Russian pride?

Prominent Russian gay rights campaigner Nikolai  Alekseev comments in Guardian:

Tomorrow, Russia will mark the anniversary of its 1945 victory over fascism. Meanwhile skinheads and neo-Nazis roam the streets

May 9, 1945, is a great day not only for Russia but for the whole of mankind. We defeated fascism, which threatened the destruction and humiliation of mankind, but the day was both joyful and bitter. Many people lost their beloved to this war. Every year, my grandmother would be invited to official celebrations of our victory but she never went. For her, in the words of a famous Soviet song, it was always a victory "with tears in the eyes". She lost her husband and could not save her little son's life.

My grandpa perished in April 1943, at the age of 31. He has no grave that can be visited by his relatives and I've only seen him in photos. It is hard to believe that he was just months older than I am now. I was named Nikolai in his honour.

Not so long ago, Russian president Vladimir Putin signed a decree for the establishment of a unified computer database containing information about the soldiers who died or went missing in the "great patriotic war". Several days ago I found the name of my grandpa in this very database which is available on the internet. More importantly, I also found one of his last letters home dated February 10, 1943. He was an artist by profession and he saw beauty in everything. In this letter to my grandma he wrote: "Katya, how good it is in Ukraine! You cannot even imagine these small thatched houses, painted in white and surrounded by little orchards, one could only desire to live here in summer." [...]

Luzhkov is not just a mayor serving his people. He is basically the owner of Moscow. He is the husband of the richest woman in Russia who, according to his own words, became rich not because of the high-ranking position of her husband but thanks to her unique business talents.

During his stay at the helm of Moscow, Luzhkov has not lost a single court case. He is allowed to build whatever and wherever suits him. He has the right to move people from their houses and flats according to his will. The system of kindergartens has been dismantled during his stay in office and parents can now only get a place for their child for huge money. He is allowed to ban any public demonstrations in Moscow. For the third year in a row this man has deprived me and my fellow activists of the right to go on the streets with human rights slogans in support of sexual minorities, openly branding us as satanists and weapons of mass destruction.

Two years ago, as part of the first Moscow Gay Pride, I tried to lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier next to the Kremlin wall as a sign of our fight against fascism. I was allowed to go no further than the closed doors of Alexandrovskiy Garden where fascist extremists of contemporary Russia pulled the flowers out of my hands and crushed them while I was arrested by militia as a criminal. The next day Mayor Luzhkov said that gays wanted to be irreverent about our sacred place and "they were justly beaten".

My grandpa wrote in his letter home: "A few days and hours are left to receive an order from General Headquarters to get into battle with this gang of fascists. One can hear the shots of our heavy weapons which hit the fascists and drive them from our native land. The end will be soon, and we will live again a happy life."

If only he had known 65 years ago, when he wrote those lines, that Russia would eventually cultivate its own fascism. Hundreds of people are killed in contemporary Russia every year at the hands of skinheads and neo-Nazis. Only because they are different - of a different skin color, of a different nationality, of different religious beliefs or different sexual orientation. The Russian authorities do not consider it necessary to fight this kind of fascism. Is it a healthy country in which foreigners are scared to walk on the streets for fear of becoming a victim of young thugs, who will later get a suspended sentences from court for hooliganism? Mayor Luzhkov bans the human rights marches of sexual minorities but at the same time allows the marches of nationalists who are calling to destroy all non-Russians. The latest example was a nationalist demonstration during the May 1 holiday.

Tomorrow, May 9, a "victory parade" will proceed to Red Square in Moscow. There has not been an event of this scale in the history of contemporary Russia - even for the 50th anniversary of the great victory in 1995.

I am often asked during our Gay Pride parades what we have to be proud of. Today I have a similar question about this military parade. What is Russia going to be proud of when its tanks and troops parade on the streets of Moscow? Controlled courts? The dismantling of democratic freedoms that were won with blood and sweat? The highest levels of corruption in the history of our country? Millions of homeless kids on the streets of Russian cities? The sale of babies from orphanages?

Or maybe thousands of soldiers who are dying in the army in peaceful times? Maybe the uncontrolled sale of the country's mineral resources? Or shameless ignorance towards the rise of xenophobia and nationalism in our country?

It looks as if this military parade is needed by the political elite in order to raise the very low feelings of its people. Alas! The necessity to demonstrate strength usually comes to the mind of the one who feels his weakness. [...]

The most terrible thing is that the anger towards German fascists, who killed my grandpa, melted in time. The ideology of fascism was fully defeated. Germany admitted the crimes that were committed and apologised to its victims. Today, there is much more anger against the authorities of Russia and Moscow who have led their own nation into lawlessness and hopelessness. It is horrifying that none of the representatives of these authorities will answer for these crimes nor even find the strength to apologise.

*photo - via Guardian

Gay Azeri artist seeks asylum in the UK

*based on No Borders South Wales and International Campaign Against Honour Killings

Babakhan B, (Babi) is an openly gay, internationally renowned radical artist and poet from Azerbaijan. His art and poetry have been explicitly critical of the government and present/past presidents. These factors have led Babi to become a target of repression and persecution over many years.  These factors have led Babi to become a target of repression and persecution over many years. He has recently been described by the government and prominent public figures as being a traitor to Azerbaijan.
Because of his sexuality and the radical nature of his creative activities, he has endured government-led suppression together with physical and mental abuse from other sectors of society. All this has taken place in a Muslim country, where homosexuality remains an extremely taboo subject. This led one of Babi’s brothers to threaten to kill him because of the shame which he has brought on the family.
As a result of beatings and bullying over the years Babi has only eight teeth remaining and suffers from a number of mental health problems - such as anxiety and panic-attacks, suicidal tendencies, together with insomnia and a general feeling of depression.
Since arriving in Cardiff in December 2006, Babi has engaged fully with various parts of the local community and has made many friends in his new home. Babi's current art practice involves making dolls from discarded items (mainly clothes and plastic bags), which he collects from the streets of Cardiff. In so doing he provides both a public service and makes us think about our relationship with our environment and how we look after it. These dolls have been exhibited internationally, most recently in Thessaloniki Museum of Contemporary Art in 2007, one of four exhibitions of his own work, which he could not attend due to the restrictions placed upon him by the asylum process.
He is still producing poetry, is writing a book about his art/gay life experiences and is also working on a film addressing the rise of Muslim fundamentalism. This latter work, as well as many other aspects of his art, would of course be impossible in his country of origin.
For the first time in his life, Babi felt happy and safe in Cardiff. He felt able to openly express himself artistically, politically and with regard to his sexuality, without associated feelings of fear, shame and imminent repression.
Babi’s claim for asylum has recently been dismissed by the home office. If he is forced to return to Azerbaijan he faces an uncertain and unhappy future. He will undoubtedly face severe persecution, from the state, community and family.
Model letters and addresses available at No Borders Wales

Heath Ledger portrait wins Australian art prize

Dreamy Australian artist Vincent Fantauzzo took home the Archibald People’s Choice Prize today for his eerie portrait of Heath Ledger, who died less than a month later. (source: Queerty)

Reuters reports:

A portrait of a brooding Heath Ledger, painted shortly before the Australian actor died in January, was voted the most popular painting in Australia's top art prize for portraiture on Thursday.

Ledger, 28, best known for his role as a conflicted gay cowboy in the 2005 movie "Brokeback Mountain," died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs in New York on January 22.

Artist Vincent Fantauzzo, 29, had been friends with Ledger for many years and painted his work in Ledger's hometown of Perth late last year.

"I wanted it to be dealing with self, your own consciousness and your thoughts," said Fantauzzo.

The painting features a bare-chested Ledger against a black background, looking straight out of the canvas with two other images of the actor at the sides whispering into his ears.

Fantauzzo's painting was a finalist in the 2008 Archibald Prize, Australia's top prize for portraiture, but he missed out on the top award, which went to a self-portrait of an artist with her two children.

But the Art Gallery of New South Wales on Thursday announced that the Ledger portrait had won the people's choice award, which is decided by votes from people who view the Gallery's Archibald exhibition.

More than 32,000 people voted, and the painting drew record crowds to the exhibition.

Fantauzzo has refused offers to buy the painting, and said he had spoken to Ledger's family, who decided the painting would be donated to the New South Wales Gallery in Sydney.

Ledger starred in 18 movies in Australia and Hollywood. He will appear as the Joker in the latest "Batman" movie, "Dark Knight," set for release in July.

Azerbaijani media plays “gay” sequel

Popular Queerty blog comments on what it calls "Azerbaijani media plays “gay” sequel":

The post-Soviet nation grabbed a surprisingly few headlines last month after (allegedly) trying to discredit journalist Agil Khalil by claiming he’s a gay. [...]

Now the same tricks are being pulled on Ali Karimli, leader of opposition party Popular Front of Azerbaijan… [...]

Planting a gay seed in an oppositional land rife with homophobic sentiment? Works every time!

Read original reports:

Azerbaijan: State Media Embroiled In Gay Bashing Controversy

Azerbaijan: Opposition Journalist Says He Is Victim Of Vicious Smear Campaign

Azerbaijan: State Media Embroiled In Gay Bashing Controversy

By Mina Muradova

Controversy is enveloping state-controlled media outlets in Azerbaijan after the broadcast of a television program that alleges Ali Karimli, one of the government’s most vocal critics, is a homosexual. Karimli supporters maintain that the broadcast is designed to discredit him as a potential presidential candidate in the autumn election.

Opposition leaders see the film as the de facto sequel to a broadcast aired earlier in April about a knife attack on Agil Khalil, a reporter for the Azadlig (Freedom) newspaper, a publication with ties to the Popular Front of Azerbaijan, the opposition party headed by Karimli.

Prior to the attack, Khalil had alleged senior city government officials were selling city-owned land privately to construction companies. In February, Khalil was badly beaten by national security officers, and, later, stabbed by unknown assailants. In early April, the state-run AzTV and the pro-government Lider TV broadcast a 30-minute tape that claimed Khalil’s alleged homosexual lover stabbed the journalist in a fit of jealousy. The reporter denies the allegations, which were roundly condemned by international human rights observers.

A similar claim has now emerged against Karimli. On April 22, Lider TV broadcast a 40-minute program that presented both Karimli and Khalil as the alleged representatives of a "sexual minority."

"Agil Khalil not only shares the same personality as Ali Karimli, but he also shares the same color," the program’s narrator alleges, making a reference to "goluboi" (light blue), the colloquial Russian expression for a gay man. "It looks like the inclination toward [this] sexual minority is a weakness of Ali Karimli’s and his circle." The program cites a "list of people with whom Agil Khalil has friendly relationships" to substantiate its claims. The broadcast added that Kerimli supposedly "directed" Khalil’s "youthful passion in the wrong direction."

Fuad Mustafayev, deputy head of the Popular Front, contends that the broadcast was defamatory and intentionally styled to inflict political damage on the opposition. To underscore the political intent of the program, Mustafayev added, it was rebroadcast a second time on April 29, Karimli’s birthday.

Other Baku observers agree that the programming was politically motivated. "Once again, it shows the immorality of the authorities," charged pro-opposition political analyst Zardusht Alizade. "They are using electronic media they control to frighten and to discourage not only their political opponents, but also potential voters. It is a lesson to others."

As yet, there has been no international reaction to the broadcasts concerning Karimli. Meanwhile, representatives of President Ilham Aliyev’s administration vigorously deny any coordinated effort to discredit Kerimli. "There is no black PR," insisted Ali Hasanov, a top presidential aide. "If it existed, the opposition media would be on the top of this," Hasanov told reporters on April 25. "Whether pro-government or opposition, journalists should always respect people’s honor and dignity."

At first glance, there would seem to be little reason for such a vicious personal attack on Karimli. Azerbaijan’s opposition, never robust, has weakened since the 2005 parliamentary elections. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. In addition, the consensus among observers is that Aliyev should cruise to victory in the autumn presidential vote.

Partisans of the Popular Front, arguably one of the best known and organized of Azerbaijan’s opposition parties, claim that the television program is designed to encourage the party to boycott the presidential election. Under the present circumstances, opposition leaders say they feel disinclined to participate.

"There are no conditions for an election campaign; in particular, there is no real freedom of assembly, while freedom of speech is dramatically limited," the Popular Front’s Mustafayev complained to EurasiaNet. "Under the current conditions, it is naìve to think about democratic elections in Azerbaijan. It is a farce, a tragicomedy and we do not want to contribute to this by our participation [in the elections]."

Former presidential advisor Eldar Namazov, now an opposition leader running for president, sees a broader purpose behind the broadcasts. "A smear campaign against opponents like this is used to prevent an outburst of people’s political and social [welfare] frustrations," suggested Namazov.

To date, aside from Namazov, only one other nominee has been officially designated to contest the October 15 election. On May 5, in an unusual twist on international election practices, Defense Minister Safar Abiyev nominated Aliyev for reelection. Five opposition parties are expected to eventually nominate candidates.

An opposition party boycott, said Hasanov, would have little impact on the campaign. "The participation or non-participation in the election is the business of each party," the Trend news agency quoted Hasanov as saying on April 23. "There will be enough candidates taking part in the elections."

*Eurasianet (6 May 2008 )

Azerbaijan: Opposition Journalist Says He Is Victim Of Vicious Smear Campaign

By Daisy Sindelar

In the video, a man indentified as Sergei Strekalin (pictured) says he stabbed Xalil in a jealous rage

(RFE/RL)

 

An Azerbaijani journalist who was seriously injured in a knife attack says prosecutors investigating the assault have launched a smear campaign against him.

The developments come amid growing criticism of Baku's press-freedom record and concerns the country's October 2008 presidential elections will see the muzzling of all nonstate media.

Aqil Xalil, a 25-year-old correspondent with "Azadliq," Azerbaijan's largest opposition daily, was hospitalized in March after being stabbed in the chest. "Azadliq" editors say the stabbing -- the second time Xalil had been attacked in less a month -- was tied to his work investigating corruption in major land deals in Baku.

Prosecutors opened an investigation into the stabbing after Xalil's case raised an outcry from Western officials and press-protection groups. But instead of tracking down the people responsible for the attack, Xalil tells RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service, investigators have focused their efforts on blackmailing him into offering a false confession.

"They gave me three options," Xalil says. "I could say that I was stabbed by one of my colleagues, or I could say that I stabbed myself. Otherwise, they said they would produce a video saying that I had been attacked by a man who was in a homosexual relationship with me, and then air it on state TV. So they said if I didn't want to be embarrassed, I would have to choose from one of these options. I was shocked."

Televised 'Evidence'

Xalil alleges prosecutors made the threats after forcing him to leave his parents' home in the Kurdamir region, where he was still recovering from his knife wound, and report for questioning in Baku on April 3. What ensued, says Xalil and his lawyer, was a daylong interrogation which included physical and psychological coercion and ran until 2 a.m.

During that time, Xalil says, an ethnic-Russian man was brought into the room with two men acting as witnesses. Prosecutors said the man, identified as Sergei Strekalin, claimed to be Xalil's homosexual lover, and confessed to having stabbed the journalist in a jealous rage.

Xalil speaks with reporters from his hospital bed after the stabbing (RFE/RL)

 

 

 

Xalil adamantly denies the allegations, and says he had never met Strekalin. Nevertheless, footage of the two men in the prosecutor's office was later presented as video evidence of the men's illicit relationship -- and broadcast repeatedly on all state-run television channels.

Despite purporting to identify Strekalin as Xalil's attacker, the true target of the video, which has headlined television news programs since April 7, appears to be Xalil himself.

Many of Strekalin's claims about his friendship with Xalil appear to be false. He alleges the two men met in the autumn of 2005; at that time, however, Xalil had been enlisted for military service and was not living in Baku. Strekalin speaks of offering cigarettes to Xalil, who does not smoke. Moreover, Strekalin speaks no Azeri, while Xalil speaks no Russian.

The video also includes "testimony" from two additional men who claim to have had sexual relations with Xalil. Although the footage is peppered with images of the journalist and references to "Azadliq," no mention is made of Xalil's investigative reporting or the paper's allegations that the attack was tied to his work.

Shock Tactics

The video has caused a sensation in Azerbaijan, a traditional Muslim country where homosexuality is considered a taboo and deeply shameful subject. Xalil's lawyer, Elcin Sadigov, has complained that Azerbaijani law prohibits the public release of evidence in an unsolved case, and says he will press charges against the Prosecutor-General's Office for what he calls a blatant violation of privacy.

Elsa Vidal of the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders press-rights group says the video is a blatant attempt to compromise Xalil for his reporting work.

"The means that are used to discredit one journalist -- to say that he's a homosexual -- are just shameful," she says. "There is no justification to use that kind of method. His credibility as a journalist is not affected by whether he is straight or a homosexual. We know that the journalist has been threatened and blackmailed. The real reason is not his purported homosexuality; the real reason is because he is a threat to the authorities."

It is not the first time that the specter of homosexuality has been raised by authorities in connection with a public controversy.

Ahead of the 2005 parliamentary elections, a number of state-run media outlets carried stories insinuating that a popular opposition candidate, Popular Front party head Ali Kerimli, was gay.

In 2000, John Elvis, a U.S. citizen who worked as a programs coordinator for the International Republican Institute, was killed in Baku. Authorities claimed at the time that his death was tied to a homosexual affair. The case has never been solved.

The Xalil video scandal comes as Azerbaijan prepares to enter a critical election season, with the dynastic incumbent, Ilham Aliyev, looking to secure a second term in October. Press watchdogs say authorities have intensified their crackdown against the nonstate media as the election nears.

Prime Target

Nowhere has the clampdown been more evident than at "Azadliq," which has been a target of the authorities' ire for years. The newspaper, an outlet for some of the most critical reporting on the ruling regime, was evicted from its offices in 2006; subsequently, it was fined more than $100,000 for technical violations.

Xalil's stabbing came less than a week after the editor of "Azadliq," Qanimat Zahid, was sentenced to four years in prison for "aggravated hooliganism" and assault and battery in connection with a 2007 incident in which he was accosted by a stranger.

Zahid's brother, Mirza Sakit, an "Azadliq" correspondent, is currently serving a three-year jail term on similar charges. He has been on a hunger strike for the past week.

Press defenders say the international community has failed to adequately censure Baku for its campaign against the media, saying many Western officials have turned a blind eye to free-speech violations in Azerbaijan because of the oil-rich Caspian nation's growing importance as an energy supplier.

In fact, authorities in Azerbaijan often appear to act with impunity. State TV first broadcast the Xalil video even as Miklos Haraszti, the special representative on press freedom for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, was visiting Baku for a trip that included visits with Xalil, Zahid, and Sakit. 

In a press conference in Baku on April 9, Haraszti called on authorities to stop what he called the propaganda campaign against Xalil, saying he had complained to state prosecutors about the video.

"I'm calling on them to stop it on many counts," Haraszti said. "It's practically illegal -- or should be, in a country which conforms to the rule of law -- because it's a violation of personal rights. But equally important, for me at least, is that it's also unethical to deny the role the media should play in society by gleaning the facts. Instead, they're making the facts unavailable."

Azer Ahmedov, the technical director of "Azadliq," says the video campaign against Xalil appears to be the latest attempt to silence one of the last critical voices left in Azerbaijan.

"All of this shows that the government wants to destroy the 'Azadliq' newspaper once and for all, before the presidential elections, and to use the example of our paper to deny the people of Azerbaijan access to free speech," says Ahmedov. "The beating and stabbing of Aqil Xalil is an integral part of this plan."

*RFE/RL (10 April 2008)

Today in history: 140 years ago today, on May 6, 1868, the word "homosexuality" was invented

*source: Box Turtle Bulletin (writing by Jim Burroway)

One hundred and forty years ago today, on May 6, 1868, the word homosexuality was invented.

Before then, there were very few value-neutral words to describe people who experienced romantic or sexual attractions toward others of the same sex.

Pejoratives such as “bugger,” “molly,” “sodomite,” or “pederast” were common, words loaded with condemnation and shame. But as the budding science of sexology began to grow, and as same-sex loving defenders began to speak out about what same-sex love was all about, their first problem was with how to name it. “Abominable vice” wouldn’t do. A new word was desperately needed to describe their lives and feelings.

The love that dared not speak its name couldn’t. It didn’t have one.

The first to try to name this love was the German gay-rights advocate Karl Heinrich Ulrichs. In the 1860’s, he described the urning as a “male-bodied person with a female psyche,” who is sexually attracted to men and not women. An Urningin was a “female-bodied person with a male psyche,” and Urningthum came to mean homosexuality itself. Ulrichs devised an entire system of classification based on different combinations of attractions and gender roles. Some of these words gained usage in English, although the less foreign-sounding sexual inversion and inverts to describe homosexuality and homosexuals respectively fell more naturally to English ears. But in a few short years, those words would become obsolete, replaced by the creation of an aspiring Hungarian writer.

Karl-Maria Kertbeny (or Károly Mária Kertbeny) was an Austrian-born Hungarian journalist, memoirist and human rights campaigner. Kertbeny reportedly became interested in homosexuality when a close friend committed suicide after being blackmailed by an extortionist. Kertbeny later said that this, combined with his “instinctive drive to take issue with every injustice” — as a Hungarian, he knew what it was to be a minority in Vienna — drove him to advocate for civil rights for gay people.

Kertbeny’s own sexuality remains unclear however: He described himself as “normally sexed,” but his diaries reportedly document his appreciation for the male form. When he moved to Berlin in 1868 at the age of 44, he was still unmarried. It was at around this time that Kertbeny coined the word Homosexualität — “of the same sex” — from the Greek prefix homo- (same) and the Latin root sexualis (sex). His first known usage of this word is documented in a letter he wrote to Ulrichs on May 6, 1868.

Homosexualität made its first known public appearance the following year, when Kertbeny anonymously published the pamphlet Paragraph 143 of the Prussian Penal Code and Its Maintenance as Paragraph 152 of the Draft of a Penal Code for the North German Confederation. This pamphlet advocated for the repeal of Prussia’s sodomy laws, saying that private consensual sex acts shouldn’t be subject to criminal penalties.

Homosexualität gained usage as other German advocates began putting forth the idea that homosexuality was inborn, a “medical problem” which placed homosexuality as a form of pathology or illness. Today of course we recoil at the abuses which arose from this “homosexuality as pathology” mindset, but in the nineteenth century this “medical model” represented a significant improvement in attitudes to homosexuality. Before Ulrichs and Kertbeny, homosexuality was viewed as a mere wickedness or moral degeneracy to be severely punished — often by pillory or death.

But Kertbeny appeared to understand the dangers behind the “medical model.” He not only saw that the “innate” argument was potentially dangerous, but that it was also irrelevant. In that vein, his advocacy for gay civil liberties was remarkably modern:

To prove innateness … is a dangerous double edged weapon. Let this riddle of nature be very interesting from the anthropological point of view. Legislation is not concerned whether this inclination is innate or not, legislation is only interested in the personal and social dangers associated with it … Therefore we would not win anything by proving innateness beyond a shadow of doubt. Instead we should convince our opponents — with precisely the same legal notions used by them — that they do not have anything at all to do with this inclination, be it innate or intentional, since the state does not have the right to intervene in anything that occurs between two consenting persons older than fourteen, which does not affect the public sphere, nor the rights of a third party.”

Kertbeny had another thoroughly modern idea about homosexuality, and this one is probably the most salient for understanding homosexualität’s triumph over urning and invert. The word homosexual doesn’t refer to any assumptions about gender roles or attributes. An urning, remember, was a “male-bodied person with a female psyche.” This of course bore a direct reference to effeminacy, a presumed hallmark of all gay men. And urningin, a “female-bodied person with a male psyche,” referred to lesbians’ perceived innate masculinity. (The English term invert carried with it similar assumptions of “inverse” gender characteristics.) But in writing about homosexuality, Kertbeny pointedly noted that homosexual men were not necessarily effeminate, citing several heroic historical figures as examples.

In 1880, Gustav Jäger used Kertbeny’s homosexualität in his book Discovery of the Soul. That book also included Kertbeny’s other useful word heterosexualität. Then the German sex researcher Richard von Krafft-Ebing borrowed those terms for his highly influential 1886 Psychopathia Sexualis. Homosexuality appears to have entered the English language at about 1895, which is when Charles Gilbert Chaddock translated Psychopathia Sexualis into English. And when Sigmund Freud used it in his books and lectures, he propelled its use among psychologists and psychoanalysts as well as in popular culture.

But admiration for the new word wasn’t universal. English sexologist Havelock Ellis, whose 1897 work Sexual Inversion became one of the first widely published English texts to deal with homosexuality, hated its bastardization of Greek and Latin. “‘Homosexual’ is a barbarously hybrid word,” Ellis wrote in a footnote. “It is, however, convenient, and now widely used. ‘Homogenic’ has been suggested as a substitute.”

Homogenic never caught on, and Ellis ended up using the word homosexual himself more often in his text than the terminology found in his volume’s title. By the 1930’s the homosexual, heterosexual and bisexual had almost completely erased the Urning and the invert for describing an individual’s sexual orientation.

Kertbeny however didn’t live to see his Homosexualität in widespread use. He died of a stroke in Budapest in 1882 at the age of 58, still unmarried. He was buried in Budapest’s Kerepesi Cemetery. In 2002, members of Budapest’s gay community placed a new tombstone over his rediscovered grave, where it is now customary to lay a wreath during Hungarian gay festivals.

South Caucasus LGBT will participate in the first "legal" gay Pride in Moldova

Being deprived of possibilities (for now) to hold similar events at home, LGBT representatives from all three South Caucasus countries - Armenia, Azebaijan and Georgia, will participate in what organisers call the "first time in Moldovan history LGBT community will have legal public manifestation".

GenderDoc-M, Moldova's LGBT NGO reports:

Sunday, 11 May 2008 within VII LGBT Pride in Moldova  "Rainbow over the Dniester" LGBT community will go on pubic manifestation on the the central square of Chisinau. The aim of the action is to support adoption of anti-discrimination law in Moldova.

During three previous consecutive years public authorities was banning public manifestations on various pretexts. This year after we applied to the City Hall to inform the authorities about planned public manifestation within the Pride we got the information, which gave us hope. The representative of the City Hall informed us that now according to the new law “About public manifestations” we have right to organize public manifestation in the format we indicated and for this we do not need permission of the authorities. As we were informed for holding this manifestation this year we only need to have with us the document saying that our application is registered at the City Hall. A couple of days in advance we have to call City Hall to confirm our event and to check if it does not coincide with any other events.

The public manifestation will be held under the slogan “All different – all equal” and it coincides with the celebration of the 10th anniversary of GenderDoc-M work in Moldova. The manifestation will take place on Sunday, 11 May from 11 till 12 a.m. The route of the manifestation is planned to start at the National Library and head to the Central Square of the City. We do hope that this year LGBT community will be able to benefit from the new law and nobody will ban it as previous years.

The other events of this year Pride will start on 8 May with laying flower to the monument of the victims of repressions and will be closed on Sunday, 11 May with excursion to Moldovan historical places. Other important events are official Pride opening ceremony, where symbolical marriage ceremony and concert of Moldovan pop stars and pride closing ceremony with international contest «Miss Flawless Queen-2008». [...]

On 9 May will take place “Day against homophobia and xenophobia”. This day in the club «Star Track» for the first time will be showed documentary «SILENTIO» about LGBT discrimination in Moldova, and “Here’s looking at you, boy!” telling how gay movie started. Here also Art Evening with participation of Russian poetess Marina Chen will take place. At the end of the day the artificial cranes made by volunteers of the women’s program will fly to heaven. [...]

At the international conference “10 years of struggle: experience, lesions learned and future perspectives for LGBT Movement in CIS countries” results achieved by GenderDoc-M during the first 10 years of work will be summarized. The discussion on consolidation of LGBT movement in CIS countries [post-Soviet states] will take place within the conference.

One of the important events will be Safer Sexual Behavior Promotion Party, which will take place at disco club “Cazanova”. Sexual education is one of the priorities of the work of our organization.

Prides in Moldova – are cultural festivals of LGBT community. The aim of these events is to inform society about diversity and to increase visibility of LGBT community in our society. Prides get together big number of people not only form the LGBT community but also people who support LGBT movement (parents, friends etc) from Moldova and abroad. This year we have guests from Sweden, Canada, Russia, Romania, Belgium, Israel, Ukraine, Belorussia, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

*photo - via GenderDoc-M; /emphasis mine/

Armenia was represented at European gay Christian gathering in England

Nice to know that gay Armenians are becoming part of various LGBT related networks across Europe. Local English newspaper called this gathering "a success".
***

CHRISTIAN homosexuals from across Europe gathered in London Colney to discuss the problems presented by their sexuality and faith.

The Rainbow Ecumene, a network of gay, lesbian and trans-sexual groups, held its annual meeting at All Saints Pastoral Centre in Shenley Lane between Thursday and Sunday.

Co-president Brenda Harrison said: "It was a very thoughtful event, but we had fun as well. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Christians are members of all denominations across Europe, both as ordained ministers and as lay people. Sometimes they are able to live openly, often they must keep their sexuality concealed. In east Europe there is no protection against discrimination, even under civil law."

She said most Christian denominations oppressed homosexuals by forbidding them to be ministers, or in some cases even worship.

Traditional Christian morality holds that any sex outside marriage between a man and a woman is sinful.

More than 100 people attended the event, from as far away as Armenia and Moldova.

Speakers included MEP Richard Howitt and Dean of St Albans Jeffrey John.

*source - St Albans & Harpenden Review; /emphasis mine/

I am "75% Congolese in Bed"

via tablaqueen, I found this amusing Are you British in bed? quiz test which allows you to find out “your sexual nationality by entering our passport control”.

I took the test and apparently I am “75% Congolese in bed” (I wonder what about that remaining 25%?), "wild and unpredictable" ;)!:

"You are wild & unpredictable!

Like the murky waters of the Congo, your lovemaking is wild and unpredictable, and always, always deep. You are very possessive of your territory in the bedroom and always put up a fight before being conquered."

 

But the most amusing is the question itself: "Are you British in bed?"

Decriminalisation of drug users in Armenia

ArmeniaNow reports that “a new amendment to Armenia’s Criminal Code will reduce illegal drug use and possession to a civil crime rather than a felony. If the amendment goes into force (the amendment was approved by first reading in National Assembly on February 28) drug abusers will be subject to administrative fine – an amount in 200 to 400 minimal salaries (from 200,000 to 400,000 drams-$645-$1,290) instead of the current two month imprisonment.”

I principally welcome any move which would lead to decriminalisation of drug users in Armenia. Indeed, as agreed by most experts and medical profession, drug using should not be considered a crime but rather a condition which needs to be treated and tackled via social means (social marketing, public awareness/education campaigns and so on).

However, to impose such hefty fines on drug users not only will do little to solve the problem but may potentially turn things worse, as mentioned in ArmeniaNow report too. Knowing our realities, it would most certainly lead to increase in corruption and bribery when ‘caught’ drug users would prefer paying much smaller bribes to avoid being tried for, even if for a “civil crime” (exactly the way that most of them do now to avoid criminal proceedings).


Cure or Crime?: Armenian lawmakers revise punishment for drug abusers

By Naira Bulghadaryan
ArmeniaNow Vanadzor reporter
Published: 02 May, 2008


A new amendment to Armenia’s Criminal Code will reduce illegal drug use and possession to a civil crime rather than a felony.

If the amendment goes into force (the amendment was approved by first reading in National Assembly on February 28) drug abusers will be subject to administrative fine – an amount in 200 to 400 minimal salaries (from 200,000 to 400,000 drams-$645-$1,290) instead of the current two month imprisonment.

But the changes that were assumed to be considered as relief for drug abusers are not welcomed by those against whom they are aimed.

“One should be treated, instead of being imprisoned or fined for suffering an illness. Drug addiction is just an illness not a crime,” says a former drug addict in Vanadzor.

The 45-year old man says he has been clean for seven years, after many year of abuse of intravenous injection.

“My children were growing up and I, concerned with their future, gathered all my will and stopped it,” he says. He first tried drugs at age 26, when he used to work in a medical institution and had access.

Now the former user is an expert at the Needle Exchange Program of the Armenian Red Cross Company. Many times he has faced temptations during the work but says he has managed to show willpower to help 4-5 of his drug addict friends get rid of the habit.

“Let them fine those who just tried it,” the former user says. “If a person already has an addiction, it’s an illness already, so punishing is not right.”

The World Health Organization says 9,000 people have been registered in Armenia only in 2006 as using drugs by intravenous injection. The total number of drug addicts in Armenia is believed to be 140,000, most of whom use marijuana.

Arshak Dallakyan, a Vanadzor based doctor and drug expert believes the replacement of criminal persecution with an administrative fine for use of drugs is a strict measure.

“Those huge fines will make their situation even harder,” Dallakyan says, adding that addicts cannot afford to pay such steep fines. He worries that this will lead to abusers turning to bribes to pay off police rather than face prosecution.

Rights activist Artur Sakunts, coordinator of the Helsinki Citizens Assembly of Vanadzor believes drug addicts will prefer to appear in prison rather than pay a huge fine.

Sakunts says for years his organization has provided legal advice to drug users in Vanadzor, where according to him there are about 1,000 people using drugs.

Sakunts has prepared a guide for suspected drug users or dealers, the first in Armenia.

A survey of 53 addicts in Vanadzor found that most first tried drugs while working abroad. At present there are 50 drug users registered at the psychological and neurological clinic of the Lori province. Gayane Kalantaryan, senior doctor at the clinic says annually 5 people come to the clinic to get treatment.

*photo - via ArmeniaNow

Female prostitutes: society, police, hotels... (Yerevan)

Aravot daily reports (in Armenian)

ԵՐԱԶՈՒՄ ԵՆ ՀԱՐՈՒՍՏ ՍԻՐԱԾ ՃԱՐԵԼ ՈՒ ԷԼ ՓՈՂՈՑ ԴՈՒՐՍ ՉԳԱԼ

Մարմնավաճառները Մայրության եւ գեղեցկության միամսյակը տոնել են ինչպես միշտ՝ փողոցում տղամարդկանց սպասարկելով:

Արդեն քանի տարի է՝ Բագրատունյաց փողոցում՝ «Մայամի» ռեստորանային համալիրի հարեւանությամբ, գործում է մարմնավաճառների բավականին հայտնի մի շուկա: Մառայի ծառայությունների մեկ ժամն արժե նվազագույնը 10-12 հազար դրամ: Հաշվի առնելով, որ իր մյուս ընկերուհիները հաճախորդներից առավելագույնը 5-6 հազար դրամ են ուզում՝ Մառան այդ տարածքի «թանկանոց ծիտիկներից» է համարվում. «Բոլորին թվում ա՝ մենք նենց մեծ հաճույքով ենք սրանով զբաղվում, էլ չգիտեն, որ ձեռքներս ճար լիներ՝ ամբողջ օրը տանը կնստեինք եւ մեր երեխեքին տիրություն կանեինք: Հո լավ կյանքի՞ց չենք փողոց ընկել: Ամուսնացած էի, ամեն օր ծեծ ու ջարդ էր մեր տանը, դրա համար էլ բաժանվեցի: Կեսրայրս մի քիչ անհաջող մարդ էր, ինքն էր հիմնականում հրահրում, որ տղեն ինձ ծեծի, ես էլ չդիմացա: Իբր ամուսին էր: Գոնե մի օր չի հարցրել՝ ո՞նց ես էրեխուն պահում, երեւի չգիտի էլ՝ վերջը աղջի՞կ, թե՞ տղա ունեցա: Չնայած մեկ-մեկ զանգում է, բայց ուրիշ բաների համար: Երեւի հասկանում եք: Ես հղի հետ եկա, բայց հորս տուն չէ, սկսեցի վարձով ապրել, մի ամիս գործ ման եկա, տարբեր բաներ արեցի, ուր գնում էի՝ ընդունում էին, բայց ասում էին՝ ստեղ երկար մնալու համար պետք է տնօրենի սիրածը դառնաս, ես էլ մտածեցի՝ ըտենց-ըտենց, հենա փողոցում ավելի շատ գումար կաշխատեմ: Երեխա ունենալուց մի քանի ամիս հետո արդեն ընգա փողոցներն ու սկսեցի կուտակած պարտքերս փակել: Հիմա եթե գոնե կարողանամ տուն առնել՝ էլ փողոց դուրս չեմ գա, մի հատ էլ սիրած կպահեմ, որ մենակ չլինեմ ու իմ համար երջանիկ կապրեմ, էլ չեմ տանջվի հիմիկվա պես»: Մեր հարցից՝ ինչպե՞ս ես տոնում մայրության եւ գեղեցկության միամսյակը, նվերներ ստանո՞ւմ ես՝ Մառան նեղացավ. «Ես ուրիշներից ինչո՞վ եմ պակաս, որ նվեր չստանամ: Ծաղիկներ, դուխի-մուխի ստանում եմ: Բայց կոնկրետ որ ասեմ՝ Մարտի 8-ը, Ապրիլի 7-ը մյուս օրերից չի առանձնանում, հելնում եմ փողոց, կլիենտ կպավ՝ էդ իմ համար արդեն տոն ա»: Մառայի աղջիկը 4 տարեկան է: Նա դեռ չի հասկանում, թե ինչպես է գումար վաստակում իր մայրը. «Ես անգամ մեր շենքում շատ «ակուրատնի» եմ ինձ պահում, որ ոչ ոք գլխի չընկնի: Բայց ինչքա՞ն կարող եմ թաքցնել, նորմալ հագնվում եմ, ոչ մի բանս պակաս չի, բայց, դե, մի օր կիմանան: Համ էլ սենց ամբողջ օրը փողոցներում եմ, մի օր կտեսնեն երեւի: Ոչ մեկն էլ էսօր էշ չի, սաղ էլ հասկանում են, ես էլ եմ հասկանում, որ մի օր աղջիկս էլ կիմանա՝ ինչ եմ անում ես, բայց ավելի լավ է չիմանա, հույս ունեմ, որ չի իմանա։ Ինքը հիմա գիտի՝ մաման վարսավիր ա, գնում ա մարդկանց տները՝ մազ սարքելու»: Չնայած տանից ծպտված է դուրս գալիս, որ հարեւաններից ոչ ոք իր աշխատանքի մասին չիմանա՝ Մառան մեզ հետ զրույցում հավաստիացնում էր, որ չի ամաչում իր աշխատանքից: Ավելին, նրա խոսքերով. «Կարելի ա ասել՝ հիմա բոլորն էլ պուտանկա են դառել, բայց տակից են էդ անում, մենք ենք, որ ամեն ինչ բաց ենք անում: Կարող ա՞ իրանք մեզանից լավն են, ումի՞ց եմ պակաս, որ ես փողոցում եմ»: Այնուամենայնիվ, Մառան իր ողջ կյանքը չի պատրաստվում փողոցում անցկացնել՝ մարմինը վաճառելով. «Չեմ մտածում, որ միշտ սրանով եմ զբաղվելու: Արդեն քանի տարի ա՝ էս գործին եմ, բայց չեմ կարում մի քիչ փող հետ գցեմ ու տուն առնեմ: Եթե տան վարձը չլիներ, ո՞վ էր փողոց դուրս եկողը: Կգնայի, օրը 1000-2000 դրամով կաշխատեի: Հիմա ամեն ինչ իմ վրա ա, չեմ կարող ըտենց ցածր աշխատավարձով տան վարձ տալ, լույսի, գազի, ջրի կամ էլ զիբիլի գումար տալ, դայակ էլ եմ պահում, որ երեխուս հետ նստի, մինչեւ ես գնամ փողոց ու հետ գնամ: Էդ սաղ փող ա, չէ՞»:

Բնակարանի հարցով Մառան մի քանի անգամ դիմել է Երեւանի քաղաքապետարան. «Ողբերգական նամակ էի գրել, ներկայացրել էի՝ ես ով եմ, ինչ եմ անում ու ինչ եմ ուզում, բայց ինձ բանավոր ասեցին՝ գնա գործիդ, քաղաքապետարանը քո համար հարցեր լուծելու տեղ չի: Ինչի՞, ես էս երկրի քաղաքացի չե՞մ: Գնացել եմ նաեւ նախագահ Ռոբերտ Քոչարյանի մոտ, բայց դարպասների մոտ հավաքված էդ հաստավիզներն ինձ լարեցին էնտեղից: Իրանց ոչ մի բան հետաքրքիր չի, ամեն մեկն իր հացի մասին է մտածում կամ էլ աթոռի կռիվ ա տալիս, ոչ մեկը մեր մասին չի մտածում: Գոնե կիսաքանդված հանրակացարանում մի հատիկ սենյակ տան, թեկուզ քաղաքից դուրս, բայց մենք ոնց որ գոյություն չունենք, բոլորը մեզ արհամարհում են»:

Մարմնավաճառների շուկայում Մառան աշխատում է միայն ցերեկը, իսկ երեկոյան գնում է տուն: Պատճառն այն է, որ այդ տարածքը «նայող» կա, որին մյուս մարմնավաճառները փող են մուծվում՝ օրվա բաժնից: Իսկ ցերեկվա կանգնելու համար «տարածքի հսկիչը» տոկոս չի ուզում: Ոստիկանների հետ Մառան նույնպես չի համագործակցում: Մեր հարցին, թե այդ դեպքում ոստիկաններն ինչպե՞ս չեն տանում բաժին՝ «ցերեկային մարմնավաճառները» պատմեցին, որ նրանց հետ հարցերը լուծելու իրենց ձեւերն ունեն, բանակցում են, հետո մի ժամը նվիրում են նրանց ու այդքանով հարցը փակվում է: Մառայի պատմելով՝ իր հաճախորդների մի մասը հենց ոստիկան է. «Իրանք, սովորաբար, երբ գալիս են մեր մոտ, տանում են հոթել, վկայականը ցույց են տալիս, իբր թե պետք է վախենաս, որ բռնվեցիր, բայց մենք հո գիտենք ինչ է պետք անել, շուստրի ենք, ասում եմ՝ փողերդ մուծվի, գործդ արա-գնա, վկայականդ փաթթած ունեմ, ստեղ բերելուց չգիտեի՞ր ես ով եմ: Էդ ժամանակ ձենները կտրում են»:

Հարցին, թե այս տարիների ընթացքում չի՞ սիրահարվել հաճախորդներից որեւէ մեկին, Մառան քմծիծաղով ասաց. «Ո՞ւր էր նորմալ տղամարդ, որ սիրահարվեի, տենց բան բացառվում ա»:

«Մայամիի» հարեւանությամբ գործող մարմնավաճառների շուկայի «աշխատակիցներից» է նաեւ 32-ամյա Աննան: Նա արդեն 4 տարի այդպես է գումար վաստակում՝ երկու երեխաներին պահելու համար: Նրա հետ 1 ժամը 7 հազար դրամ է, բայց դա՝ նոր հաճախորդների համար, իսկ մշտականներին նա զեղչով է սպասարկում՝ մինչեւ 5 հազար դրամ: «Ես մի քիչ անհաջող տուն էի հարս գնացել, ամուսինս մի օր ասում էր՝ գնա հարեւաններից ցորեն ուզի, մյուս օրը՝ լավաշ ուզի, երրորդ օրը՝ կարտոշկա: Ամբողջ օրը գնում էի ստեղ-ընտեղ քոծություն էի անում, իրանց ընտանիքի պարտքերն էի փակում, երբ իրան էլ ասում էի գնա մի տեղ աշխատի, հեսա երեխա ենք ունենալու՝ հետս կռվում էր: Առաջին երեխեն ունենալուց հետո, երբ մի քանի ամսական էր աղջիկս, աղիքային ինֆեկցիա էր, համարյա մեռած էր, ես մենակս ձեռքերիս մեջ նրան հասցրեցի Աշտարակի հիվանդանոց, ոնց որ հեր չուներ: Բժիշկները աղջկաս հազիվ հետ բերեցին: Հետո հերն եկավ հիվանդանոց, ասեց, դե աղջիկ էր, էլի, թողեիր մեռներ-գնար, ինչի էիր ըտենց ոտ ու ձեռ ընկել: Ես արդեն երկրորդով հղի էի, բայց էդ ինձ չկանգնացրեց, կատաղեցի, էդքան օրերի կուտակված ջղայնությունս թափեցի, երեխայիս վերցրեցի-եկա մամայիս տուն՝ Մալաթիա: Մի քանի տարի տենց ապրեցի, գնում էի յառմռկում առավոտից իրիկուն քոծություն էի անում, մաքրում էի: Մամայենքս տունը ծախեցին, գնացին Ֆրանսիա, ես էլ մնացի դրսերը, չգիտեի ինչ անել, երեխեքը դոշիս մի քանի ամիս բորդյուրներին եմ քնել: Հետո խելքի եկա, տուն վարձեցի ու սկսեցի աշխատել սենց՝ փողոցում»,- պատմեց Աննան: Նա իր երեխաներին օրերով չի տեսնում ու տանջվում է կարոտից: Աննայի աղջիկը 12 տարեկան է, տղան՝ 11: Նրանք գիշերօթիկ դպրոցում են ապրում. «Երեխեքս գիտեն, թե մինչեւ հիմա էդ յառմռկում քոծություն եմ անում: Ավելի լավ, որ տենց գիտեն, Աստված տա երբեք էլ չիմանան ինչ եմ անում՝ իրանց պահելու համար: Հենց էդ ժամը գալիս ա, որ պիտի դուրս գամ փողոց, մտքումս ասում եմ, գոնե ոտքերս ջարդվեն, որ էլ չգնամ: Բայց էդ փողերն ինձ պետք են: Ես էլ եմ վարձով ապրում, ամսական 30 հազար մենակ դրա վարձն եմ տալի, չհաշված մնացածը: Հավաքարարությամբ կամ դրա նման մի բանով չեմ կարողանա երեխաներիս ուտելիքով ապահովել, համ էլ տան վարձ տալ: Գիտեմ, եթե այսօր կլիենտ չունեցա՝ վաղը երեխեքս սոված են մնալու: Էս քանի օրը ոչ մեկը չէր գալիս, հենա երեկ մեկին փշի-փշի անելով, գուրգուրելով հազիվ տարել եմ, որ էսօր հաց առնեմ, որ կարանամ շաբաթ-կիրակի երեխեքին կերակրեմ: Որ երեխաներիս տեսնեք՝ հեչ չեք ասի, որ իմն են, շատ խելացի ու սիրուն բալիկներ են, փառք Աստծու, հեչ ինձ ու իրանց պապային չեն քաշել: Իսկ հերը գոնե մի անգամ ձեւի համար չի եկել կամ չի էլ զանգել, որ իմանա մենք ոնց ենք»:

Հարցին՝ հաճախորդների կողմից երբեւէ բռնություններ եղե՞լ են՝ Աննան պատասխանեց. «Դե, իհարկե, լինում են, մի քիչ քեզ սխալ պահես՝ միանգամից կօգտվեն առիթից ու հերդ կանիծեն»:

48-ամյա Ռիման մարմնավաճառուհու 5 տարվա «ստաժ» ունի: Նա իր ծառայությունների դիմաց առավելագույնը 5000 դրամ է ստանում՝ 1 ժամի համար: Նա նույնպես փողոցում է հայտնվել, իր խոսքերով՝ անհաջող ամուսնությունից հետո: Երկար տարիներ երեխա չի ունեցել ու ամուսինը բաժանվել է իրենից: «Առաջ հիվանդանոցում սանիտարկա էի աշխատում, բաժանվելուց հետո երբ սկսեցի վարձով ապրել, մի քանի տեղ էի աշխատում, բայց էլի չէի կարում ծերը ծերին հասցնել: Մեկ-մեկ սկսեցի փողոց դուրս գալ ուշ ժամերին, տեսա կլիենտ գալիս է, սկսեցի ամեն օր դուրս գալ: Սկզբում գումարներից ոգեւորվեցի ու ավելի ու ավելի էի ձգտում փողոց դուրս գալ: Բայց հետո հասկացա, որ կյանքս կործանում եմ»,- պատմեց Ռիման: Պատահե՞լ է, որ սիրահարվեք կլիենտին՝ այս հարցին ի պատասխան Ռիման ծիծաղեց. «Ո՞նց կարող ես սիրահարվել, մենակ հասցնում ես կլիենտների հետ շփվել: Իրանց հետ ոչ մի բան չես զգում, մեխանիկորեն ես ամեն ինչ անում, իսկ տենց չեն սիրահարվում: Պետք ա շփվես, ճանաչես, համակրելով սեքս անես, որ բան հասկանաս, հետո նոր սիրահարվես: Բացառվում ա, որ մարմնավաճառը կլիենտի վրա սիրահարվի կամ էլ իրան սիրահարվեն, էդ սաղ հեքիաթներ են»:

«Մայամիի» տարածքում գործող մարմնավաճառների խմբակի, այսպես կոչված, «մեծը» 30-ամյա Սիրանն է: Նա չասաց, թե որքան արժեն իր ծառայությունները՝ «վախտը գիտի, մեկ էլ իմ հավեսը»: Սիրանը փոքր երեխա ունի, դրա համար էլ «գործի» դուրս է գալիս բացառապես միայն կեղծամով ու կերպարանափոխող շպարով. «Ես մի բան կասեմ, էն հայտարարությունները, որ տալիս են` բարետես արտաքինով, էսքանի-էսքան չափանիշներով, էլ չեմ խոսում լեզուների ու չգիտեմ ինչերի իմացությունը, էդ գործերը մեր համար չեն: Սաղի մերերը հնարավորություն չեն ունեցել իրենց երեխեքին բարձրագույն կրթություն տալու, հիմա մենք կրա՞կն ենք ընկել: Դրա համար էլ ստիպված դուրս ենք եկել մեր եղած-չեղածով գումար առնելու։ Ոչ մեկին վնաս չենք տալիս, հակառակը՝ օգուտ ենք տալիս՝ մանավանդ հոթելներին: Ընենց անկապ աշխատանքով ամենաշատը օրական կկարողանայի 2000 դրամ հետ գցել, 1000 դրամ էլ օրվա ուտելիքի համար, բայց ես տենց ոչ մի բանի չէի հասնի: Իսկ սենց հեսա տուն կառնեմ ու կգնամ սովորական աշխատանք անելու, որ երեխես մեծանա ու ինձանից չամաչի, մի քանի տարի հետո ո՞վ ա մեզ հիշողը, բոլորին էլ տենց մոռանում են: Ո՞ւմ ա դուր գալիս, որ իրան մատով են ցույց տալիս, ինձ էլ դուր չի գալիս, բայց ինչ անեի, որ չէի կարա ավելի բարձր տեղերից բռնացնել, շեֆերին կպցնեի: Ոչ էլ մասնագիտություն ունեմ, որ գլուխս կախ աշխատեի»:

Մարմնավաճառներն ու օբյեկտները

Սովորաբար, մարմնավաճառներն ինչ-որ կոնկրետ հոթելի հետ են համագործակցում եւ իրենց հաճախորդներին միայն այդտեղ են տանում: Մառան «Առավոտի» հետ զրույցում պատմեց, որ իրենք նախկինում համագործակցում էին հենց «Մայամիի» հետ. «Իրանց շեֆը մեր հետ լավ էր, շուտ-շուտ կանչում էր մեզ հաց ուտելու: Բայց հենց 2-րդ հարկը սարքեց՝ մեզ արդեն վերեւից էր նայում, մուննաթով էր խոսում: Ես էլ նեղացա ու էլ չտարա կլիենտիս իրա մոտ: Գիտե՞ք, հենց ռեյդ ա լինում ու աղջիկներին հավաքում-տանում են՝ հոթելների գործը կանգնում է, այնպես որ՝ իրանց էլ է ձեռնտու մեր հետ լավ լինել»: Շատ մոթելներ կան, որոնք ստեղծվել են՝ հատուկ մարմնավաճառների համար: Որոշ օբյեկտներ հենց իրենք են հաճախորդ գրավելու համար ներքին կարգով նրանց ապահովում սեփական մարմնավաճառներով: Ըստ շրջանառվող լուրերի, նման օբյեկտ է Բաղրամյան փողոցում գտնվող «Ինջոյ» հոթելը: Ինչպես ճշտեցինք, «Ինջոյում» 1 սենյակը 3 ժամով զբաղեցնելն արժե 5 հազար դրամ, «լյուքս» համարը՝ 9000 դրամ, իսկ ողջ գիշերվա համար սովորական հարմարություններով սենյակի վարձը 12 հազար դրամ է: Հյուրանոցի տնօրեն եւ սեփականատեր Սպարտակ Մխիթարյանը մեզ հետ զրույցում հերքեց, որ իրենք «աղջիկ» են տրամադրում: Նրա խոսքերով՝ «Մենք նույնիսկ մենակ աղջիկներին արգելում ենք մտնել մեր օբյեկտ, աղջիկների մուտքը մեզ մոտ սահմանել ենք միայն զույգի հետ, որովհետեւ ցանկացած աղջիկ տեղով շառ է ու միանշանակ խուսափում ենք թե՛ նրանց մատուցած ծառայություններից, թե՛ նրանց բերած եկամուտներից: Մարմնավաճառները ոստիկանների հետ համագործակցում են ու կարող են հանգիստ մի օր գլխներիս սարքել, դրա համար էլ աշխատում ենք որքան հնարավոր է նրանցից հեռու մնալ»: Ս. Մխիթարյանը չժխտեց, որ հաճախ իրենց օբյեկտից օգտվում են Բաղրամյան փողոցում կանգնող մարմնավաճառները, բայց նրանք «Ինջոյ» մտնում են միայն իրենց հաճախորդների հետ. «Առաջ այդ տարածքում միայն մենք էինք, ու Բաղրամյանի մարմնավաճառները, բնականաբար, մենակ այստեղ էին գալիս, հետո օբյեկտները վերջին տարիներին շատացան, ու հիմա մրցակցությունը շատ մեծ է»:

Ըստ լուրերի, Պռոշյանի մարմնավաճառներին սպասարկում է «Այգեձոր» հոթելը, հրապարակի մարմնավաճառներին՝ Վազգեն Սարգսյանի փողոցում գտնվող «Սենյոր» օբյեկտը: Նման օբյեկտների թիվը Հայաստանում օր օրի ավելանում է, մեծանում է նաեւ դրանց պահանջարկը:


ԱՆՈՒՇ ԽԵՉՈՅԱՆ

Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner calls for specific legal provisions in Armenia to eliminate discrimination based on sexual orientation

As I wrote back in October 2007, for the first time, gay rights were on the agenda of European Human Rights chief's visit to Armenia. On 7 October, Thomas Hammarberg, the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights, met with representatives of We For Civil Equality (WFCE) NGO, the first LGBT-related NGO in Armenia which was formally registered in July 2006. Mr Hammarberg held meetings with a range of Armenian human rights and non-governmental organisations, along with Armenian authorities, including president, prime minister and head of parliament. As I mentioned back than, it was an important opportunity for Armenian LGBT representatives to present the situation with gay rights in Armenia in its broader context and lobby equality and anti-discrimination legislation.

During my meeting in Yerevan with head of WFCE, I was told that Hammerberg was very attentive to the situation with gay rights, homophobia and Armenian LGBT community, in general. He promised to include these points in his upcoming Human Rights report on Armenia

I am glad that Thomas Hammarberg kept his promise and in a report released today there are special reflections on LGBT rights in Armenia under the “Discrimination” and “Recommendations” chapters:

VIII. Discrimination

3. LGBT

155. Since the adoption of the new Criminal Code (2003), same-sex acts are no longer a criminal offence in Armenia (under the old Criminal Code, same sex acts were punishable by imprisonment for up to five years). However, the legal framework in Armenia does not expressly protect LGBT people from discrimination, harassment and violence. The Commissioner therefore calls for the elaboration and adoption of specific legislative provisions against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

156. During his visit, the Commissioner was informed by representatives of the LGBT community about cases of violence and discrimination encountered by LGBT people, including cases of students kicked out from universities, deprivation of housing and discriminatory treatment in healthcare institutions.

157. Homophobia is reportedly widespread in society and politics, and the media are silent on cases of violence against LGBT persons. As a 2005 UNESCO report noted, “public opinions on homosexuality are rather tough: traditional Armenian society rejects displays of non-heterosexual relations.” It thus comes as no surprise that LGBT people are invisible in society and that the LGBT community is fragmented and vulnerable. Nevertheless, the NGO “We for the civil equality” is working on improvement of the position of LGBT people. The Commissioner encourages the work of other NGOs that promote equality for LGBT people, in particular by raising awareness as well as providing support to those whose rights are violated, in particular victims of violence.

158. The Commissioner welcomes the reported positive change of attitude of law enforcement authorities towards the LGBT community and encourages dialogue between the LGBT community and the authorities.

X. Recommendations

Fundamental freedoms

29. Prevent violence and discrimination against LGBT community; elaborate and adopt specific legal provisions against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity; conduct dialogue with organisations representing the LGBT community.

Full report is available here

Medical profession prejudice towards HIV/AIDS in Armenia

While public prejudice towards HIV/AIDS in Armenia is a very serious issue which needs to be tackled via education and awareness programmes, even more serious and unacceptable is medical profession prejudice which has direct impact on prevention and treatment of people with HIV/AIDS. Below is an account by HIV-positive Armenian, via report published by IWPR (Institute For War & Peace Reporting). It also raises a serious issue of lack of proper ethical regulation (and its enforcement) of medical profession in Armenia.
***

Armen (not his real name) is 38 years old. A former drug addict, he got the infection through needle-sharing and passed it on unwittingly to his wife.

"I learned that I had HIV in 2004," he said. "I am sure HIV is now spreading very rapidly in Armenia. The figures seem modest, but for a country with a small population they are quite high. I wish they would talk more about the problem to make young people take more precautions. It's very important to me, as I have a teenage daughter."

The way doctors treat us makes us keep silent about our status," said Armen. "For example, when I went to the dentist, I used to tell them I was HIV-positive, but then they refused to treat me. Now I know better and I only tell them I have hepatitis-C and that they should sterilise their instruments thoroughly. Hepatitis is also incurable, but I mention it instead because it doesn't lead to the same kind of discrimination."

Armen's close friends and relatives know about his condition, but with others he is discreet, worrying that he will never find a job and that his family will face harassment if people find out.

"One of my friends died of the disease," he said. "His neighbours found out about it from a doctor who'd treated him, and began shunning his family members, avoiding him in the street or not saying hello. His family was forced to sell their flat and move to another area."

Read also HIV/AIDS situation in Armenia

Quote & Picture of The Day

"There is no doubt we will win in this confrontation with the Moscow government; it is just a question of time. The ban on our peaceful actions is illegal, and courts will agree with us. [...]

There will be a gay pride parade in the city in May, no matter what city authorities may say. This is our constitutional right and we intend to use it," - says Russian prominent gay rights activist and gay Pride organiser Nikolay Alexeyev

*via Queerty

'Diplomat to be' Sirusho in London as part of her Eurovision 2008 Song Contest promo tour

Armenia’s Eurovision 2008 representative Sirusho was a guest of Armenian Diaspora’s Navasardian cultural centre in London this Friday. She came to London as part of her promotional tour ahead of the contest in Belgrade, Serbia.

First question was about “Qele, qele” – whether it is Armenian name? (surprise, surprise!) In response, Sirusho reminded the audience about famous Armenian composer Komitas’s “Qele, qele” song.

The most surprising discovery for me was to learn that Sirusho is currently studying at the Yerevan State University… Department of International Relations… for a diplomat (!). In fact, her final exams coincide with the dates of Eurovision contest. Not that anyone doubts she will pass.

She refused answering to personal questions, e.g. on marriage plans, saying that for now her focus is on Eurovision. (rumours: she is a girlfriend of Armenia ex-president Robert Kocharyan’s son)

At the end she performed “Qele, qele”. She then headed to the London nightclub Scala for the UK Eurovision Preview Party with invited Eurovison 2008 contenders from a number of countries.

She will become the first female artist to represent Armenia at the Eurovision Song Contest and is the first Armenian Eurovision representative to visit the UK on a promotional tour. Most observers also note that comparing with the previous two years, Sirusho’s promotional tours are much better organised. She is now heading to Germany, the Netherlands and France.

Sirusho is among favourites to win (or at least to be among top scorers) in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, as per Internet fans and betting agencies. Armenia’s former Eurovision representatives Andre and Hayko, who both scored 8th place, will join her in Belgrade as part of the country’s support group.





Significant part of the audience were children. They were also the most active in asking questions.




Good luck, Sirusho!


*Sirusho at the UK Eurovision Preview Party, Scala nightclub, London

First time in Belarus: rainbow flag at Chernobyl protest

*via Petrelis Files, via gay Belarus advocacy organisation TEMA

More than a thousand people took part in the opposition’s march staged on the occasion of the 22nd Chernobyl accident anniversary in Minsk on April 26. It was a first time in a history, when rainbow flag used on political public event in Belarus.

The crowd started gathering at the square in front of the National Academy of Sciences at 2 p.m. and a short rally followed. Leaders of opposition had did speeches.

Sergey Androsenko, 19y.o. gay - leader of Gay Youth Association, stay with big rainbow flag in the center of crowd. Anarchists promise to protect gays on this event if somebody will try attack them.

The crowd then walked some two miles on sidewalks from the square to a church built to commemorate Chernobyl victims at the intersection between Arlowskaya and Karastayanavay Streets. [...]

After reaching the church, the crowd observed a minute of silence for those who died of illnesses caused by the Chernobyl fallout and laid flowers at a monument commemorating the victims. The demonstrators started dispersing shortly afterward.
Police did not interfere and no arrests were reported.

This case definitely will become a part of Belarusian LGBT history as a date of beginning of cooperation between civil society and LGBT movement, and the date of proud when LGBT activists didn’t afraid to become visible.

Svyatoslav Sementsov
TEMA

‘No “girly” gobelin classes for our sons’

Parents at one of Yerevan schools complain that during “Manual Labour” classes their male offspring are being taught how to knit a gobelin. According to parents, it is not right for their sons as it cultivates “girly” features.

Not a breaking news, of course, but typical...

Aravot daily (26 April 2008) provides details of this story (in Armenian):

ՏՂԱՆԵՐԸ ԳՈԲԵԼԵՆ ԵՆ ԳՈՐԾՈՒՄ

Հովհաննես Հովհաննիսյանի անվան թիվ 52 դպրոցի որոշ ծնողներից «Առավոտը» դժգոհություն ստացավ այն մասին, որ աշխատանքի ուսուցման դասերին 5-6-րդ դասարաններում սովորող տղաներին գոբելեն գործել են սովորեցնում: Տղաներն էլ դժկամությամբ են հաճախում այդ դասերին: Որոշ ծնողներ էլ կարծիք հայտնեցին, թե լավ չէ տղաների մեջ «աղջկականություն» սերմանել: Այս դժգոհությունը «Առավոտը» փոխանցեց թիվ 52 դպրոցի տնօրեն Լյուբա Բլեյանին: Նա պատասխանեց. «Ինչքան տղամարդ ուսուցիչ հրավիրեցինք, հետագայում ավելի լավ աշխատանք գտան եւ սոցիալական պայմաններից դրդված թողեցին դպրոցը: Իսկ ինչ վերաբերում է աշխատանքի ուսուցման դասերին, ապա գոբելենից բացի, մեր երիտասարդ ուսուցչուհին աշակերտներին սովորեցնում է նաեւ փայտամշակում եւ լուցկու փայտիկներով գեղեցիկ կոմպոզիցիաների պատրաստում»:

"Birth certificate"

*Exhibition of Phillipe Doncov (Филипп Донцов) in Aydan Gallery, Moscow
via gay.ru

Iran: Gender apartheid and sexual harassment

Sahel reports[Fa] that “students in Sahand University in Tabriz,in Iran, protested against “gender apartheid” and cultural and social pressure in Sahand University.” It seems that male and female students can not attend same classes together. It is said some girls have been victims of sexual and moral harassment by employees. Watch photos here.

*source: Global Voices Online