly and unequivocally condemned the attack and government’s and legal system’s inaction to protect rights of its LGBT citizens and held those responsible for the hate crime.

International community: Despite some strong wording condemning the attack and condemning the endorsement of anti-gay attacks by some officials (US, UN, Council of Europe, EU), no REAL actions taken to ensure that respect for human rights, including LGBT rights, is an essential obligation reinforced by Armenia’s international partners before country's authorities and ruling regime. EU wasn’t even able to stage the gay themed Parada film screening despite previously widely advertised.

MPs, politicians of ruling Republican party and ARF Dashnaktsutyun party who endorsed the attack: spokesman for the ruling Republican party, deputy speaker of the Armenian parliament Eduard Sharmazanov [ԷՇ = Էդուարդ Շարմազանով] (example: Terrorists as ‘national heroes’? Armenia ruling Republican party spokesman and MP explicitly support firebombers of DIY bar in capital Yerevan and encourage anti-gay attacks), MP from the ARF Dashnaktsutyun party Artsvik Minasyan (example: MPs of ARF Dashnaktsutyun party bail out neo-nazi attacker of DIY bar. Dashnak MP Artsvik Minasyan supports arson attack, effectively encouraging terrorism in Armenia) + many more. Not only they didn’t get fired or demoted from their political or party positions, but continue with active public engagements and high profile within their respective parties.

Pretty grim, eh?! I am sorry that I can’t write more positive stuff and share with you stories of progress in Armenia. I can’t write how this case was a wake up call for Armenians. How this case shocked the society. How Armenian government and parliament adopted comprehensive anti-discriminatory legislation, and how hate crime definition was introduced into the criminal code to refer to crimes based on sexual orientation too. I am really sorry, I can’t share with you any of these stories. Because they never happened. Reality sucks big time pretty much in all spheres of life in Armenia.

But I want to end with a positive note, nevertheless.

Positive note: DIY case helped me to discover so many awesome people whose existence I would never be aware of otherwise. People, regardless of their sexual orientation, political affiliations who stood up for their LGBT friends, fellow citizens. People who detest and ready to fight the culture of violence and for human rights in Armenia. This was a watershed moment for me.

[For more background and posts on DIY, check DIY label on this blog]

"Speak up!": PINK Armenia’s anti-bullying message to mark Day of Silence

On the occasion of Day of Silence, PINK Armenia hold a press conference where they outlined the problem of bullying in Armenia’s educational institutions in particular, starting with anti-LGBT bullying and with other instances of bullying too.

Says Nvard Margaryan of PINK Armenia: “In various countries of the world, starting from 1996, the third Friday of April is celebrated as The Day of Silence. The main purpose of The Day of Silence is to focus public attention on discrimination and degrading treatment against LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) people and other social groups throughout educational institutions. Moreover, this day is meant to eliminate and prevent such phenomena in an effort to establish safer educational institutions for everyone, regardless of students’ sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnic origins, religion, appearance, social and other personal characteristics”.
Then she presented cases and personal stories, which were collected by PINK's staff members.

Here is a fragment of the press conference (AM) detailing cases of anti-LGBT and other bullying in Armenia.



And below is a video “Speak up” (AM with English subtitles), released by PINK Armenia, with real life stories and an important message to convey.

US State Department highlights LGBT discrimination in Armenia, DIY bombing and officials’ endorsement of anti-gay attacks

US State Department published its annual country-specific human rights reports, including Armenia related. In the chapter that highlights discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, the report specifically describes firebombing of gay friendly DIY bar in downtown Yerevan, attacks on Diversity march, as well as endorsement by ARF Dashnaktsutyun party and ruling Republican party MPs and officials, including vice-speaker of Armenian parliament, spokesman of ruling Republican party Eduard Sharmazanov and prominent ARF Dashnaktsutyun MP Artsvik Minasyan.

***
source: USA Department of State

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

No antidiscrimination laws apply to sexual orientation or gender identity. Societal attitudes toward LGBT persons remained highly negative, with society generally viewing homosexuality as an affliction. Societal discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity negatively affected the employment, family relations, and access to education and health care of sexual minorities.

On May 8, three men firebombed the DIY Bar in Yerevan, a popular spot for activists who promoted equal rights for women and minorities, including LGBT persons. Although there were no injuries, the bar was destroyed. Police were summoned but arrived 12 hours after firefighters extinguished the fire. The bar owner identified three suspects, of whom police arrested two, the brothers Hampig and Mkrtich Khapazyan. Legislators from the opposition Armenian Revolutionary Federation, Artsvik Minasyan and Hrayr Karapetyan, posted bail for one suspect and police released the other after he promised not to leave the country. A number of other National Assembly members, including Eduard Sharmazanov and Hovhannes Sahakyan from the ruling Republican Party, praised the actions of the Khapazyan brothers as a justified defense of the Armenian nation. Vandals spray-painted swastikas and threats against the owner of the destroyed bar on May 17 and 21.

Also in May the efforts of several NGOs to hold a “diversity march,” which local nationalists dubbed a gay parade, were thwarted by youths who shouted antigay slogans and tried to block the entrance to a building where a diversity exhibition was scheduled. Police ensured that there was no violence between the marchers and the nationalists and that the marchers were able to enter the exhibition while the protesters remained outside. The NGOs alleged that those who attempted to block the march were the same persons as those involved in the DIY bar bombing.

Openly gay men were exempt from military service, purportedly because of concern fellow service members would abuse them. However, the exemption required a medical finding, based on a psychological examination, that an individual had a mental disorder; this information was stamped in the individual’s personal documents.

According to human rights activists, sexual minorities were frequent targets for humiliating discrimination in prisons, where they were forced to perform degrading labor and were separated from the rest of the prison population.

Aregnazan or Magical World: queer, Armenian, futuristic video-animation - re-interpreting Ghazaros Aghayan fairytale (fundraising)

The Queering Yerevan Collective’s Indiegogo fundraising campaign is nearing its end, with only 6 days left at the time of this posting. It’s an experimental video project by Arpi Adamyan and Melissa Boyajian called AREGNAZAN OR MAGICAL WORLD. This is a unique collaboration between two outstanding artists from Yerevan and Boston respectively, who reconstruct and reinvent Armenian writer Ghazaros Aghayan’s fairytale, originally written in 1887, in a completely new way.

You can find out more about the project here: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/magical-world

Please, read artists' description below and make contribution to this queer, Armenian, futuristic video-animation, where the evil witch is replaced with an oligarch.


***
Aregnazan or Magical World is an adaptation of an Armenian epic fairytale by Ghazaros Aghayan. This olden day fairytale takes place near the base of Mount Ararat, a symbolic mountain to the Armenian people. The story begins with a father and his 3 children, 2 of which are beautiful girls. And the 3rd child, Aregnazan, was the most beautiful, but good spirits decided to hide the sex of Aregnazan until a day when it would need to be revealed for the greater good of the world. Aregnazan's father chooses to raise Aregnazan like his 2 daughter's, and dress them all in girl's clothes. However, Aregnazan disliked playing girl's games and learned how to ride a horse and use weapons. After the children grew up the father realized that there was future for them and that he must send 1 of his children out to fight for the king. He devises a test for them and disguises himself as a masked thief in an attempt to test the strength and will of his children. Aregnazan wins the test and leaves on a journey to save the king from a bear, defeat an evil witch who has imprisoned the citizens of the stone city, and save the ailing princess.

We are interested in adapting the story because of the unique representation of gender of Aregnazan within the story's beginning. However, the story remains very patriarchal and sexist in it's glorification of masculinity and lack of agency with the female characters. Aregnazan does not become a true hero in the story until completely transforming into a man. And of course the tropes of the sick princess, lovesick and waiting for her prince to save her as well as the wicked evil witch are also examples.

Our fantastical video animation is about Aregnazan's journey to self-discovery, redefining of traditions, love and revolution! Our piece is very important because it is offering an alternative narrative and representation of gender within Armenian culture! While our adaptation will still be following the journey of Aregnazan, Aregnazan's gender remains fluid throughout the story and will never become a man. Our version will also be reversing the roles of the weak female characters to be strong. The piece will make connections with socio-economic conditions of present day Armenia by replacing the evil witch with an oligarch, a symbol of the small very wealthy group of men that have monopolies on most of the resources of Armenia while a staggering portion of the population is unemployed. Some of the things Aregnazan encounters on their journey are a fight on a dangerous bridge, a meeting with a cyborg woman and a girl that can fly, and a revolutionary scene in the sleeping city!

The piece will not follow in a cut-and-dry filmic narrative fashion. The scenes contain performative actions between the characters that give reference to Armenian traditions and literature and reinterpret and queer their meanings. The performative gestures in some scenes can be likened to a choreographed dance of actions.  The video and animation will be layered together in post-production editing to make the already fantastical atmosphere even more stunning!

If you have not done so already, please visit our Indiegogo page and make a contribution to our project!

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/magical-world

Analysis: Nationalism and Sexuality in Modern Armenian Discourse

Good analysis by Marine Margaryan of PINK Armenia and Tamar Shirinian, PhD candidate in cultural anthropology. Few quotes below. For article in full: read Hetq Online (Armenian, English)

[re: DIY firebombing and attack on Diversity march] “If we comprehensively analyze this situation and the details of the events of the past year and the concrete incidents that took place, it becomes clear that the root of the problem is not nationalist organizations or their work in opposition toward LGBT people. Rather, we can consider these organizations as tools - mechanisms of a larger chain which are directed towards the public to strengthen the discourse of the authorities. Furthermore, LGBT issues have never been in this kind of agenda within our public before, and this is the result of the problem’s artificial escalation. The manipulation of LGBT issues through nationalist forces acts as one of a few mechanisms, through which authorities mobilize public, which is then naturally used to establish and secure power.”

“When public attention is focused on LGBT issues, authorities can guarantee that it will be able to distract away from dangerous topics and take social discourse toward their desired directions. It must be noted that this technique used by the state is not a new one. The target group being used can change.”

“Here we can cite Kagarlitsky (2006) who argues that fascism as an ideology comes about at a time when it is possible to create an illusion for the masses that they can solve poor social conditions by subjecting themselves to nationalist prejudice.”

[re: cancelling Parada film screening] “The discussion around LGBT issues in this manner creates a problem not only for human rights defenders, activists and anybody who advocates for LGBT peoples’ rights but also for international organizations who cannot even find a space to show a film. This should indicate to all of the various institutions that provide support to Armenia, financial and otherwise, for promoting democracy and human rights reforms to properly monitor the state’s actions, otherwise the work done by international organizations can be considered inconsistent and ineffective.”

Louna: Armenian Russian LGBT friendly "protest rock sensation"

Awesome. I did not know about this band until reading this article on Advocate: Meet Russia's Female-Fronted Protest Rock Sensation ["The Russian punk rock band Louna, and their sexy butchy lead singer Lou Gevorkian, talk about gay life in Russia, their beef with Madonna, and the masks we all wear."]

"Louna is widely considered the most successful rock band of the modern protest movement in Russia (though Pussy Riot has certainly gotten all the press internationally). [...]  Now Gevorkian and her Louna bandmates have found themselves with a larger audience, significant portion of which is queer girls. In fact, when we asked if Gevorkian was a lesbian, through a translater and publicists in Russia and the U.S., she was perplexed. She reminded us that while commonplace in America, such questions aren't usually asked in Russia, where there's been a crack down on anything promoting homosexuality. Still she and her bandmates, Vitaly Demidenko and Ruben “Rou” Kazarian, were eager to talk about their new album Behind a Mask (which has many songs that could speak to LGBT issues), their growing LGBT fanbase, and why punk rock is a lesbian thing in Russia."

I dig a bit further, and her full name is Lousine Gevorkyan. She is originally from Kapan (Armenia).

Wikipedia: Lusine «Lou» Gevorkyan (Russian: Лусинэ Геворкян, Armenian: Լուսինե Գևորգյան,
born February 21, 1983) is a lead singer of Russian nu metal bands Tracktor Bowling and Louna. Gevorkyan was born in Kapan. She was one of the founding members of the Russian band Sfera Vliyaniya, but she left this group one year after the establishment. Later, she was picked as the lead singer of another project, Tracktor Bowling, that became one of the most popular metal bands from Russia. In 2008, she founded one more group, Louna, and at the moment Lusine appears in both.



Another Armenian in the band is Rouben Kazarian / Kazariyan (Rou). According to Louna website, he is "the quiet maestro of Louna. Rouben holds a PhD in Political Science, is fluent in Korean, English and Russian, and is the composer of almost every hit song in the history of Louna."

He is working at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences as a staff researcher for the Korean Department. Here is what he had to say re human rights in Russia, religion and church in an interview posted on The Pit:

Rou: [...] we agreed that we would address the most pressing and sharp social issues in our lyrics. It was just natural, given the fact that the situation in the country began to actively stagnate, human rights were regularly violated, and those in power increasingly distanced themselves from solving social problems while at the same time plundering the country. We have been really angry about it and unfortunately nothing in our country has changed since Louna’s first day. [...] One of our strong and common convictions in Louna is atheism. We do not have anything against the beliefs that people have, but we are definitely against the Church as a form social organization and control. Unfortunately despite the advances in science, technology and knowledge the XXI century still has brought back the relics of the dark ages – religion has returned with a vengeance in Russia and in the world. That is an obvious result of the lack of education in our consumer driven society. Religion is a convenient tool to breed docile and unthinking people easily controlled and manipulated. Business is our statement against all this. Mama is a different story. This is how we see our fans and first of all ourselves coming to what we are now. I think the best way for me to describe Mama would be to cite Bon Jovi: “Welcome to wherever you are, this is your life. You’ve made it that far”
***
Back to the interview with the Advocate re LGBT rights and being gay in Russia. I do not agree with Lou that "There’s really not any real social problems as such as long as you don’t scream about it on every street corner." This is exactly THE indication of the problem. But I agree with her about marginalising and scandalising LGBT related culture and people, and using it by politicians & co to distract people from real issues. Similar things happening in Armenia too.

Advocate: You’ve done some work with LGBT groups. What does it mean to be gay this day and age in Russia?
Gevorkian: There’s really not any real social problems as such as long as you don’t scream about it on every street corner. It’s true that same-sex marriage is prohibited in Russia, but it doesn’t mean you can’t be together. However, the pop music industry has marginalized LGBT culture in Russia in the eyes of ordinary people by making them seem vulgar and laughable. It makes gays seem like freaks in the eyes of ordinary people. The church has tried to turn this around to their favor by making it a problem. I, on the other hand, really think that the scandalous attention given to such things serves only to distract people from political and economic problems. It’s like the situation when Madonna performed in Russia a few months ago. The politicians wanted to sue her for spreading gay propaganda when she voiced her support of LGBT issues during her show. By doing this they sparked another cheap scandal in order to make it look like they are doing something, like they’re doing their jobs. They use their power to show people that they are in control and that they make the rules.

Advocate: Lou, do you or any of your bandmates have a gay following?
Gevorkian: Of course, I have quite a lot of lesbian fans here. They are my friends. We always share our problems and emotions with each other. They’re just normal people who listen to rock. I don’t divide people between sexual minorities or majorities. I’m only interested in the human qualities of a person. Your heavy metal punk sound isn’t generally a genre that’s thought to have many gay fans. Is that assumption wrong?
Kazarian: I agree. And as I said earlier, gay culture [in Russia] is basically coming from richer people who are not into rock music. But you’ll find many lesbians listening to rock music. Besides that, we tend to play heavier than usual rock, and that probably appeals even less to the LGBT audience. I think that is a common prejudice. The LGBT community is definitely a minority in every country, but fans of really heavy music — like death metal, grindcore, hardcore etc — are a minority, too. So we’re ready to try to fix that injustice.
Gevorkian: As far as I know in Russia there are lots of girls who have homosexual relations who love rock and punk music.

TIME: Gay Marriage Revolution

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G .

...and totally inspiring.

TIME's cover story "chronicles how, thanks to a massive shift in public opinion, gay marriage went from inconceivable to inevitable in less than two decades."

TIME's new issue, featuring the story, 'How Gay Marriage Won,' hits newsstands Friday. Two couples who were photographed to illustrate the story appear on two separate covers this week. See more portraits from TIME's cover shoot. 

*Cover photographs by Peter Hapak.

Attack against gay friendly DIY bar and disruption of diversity march feature in the UK Foreign Office "travel advice to Armenia"

For the first time, updated "travel advice to Armenia" by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)  features attack against gay friendly DIY bar in Yerevan and disruption of diversity march by neo-nazi groups and elements.

In May 2012 a gay-friendly bar in downtown Yerevan was attacked and a diversity march in central Yerevan was disrupted by nationalist groups. See Local Laws and Customs.

Under the Local Laws and Customs, British Foreign Office continues:

Homosexuality was decriminalised in 2003 but is still viewed with disapproval by many Armenians. Local LGBT groups occasionally suffer from verbal and physical harassment. Although same sex couples are often seen holding hands and kissing in public, this is common in Armenian culture, and is not necessarily an indicator of sexual orientation. You should be discreet.

Soviet prisoners: criminal tattoo as "secret code language"

I posted about Russian Criminal Tattoo encyclopaedia and related small exhibit of photographs "Bodies As Text" in London.

The photo above I spotted recently in Saatchi gallery (London) as part of broader exhibit of Russian (ex-Soviet) art.

More about the author Sergei Vasiliev here: "Taken between 1989 and 1993, Sergei Vasiliev’s photographs of Soviet prisoners document the secret code language of criminals in the USSR, evidence of a gritty spirit of picaresque resistance within a violently repressive culture."

Report: young guy committed suicide in Armenia region Kotayq due to “unrequited gay love story”

Reports say (shamshyan.com) that young guy (25 yrs old) committed suicide in Armenia region Kotayq due to unrequited love to another guy (20 yrs old) who he was communicating with via Odnoklassniki social network.

Reports of suicide are sadly not uncommon in Armenia. Normally, we hardly ever know the reason why people commit suicide. Of course, this report is difficult to confirm, and there may be additional factors too but some sources say that it’s true... Interestingly, perhaps this is one of the rarest occasions that not only the alleged reason of suicide was mentioned, but that reason was “unrequited gay love story”.

Very sad...

NIV, the novel: Tel Aviv, Karabakh, four lovers, two centuries

Time for a confession. One of my New Year resolutions was to devote enough time to reading books. Unfortunately, due to work, travel and current events, I keep failing on this. True, people say we make New Year resolutions to fail them, but I really-really want to see this one fulfilled. There are so many intriguing books both on my book shelves and my ipad waiting to be read...

Anyway, here is the first book I will be reading, as soon as I find time, that is. This is a debut novel "NIV" by Israeli author Itamar S.N., published towards the end of 2012, and as far as I am told, touches the gay-themed topics with that of the Armenian Genocide, Karabakh, cross-border love and so on.

Consider this post as a kind of ‘info post’. As soon as I read the book (courtesy of the author), will post my reflections too. In the meantime, if you read the book first, please do share your reflections with me.

The novel comprised of two storylines: one contemporary gay Tel Aviv and the other one in around the time of WWI in Karabakh (1914).

As the author told me: “...while the book deals with issues which appear contemporary, it actually explores the timelessness of the human struggle to forge relationships. Two stories unfold in two different times and at two different locations, finally merging as one, with a touch of the supernatural.

One is the story of a young gay artist in today’s Tel Aviv, who falls in love with the agent in he backdrop of a modern society that still sits in judgment and makes it difficult for them to openly express their affections.


The other story takes place in Karabakh on the brink of WWI where a Muslim young man and a Christian young woman try to honor their commitment to each other in the midst of surrounding bloody events that demonize each in the eyes of the other’s family and community.


These four characters are actually two souls in different incarnations, which in a bright moment meet and recognize their parallel struggles. Their meeting results in the closing of their karmic circle, allowing the present day characters to evolve.”

And here is a description by publishers: “Niv, Erez, Katya and Anush are four young lovers who each experience a sexual awakening that threatens the rigid religious values and social attitudes that surround them. These pressures, the concerns of their families and the course of history itself, mean each must fight for the freedom to find their own way in life and the right to love the one they choose.

In this his first novel, Itamar S.N weaves together parallel stories to reveal tragic secrets and hidden truths. From the rural borderlands of Armenia and Azerbaijan at the time of the First World War, to the buzzing, cosmopolitan art scene of 21st century Tel Aviv, NIV is a story that will intrigue, surprise and inspire.”

I am certainly intrigued with the descriptions and with the Table of Content (!):

• Tel Aviv August 2011 
• Karabakh September 1914 
• Tel Aviv September 2011 
• Karabakh December 1914 
• Tel Aviv September 2011 
• Tel Aviv / Baku December 2011 

*The novel is available in Amazon in paper as well as kindle and bookshops (mostly gay) in Europe and the US.

How homophobia backfired: presidential election challenger Raffi stands up for human rights in Armenia

Here we are. Certain someone (tabloid editor, MP from the ruling Republican party) tried playing homophobia card against Armenia presidential election challenger, head of Heritage party Raffi Hovhannisyan but... shot himself in the foot.

That certain someone was Hayk Babukhanyan, or “babakh” (there are different variations of his nickname). In a press conference, reflecting the outcome of presidential election, this guy claimed those who voted for Raffi are “gays or ignorant” people. That’s around 37% of voters, even if we take official figures. True, there are different versions of the exact wording he used (here and here) but the essence is the same. All was done to play homophobia card against Raffi.

As I said repeatedly in past, although I disagree with Raffi on number of internal and foreign issues, currently he is my favourite Armenian politician (compared to others in public view). I also respect immensely his post-DIY stance, when he came out in support, even though it was obvious this would not be in line with the majority of average voters and in defiance with the prevalent anti-gay hysteria. I will never forget his stance.

Back to “babakh”. His attempt backfired spectacularly and generated backlash against himself on and offline  (examples: here and here) and all over Facebook. Of course, many of the comments were not particularly gay friendly, but it was hilarious to see how this homophobic politician’s statement resulted in a totally unintended consequences against himself. Unsurprisingly, his own party (very small one, supporter of ruling Republican party) issued a statement denying that such claims have been made. Too late, “babakh”. Too late.

But forget “babakh”. He does not deserve much attention. What is the most important aspect in all this story is Raffi’s response to him and people like him.

In an interview with Kenton TV popular “Urvagits” programme, Raffi hit back at attacks on minority groups (from 30.00 mins - see video below):



“All Armenian citizens have the same protection under the Constitution.“

“We need a constitutional state, where everyone's interests and rights are protected, and whoever violates against any group, minority or majority, will answer before the law, including those dear gentlemen”.

 «Բոլոր հայերը, հայաստանցիները Սահմանադրության տակ ունեն միևնույն պաշտպանվածությունը: Եվ ով այդպես խոսում է ուրիշների մասին, իմ կարծիքով մեծ խնդիրներ ունի որպես հայ մարդ, որպես հայաստանցի:

 Մեզ պետք չէ կեղծ ազգայնականություն, ո՛չ էլ կեղծ ազատականություն: Մեզ պետք է սահմանադրական պետություն, որտեղ բոլորի շահերը, իրավունքները պաշտպանված են: Եվ ով ձեռք բարձրացնի որևէ խմբի նկատմամբ՝ փոքրամասնություն թե մեծամասնություն, ինքը պատասխան կտա օրենքի առջև, այդ թվում այդ հարգելի պարոնայք»: 

Raffi is an exceptional politician for Armenia. I may not agree with everything he says but he has guts to stand up for human rights.

Big respects!!

US ambassador in Armenia celebrates diversity in LGBT inclusive video blog: “Diversity is Strength”

Good to see the US ambassador Heffern stressing the importance of Diversity and devoting to the topic his latest video blog.

He speaks of importance of inclusivity and tolerance to minorities, inclusive religious, LGBT, and gender equality.

“Diversity is a source of our strength.”

“By being more inclusive and embracing differences among us, we all become more united and resilient”.

Referring to the 'American Dream', he speaks of importance of equal opportunities, regardless of race, colour, gender, religion, economic background and sexual preference.

“And tolerance of minorities, including religious and sexual minorities, is not only the right thing to do, it makes everyone stronger”.

He salutes champions of diversity in the US and pledges to continue working with Armenian partners having that same goal in mind.

“Բազմազանությունը ուժի աղբյուր է”, concludes the ambassador in Armenian.

[Video with Armenian subtitles.]
 

Good news: stateless gay Armenian will be allowed entry back into US

Good news. Finally, after a year of being stuck in a real-life “The Terminal” status, stateless gay Armenian will be allowed entry back into US.  Thanks to UNHCR for following-up this case and assisting Mikhail. And thanks to Global Post for keeping us updated.

This case highlights the lack of legal provisions for stateless people in the US and the need to address this issue asap, and hopefully will help others to regain their human rights.

For more background info, read: CNN: Stateless gay Armenian man stuck in American Samoa in real life "The Terminal"

Updates via Global Post:

It’s been more than a year since Mikhail Sebastian became marooned on isolated American Samoa after a vacation gone wrong. Now the gay, stateless man, whose unprecedented situation baffled US immigration authorities and horrified migrant rights advocates, will finally be allowed back home to Los Angeles. Late last week, Sebastian was offered humanitarian parole by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, a rare status that allows the 39-year-old back onto the mainland while officials figure out next steps in his strange case. His attorneys believe he could be in California by next week once logistical details are worked out.

Sebastian has been stuck on the Pacific US territory since late 2011, but gained worldwide attention after being profiled by GlobalPost last October. A collection of supporters ranging from university professors to immigration attorneys has since pressed officials to allow his return.

“It’s freedom finally,” Sebastian said by phone from American Samoa this week. “I have lived a nightmare here.”

For many in Washington, the coffee barista and former travel agent has become a potent symbol of the broken US immigration system and a voice for the serious problems facing America’s unknown thousands of stateless people — people with no citizenship whatsoever. Up to now, America’s stateless have been largely ignored by policymakers, despite the fact that they are never able to adjust their status under US immigration law and live their lives in a sort-of permanent legal limbo. “What Mikhail has been able to do was bring the issue of statelessness into the light and humanize it,” said Lindsay Jenkins, an assistant protection officer at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) US office, which has assisted Sebastian with his case. “This really took a village. It was a great example of how many people are supporting this effort to help the stateless.” [...]

Sebastian became a minor island celebrity of sorts, said La Poasa, a reporter with the island’s KHJ radio who has covered the case. “I think after our last story, people were like ‘oh my gosh, he’s still here,'” Poasa said. “People are sad to see him go, but are definitely happy at the same time. I know I had some drinks with my friends and we cheered for him.” [...]

Last year, UNHCR launched a campaign that advocates hope could prod Congress to include stateless people in much-discussed comprehensive immigration reform. They want stateless people to be given a path to legal status, or at least travel documents that would allow them to travel outside the United States. Previous attempts at legislative reform, however, have failed repeatedly.
That doesn’t discourage Sebastian who harbors dreams of one day being able to travel freely and gain some sort of legal status. He hopes his case and its successful resolution will have implications for other stateless people who live deep in the shadows of American society. “This isn’t just about me,” Sebastian said. “There are so many people unfairly suffering.”

Man and a baby (Bari, Italy)

 ...and a bit of a rainbow ;))

P.S. For more on my travel diaries from Bari, Italy - see Unzipped: Putin, St Nicholas (S. Nicola) and Italian city Bari (travel diaries)

Human Rights Watch 2013 report on Armenia highlights discrimination against LGBT people

Below are relevant extracts from the Human Rights Watch 2013 report on Armenia:

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

In July, the NGO Public Information and Need of Knowledge (PINK) Armenia reported that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people experience employment discrimination, obstacles accessing healthcare, and physical and psychological abuse in the army, in families, and in public.

On May 8, unidentified people threw a homemade bomb at DIY, a Yerevan bar frequented by LGBT and women’s rights activists. Graffiti identified LGBT people as targets. Deputy Speaker of Parliament Eduard Sharmazanov called the attack “right and justified.” Police arrested two suspects who were released pending trial. Unidentified attackers destroyed bar property and made death threats against its owners in three subsequent May incidents. Police were called during each attack but intervened only once.

On May 21 in Yerevan, a group of people threatened violence and shouted homophobic slogans at participants in a march organized by PINK Armenia and the Women’s Resource Center Armenia to celebrate diversity.

Key International Actors

In its May European Neighborhood Policy Progress Report, the European Commission urged Armenia to address corruption, media freedom, low public trust in the judiciary, and inadequate investigation of ill-treatment. It commended the government for strengthening laws on gender equality and health care.

European Union foreign ministers’ conclusions on the South Caucasus adopted in February at the Foreign Affairs council in Brussels highlighted the importance of free and fair elections and further judiciary reforms, political pluralism, freedom of and equal access to media, and protection of human rights defenders.

In his July visit to Yerevan, EU President Herman Van Rompuy welcomed Armenian authorities’ efforts to deliver more competitive and transparent parliamentary elections, but cautioned that February 2013 presidential elections should be more democratic.

Following its July review of Armenia’s compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the HRC highlighted a host of concerns, including lack of comprehensive antidiscrimination legislation, violence against racial and religious minorities and LGBT people, discrimination and violence against women, lack of accountability for torture, and threats and attacks against rights defenders.

In May, the UN Office in Armenia condemned violence and intolerance based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The EU Delegation to Armenia and the CoE’s European Commission against Racism and Intolerance expressed concern over Armenia’s inadequate response to anti-LGBT hate speech and violence.

In a new strategy for Armenia adopted in May, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development stressed the need for “further steps” such as police and judiciary reform and facilitating media pluralism.
***
Unfortunately, there was no reflection on LGBT rights in Georgia and Azerbaijan related annual reports.

Gay and straight Armenians join massive marriage equality rally in Paris

Great to see visible Armenian presence during massive pro- marriage equality rally in Paris today. Both gay and straight Armenians, as well as Armenian families joined the rally with posters and interviews to express their support for marriage equality bill that will soon be discussed in the French parliament.

The largest French public TV channel "20h" information show interviewed the participants of the rally, and there was an Armenian family Catheriene and Serge Bagdadian with 2 lesbians daughters. The dad said that he wants this law to become real and also the right for lesbian women to have the possibility of artificial insemination so that he can become a granddad.

[You may watch the brief interview from around 11:30 on http://www.france2.fr/jt/20h] 

Respects!!

Today in history: Barack Obama highlights gay rights in an inaugural address

Obama made history today as the first President of the United States to highlight gay rights in an inaugural address:

"Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law – for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well."

Barack Obama, 21 January 2013 (*source)


Respects, Mr. President !!