YES to SEX... NO to AIDS - party at Aftershock Republic for a worthwhile cause to mark World AIDS Day in Yerevan on 1 December

Participate in World AIDS Day events in Yerevan and finish the day in style and for a very worthwhile cause. Party at Aftershock Republic. Say "Yes" to Sex, and "No" to AIDS. Many surprises will be awaiting you there. Even more - the entrance is only 500 AMD, which will be donated to PINK Armenia.

For details of the event - see its Facebook page.

“Stop the Counter” events to mark World AIDS Day 2009 in Yerevan, Armenia

This year, group of Armenian NGOs united to mark World AIDS Day with a broad range of actions. Other individuals and organisations stage World AIDS Day related events too.

Organisers held a press conference today which has been widely reported by Armenian online media. As Tert.am rightly pointed out, the “Armenian public continues to cling to HIV/AIDS stereotypes”.

The other participant in today’s press conference, Mamikon Hovsepyan of PINK Armenia (Public Information and Need of Knowledge), turned his attention to those issues which affect gay and lesbian individuals, as well as substance abusers. “Because of discrimination and intolerance, they cannot go see a doctor or seek treatment.”

According to Hovsepyan, there is a widely held belief in Armenia that the danger of contracting the HIV virus stems mostly from gay and lesbian people; though, in reality, the virus is most often spread among heterosexual people. In Armenia, people’s rights continue to be violated, while the accessibility of treatment continues to remain a dream, concluded Hovsepyan.

Here is the schedule of main events planned for 1 December 2009 in Yerevan. I hope this collaboration will continue throughout the year, and we will see more actions planned in regions.

[Earlier, within the framework of “Stop the Counter” action, PINK Armenia and Armenian Student Forum organised trainings on 26-28 November to raise students/youth awareness about sexual health issues.]

Public Information and Need of Knowledge, Armenian Student Forum, Real World - Real People, Positive People Armenian Network non-governmental organization are organizing “Stop the Counter” action dedicated to World AIDS Day aiming to raise society's awareness and consciousness about the spread of HIV and stigma & discrimination against people living with HIV. (via PINK Armenia)
***
1 December 2009

16:00 Stop the Couner March starting from the park near to Yerevan State Conservatory and ending at Cinema Moscow. (for more details, in Armenian - see Aysor)

16.00 march > from Komitas statue (in front of Yerevan State Conservatory)
17.30 human ribbon > Republic Square
18.00 stop the counter > Aznavour Square (in front of the Cinema Moscow)

19:00 Cinema Moscow: “Who never leaved” film screening,

19:30 Cinema Moscow: “The Famous Armenian Cultural Figures against AIDS” exhibition opening, 22:00 KAMI club, afterparty with DJ Vakcinology. (for more about the exhibition and club party - see Hetq Online)

Important!!

If there is one party you should go on 1 December in Yerevan, it's party at AFTERSHOCK REPUBLIC. Surprises, information, worthwhile cause. Enter the club (only 500 AMD) and this all goes as a donation for PINK Armenia!!! Read here for more.


This events are supported by UNAIDS.

Almost like in Armenia (ancient or contemporary), some would say ;)

Hilarious episode of Saturday Night Live, with Gerard Butler.



*thanks to George for the link.

Dita Von Teese on her Armenian roots at a book signing event in London

I met Dita at Waterstone's bookstore in central London. She is a famous American burlesque artist, model and actress. She was in London for a book signing event for her newly published book Dita Stripteese. She looked stunning and elegant.

I managed to have a very brief chat with her. As you may remember from one of my earlier posts, tweetting during Eurovision 2009, Dita Von Teese revealed that she is part Armenian:

"At eurovision, The Armenians are killing me with their hair and especially the fierce cateye liner! LOVE! I am part Armenian, in fact." *twitter.com/DitaVonTeese

I then looked over various sources but could not find any info to clarify this further. So I used this opportunity to ask Dita directly about her Armenian roots.

She said to me that unfortunately she does not know much about her Armenian roots. She said that it's from her grandmother's side saying that her grandmother was "adopted Armenian".

Long queues outside the Waterstone's bookstore on Piccadilly, London.

Book signing, Waterstone's bookstore, Piccadilly, London.

...And here is more info about her truly a "playful and beautifully packaged book" - Dita Stripteese. Happy to have it signed by Dita :)

Police in Georgia targets Batumi-based newspaper journalist using KGB-style gay blackmail

Civil.ge reports: The Batumi-based weekly newspaper, Batumelebi, said law enforcement officers attempted to “blackmail” and “intimidate” its journalist, including through use of “stigma persisting in Georgia” towards homosexuality.

It said in a statement on Thursday, that on November 25 head of the newspaper’s journalistic investigations unit, Tedo Jorbenadze, was summoned by Interior Ministry’s Special Operations Department’s (SOD) local division in Adjara Autonomous Republic to talk about “some personal matters” and “about his sexual partner.”

Before going to the SOD’s Adjara headquarters in Batumi, Jorbenadze informed about the summoning newspaper’s director and editor-in-chief, Mzia Amaglobeli and Eter Turadze, respectively, who decided to accompany colleague at a meeting with the law enforcement officers. However, according to the statement, the editor and director were not allowed to attend a conversation between Jorbenadze and the officers.

The Batumelebi said that during the meeting Tedo Jorbenadze was shown what seemed to be cropped black-and-white photos of near-naked men also featuring the journalist himself.

“Tedo Japaridze was told [by law enforcement officers] that there was an interest towards the Batumelebi newspaper by special services of foreign countries, in particular Turkey and Russia and they needed his assistance and cooperation,” the Batumelebi said. “After receiving a refusal [from the journalist], Jorbenadze was warned that these photos would have been sent to his ailing father, as well as to his colleagues and disseminated through internet. But Jorbenadze told [the law enforcement officers] that they would not intimidate him with cropped photos and left.”

The newspaper said it intended to request the prosecutor’s office to open investigation into the case, which it described as “Soviet KGB-style method of recruitment.”
***
For Russian version of this report - see Gay Caucasus.
***
It's not the first time that the journalists of this Batumi-based publication face intimidation.

31 July 2008 - Civil.ge - Public Defender Sozar Subari has requested the prosecutor’s office in Batumi to probe into the alleged “intimidation” of journalists at the local weekly newspaper Batumelebi.

The newspaper, published in Batumi, Adjaran Autonomous Republic, said in a statement last week that it had received an e-mail, which said: “you will find him [one of the newspaper’s journalists] dead with the newspaper stuck in his mouth.”

Prior to the anonymous e-mail, the newspaper’s editor-in-chief, Eter Turadze, and another journalist were, they say, followed by unknown people. They say the surveillance was deliberately noticable, presumably so as to intimidate them.

The Public Defender’s Office said in a statement on July 31 that the incidents should be investigated by the Prosecutor’s Office as it believed they constituted intimidation.

Yeghishe Charents cover of Marriott Armenia magazine (fall 2009 issue, Yerevan)

Love this Yeghishe Charents cover of Marriott Armenia magazine, via Ara Aslanyan.

PINK Armenia: Tolerance (video)

PINK Armenia uploaded this video to mark the International Day for Tolerance (16 November).



Posters in this video say (as per PINK Armenia video description on YouTube):

- I am a sex worker...
- My mother is the best mother in the world
- By denying me, you don't help me to leave drugs
- Being infected with HIV, doesn't stop me being your friend
- Being homosexual is not a choice
- We all are equal, this world is for everybody

First ever gay Arabic book Bareed Mista3jil goes international

Change.org reports that the first ever gay Arabic book Bareed Mista3jil, published in Lebanon, will be touring California in December. "Members of MEEM [activist and support group for Lebanese LBTQ women] have already toured Palestine, Jordan, Turkey, Denmark, Belgium, France, and Armenia, making the book's release a truly international event."

Bareed Mista3jil, meaning express mail, isn't just the first queer Lebanese book ever published -- it's also the first queer Arabic book, period, to be published

A compilation of anonymous personal narratives from Lebanese LBTQ women of all social classes and religions, Bareed Mista3jil addresses coming out, religion, family, emigration, abuse, and activism. MEEM, an activist and support group for Lebanese LBTQ women, publicly released the book at the Al Madina Theater in Beirut last May, attracting an audience of 400 people.

MEEM organizer Shant (who declined to give her full name) described the book as a big step for Lebanese LGBTs.

"We can actually talk about our experiences and show that they touch more than just the lesbian community," she said.

Shant reports a lot of positive feedback for the book, which is sold at Virgin Megastores in Lebanon, and MEEM is already planning a fourth reprint to keep up with demand.

It's not surprising that the first queer Arabic book debuted in Beirut, given that Lebanon is known for having a relatively free press (compared with other Arab nations) and a liberal capital city. However, queer activists in Lebanon still have their work cut out for them. Homosexuality is sometimes punished under a law banning "sexual acts against nature," so coming out is not always safe or even possible (hence the anonymity of Bareed Mista3jil's writers).

"Some [queer women] are very out with friends and family and closeted at work; some [are] out at work [but] closeted to families. There isn't the notion of 100 percent out," said Shant.

MEEM is now campaigning to overturn 534, the Lebanese law used to punish homosexuality, and maintains a monthly e-magazine, Bekhsoos.

PINK Armenia and Armenian Students Forum unite forces to raise students awareness on sexual health

I welcome this initiative. They say, “united we stand...” They are right.
***

PINK Armenia (“Public Information and Need of Knowledge”) and Armenian Student Forum are organizing “Stop the Counter” action dedicated to World AIDS Day to raise students/youth awareness about sexual health issues.

Within the framework of this action, the organisers with the help of non-formal education will conduct trainings on issues related to sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS.

PINK Armenia and Armenian Student Forum are looking forward to your active participation.

The trainings will take place at PINK Armenia’s office on 26-28 November and are free of charge: 2 Pushkin, apt. 11 (near Sakharov Square).

For more information, contact:  tel: (010) 58 09 44,
email: armstudforum@gmail.com, info@pinkarmenia.org

Armenia: violence against women (posters, part 2)

For part 1 - see Unzipped

Look at these posters. Difficult, I know. Chilling, I know. ...But do not turn away. Let’s face up these real life stories of violence against women still happening in our society.

These posters will be translated into Armenian, and used throughout the country as part of the campaign by Women’s Resource Centre to stop violence against women.

On November 25th, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Women’s Resource Center in Yerevan will mobilize community members and other NGOs to protest gender violence. The events planned for November 25th will mark the beginning of 16 days of activism to end violence against women and girls, which will include an exhibition and film screening at Kino Moscow in December. This will be the fourth year that the Women’s Resource Center has joined countries around the world in organizing events on November 25th to raise awareness about the issue of gender violence.

*posters by zArt - Araz Artinian

Re: ‘trendy’ topics in Armenian media, blogs and more

There is this recent trend in Armenian media and blogosphere. More and more people started writing, reporting, speaking of gay related issues, women rights, HIV/AIDS, sex etc. hoping to boost their ratings by using these ‘trendy’ topics. [not all, of course, some of them genuinely care of and interested in the issues they raise]

On one hand, it’s good that these topics became part of a more mainstream talk. Even if with mistakes, frequent lapses, discussions will help to eventually grasp the core of the issues and move on to a more civilised and informed level. On the other hand, in majority of cases, those who initiate or engage in discussions have little to no knowledge of what they are talking about, and this results in a frequently disappointing outcome with the spread of misinformation and deepening of intolerance. (just couple of latest examples - here and here)

Another related point I want to make here is that some of those who by their position (head of, say, HIV related agency or NGO) are supposed to tackle the issues as part of their daily routine, do it only from one ‘red day in the calendar’ to another, leaving the other days empty, thus imitating rather than really working on problems and issues. As the World AIDS Day (1 December) is approaching, we may (and do) notice significantly more related press conferences, reports and TV/radio programmes.

Here is PanArmenian.Net recent report from a round table against discrimination of HIV-positive people in Armenia organised for media and interested parties by the national centre for AIDS prevention and some NGOs. PanArmenian did a good job in capturing the essence of the issues discussed there. Now if only people who organised the event do it more regularly throughout the year, and if only Armenian media follow such examples of good reporting and make it a routine practice... After recent ‘incident’ with Aravot daily (see here), I became a bit cautious in praising good examples from Armenian media. They are so inconsistent. One day, they may post a great article, next day - a bigoted one which will destroy all the good job they did a day before.

Рафаел Оганян: Мы боремся за то, чтобы общество перестало клеймить людей, живущих с ВИЧ
20.11.2009 18:53 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ «Общество выделяет людей, живущих с ВИЧ, и ставит на них клеймо, думая тем самым, что ограждает себя от существующей проблемы. Но при этом люди получают меньше информации о путях передачи ВИЧ, методах его лечения, и становятся более уязвимыми к этой болезни. Поэтому, при проведении мероприятий, мы в первую очередь обращаем внимание на изменение отношения общества к людям, больным вирусом ВИЧ. Мы боремся за то, чтобы общество перестало клеймить и дискриминировать этих людей», - заявил 20 ноября на организованном для заинтересованных общественных организаций и представителей СМИ круглом столе начальник Отдела по пресечению СПИДа Республиканского центра пресечения СПИДа Рафаел Оганян. Круглый стол был посвящен теме “Исключение проявления дискриминации по отношению к людям, живущим с ВИЧ, и их социальная поддержка”. Отношение общества к людям, живущим с ВИЧ, гости раскрыли на одном примере: журналиста, сказавшего, что он болен вирусом ВИЧ, просто высадили из маршрутного такси. “И это не единичный пример. Люди, живущие с ВИЧ, сталкиваются с подобным отношением каждый день: на улице, в кафе или даже в больнице. Случалось даже, что роженицам, больным вирусом, отказывали в медицинской помощи при родах. Дискриминация способствует тому, что, чувствуя на себе клеймо общественного мнения, люди, больные вирусом, замыкаются в себе и не проявляют активной деятельности. А ведь доказано, что именно такие люди наиболее полезны в деле поддержки больных этим вирусом», - подчеркнула представитель общественной организации “Реальный мир – реальные люди” Лусине Паносян. Представитель общественной организации «Армянская сеть позитивных людей» Аргине Степанян представила результаты эксперимента, проведенного организацией весной 2009 года. «Мы провели опрос среди персонала 18 стоматологических клиник, спросив, примут ли они на лечение людей, живущих с ВИЧ. По его результатам, без каких-либо проблем лечить таких пациентов согласились только работники шести клиник. Четыре клиники наотрез отказались принимать этих людей, а представители остальных шести организаций сказали, что, наверное, приняли бы этих пациентов. Но эти слова прозвучали не очень обнадеживающе», - заявила она. В деле изменения общественного мнения о людях, больных вирусом ВИЧ, организаторы круглого стола отвели значительное место СМИ. Однако Рафаел Оганян подчеркнул, что, приступая к освещению проблем ВИЧ и СПИДа, журналисты должны сначала сами глубоко изучить все аспекты этой проблемы, и уже потом представлять ее обществу. Особенно участники остановились на терминологии. В частности, президент НКО «СПИД – профилактика, обучение и лечение» Артак Мушегян подчеркнул: «Терминология болезни очень гибкая, и за ней нужно следить каждый день. За последние несколько лет мы уже перестали называть больных вирусом ВИЧ носителями вируса, сейчас мы четко разделяем ВИЧ и СПИД. И это не весь список изменений. Терминология, употребляемая журналистами, очень важна, так как она тоже является фактором формирования общественного мнения». Каждое третье воскресенье мая признано Днем памяти погибших от ВИЧ людей, а 1 декабря – День борьбы со СПИДом. Гости отметили, что в этот день предстоит много мероприятий, а в частности молодежное шествие по городу. Однако, по их словам, очень важно, чтобы о проблеме ВИЧ и СПИДа говорили не 2 раза в год, а все 365 дней в году. Это способствует изменению отношения общества к людям, больным этим вирусом. “ВИЧ – такая же болезнь, как сахарный диабет: вылечить его невозможно, но существуют лекарства, улучшающие качество жизни больных вирусом. Если воспринимать людей, живущих с ВИЧ также как диабетиков, многих проблем можно было бы избежать»,- отметила Лусине Паносян.

LA, Glendale hate crime report: decrease but problem remains - Armenians, Jews, gays targeted in 2008

Hate crimes decrease
Race motivated most in county, followed by sexual orientation and religion
By Veronica Rocha
November 20, 2009

Glendale News Press

LOS ANGELES — Religious hate crimes, including a tagging incident at Glendale’s St. Peter Armenian Church, increased last year throughout Los Angeles County, according to a county report released Thursday.

Religion was the basis for third-largest group of hate crimes reported in Los Angeles County in 2008, according to the county’s Commission on Human Relations annual report. Hate crimes based on a person’s race or sexual orientation made up the largest and second-largest groups, respectively.

“Hate doesn’t have to lead to more hate,” said Robin Toma, the commission’s executive director.

Hate crimes throughout the county that were motivated by religion increased from 105 in 2007 to 120 in 2008, according to the report.

In the area that includes Glendale, La Crescenta, La Cañada Flintridge and Burbank, there were 12 hate crimes last year. That was a steep drop from the 31 that occurred in 2007, a 61% decrease, said Marshall Wong, who helped author the commission’s report.

Race-based hate crimes in Glendale dropped from 25 in 2007 to seven last year. Sexual orientation and disability-based hate crimes also decreased, he said.

Hate-related aggravated assaults dropped from 13 in 2007 to zero in 2008, Wong said.

In Glendale, the race most discriminated against were Jews last year, with Armenians not far behind, with four and three hate crimes suffered, respectively.

The greatest percentage of religious hate crimes were vandalism, followed by intimidation. Most religious hate crimes occurred at homes and religious sites.

The only hate crime reported in 2008 in Glendale was tagging that was spray painted onto St. Peter Armenian Church, Sgt. Tim Feeley said.

A 2-foot-by-2-foot crescent and star was spray-painted on a wall outside the church, which police said was meant to intimidate Armenians by invoking the Turkish flag.

The modern Republic of Turkey has refused to recognize the Armenian Genocide in which 1.5 million Armenians were killed between 1915 and 1918 at the hands of the Ottoman Empire.

Overall, hate crimes decreased in Glendale, from eight in 2007 to one in 2008.

“These types of crimes are so personal,” Feeley said.

The city doesn’t have any known hate groups that target residents based on their race, gender sexual orientation or religion, he said.

Glendale, once a bastion for white supremacy groups like the Ku Klux Klan, has changed dramatically as its population has become more diverse, officials said.

“I think Glendale has become a lot more open than in the past,” Feeley said. “We are far more diverse than we used to be. I think initially there was a reluctance to accept the change that Glendale was going through.”

Many residents, he said, have accepted Glendale’s diverse landscape.

“I think people are getting along a little bit better,” he said. “I think it’s really fortunate when you look at Glendale being the third-largest city in L.A. to only have one hate crime is really significant. It’s a testament to the residents that are getting along.”

Hate crimes against Armenians, blacks, whites, Asians, Middle-Easterners and transgender people decreased in 2008, according to the Commission on Human Relations report.

Hate crimes overall declined from 763 in 2007 to 728 in 2008 in Los Angeles County.

But the annual tally was the second largest since 2002, Toma said.

Hate crimes in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s jurisdictions dropped 25%, Sheriff Lee Baca said.

But crimes motivated by hate, especially ones committed by gangs, continue to exist.

“This is always troubling,” Baca said. “We want to have none of this to happen because all people are entitled to exercise who they are under the spirit of the American constitution.”

Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake - Christmas theme for Fortnum & Mason famous department store in London

Unfortunately, when I was there today, I did not see the dancers (real ones). Apparently, they did pose for windows displays, as per these 2 pictures below via Fortnum & Mason website.

If you have not seen Matthew Bourne's production of Swan Lake, do it. It's on Sadler's Wells over December 2009 - January 2010. It's fresh, it's daring, it's sexy. I enjoyed it in full. Modern ballet at its best. I wish it would be possible to show Matthew Bourne's works, including Swan Lake and Dorian Gray in Yerevan too. It would be something, I promise.

15th anniversary of Friends in London

Was away from London when it was marked. I wish I could drink a coffee at temporarily opened Central Perk cafe (67 Broadwick street, off Carnaby street) recreated based on popular TV series Friends which I got hooked on when I first arrived in London few years ago. Pure entertainment.

Christmas at Carnaby street, London

Opera Gallery, London

Ha! Russia: Shop in nude and for free

Nude shopping: Market allows naked buyers food for free



*via Russia Today:

Russian winter is probably not the best time to wander around in your briefs and bras, but a Moscow Region supermarket thinks different. Shoppers were told anyone who stripped to their underwear could take as much as they could grab, totally free of charge. That was enough to attract crowds of almost naked shoppers, some of them well over 60, and even larger crowds of shocked peeping toms. In fact, some were so shocked they reported the mass parade of flesh to the police. The event proved two things: One - people will do anything for free stuff and two, the human body is not equipped to carry shopping.

Today is the Transgender Day of Remembrance

Transgender Armenians blogging:

Transgenders in Armenia (AM, RU, EN)

Hye Trent (EN)

*Statement by ILGA-Europe

Today, the Transgender Day of Remembrance is marked across the world and Europe. This Day was established following a murder of Rita Hester in 1998 and serves as a reminder of existing prejudice, hatred and discrimination against trans people.

Transgender Europe’s Trans Murder Monitoring Project reveals that more than 160 murders of trans people in the last 12 months of which 16 took place in Europe:

* Turkey – 6
* Italy – 4
* UK – 2
* Spain – 2
* Serbia – 1
* Russia – 1.

The number of murders is however only the tip of the iceberg with regards to trans discrimination and marginalisation in European societies today. Trans people experience high level of discrimination in employment, access to healthcare and other goods and services. Trans people are also particularly vulnerable to violence and hate crimes. This high level of discrimination has this year been formally acknowledged by Thomas Hammarberg, the Council of Europe’s Human Rights Commissioner, who launched his “Human Rights and Gender Identity Issue paper”.

ILGA-Europe takes today’s occasion to extend its appeal to all European governments to assess where they are scoring poorly in terms of Commissioner Hammarberg’s recommendations and address the gaps without further delay.

ILGA-Europe calls on the European Commission and EU Member States to fully enforce the European Court of Justice’s jurisprudence through implementation of EU Gender Equality Directives vis-à-vis gender identify.

In Style: Eva Rivas - Sayat Nova - Tamam Ashkhar

Brilliant performance of Sayat Nova by Eva Rivas. Stylish video clip. Sexy people. A must see. Impressed. Thanks to StyleBlog.am for the link.



© Armenia Production 2009
Tamam Ashkhar (The Whole World)
Author: Sayat Nova, 18th-century
Singer: Eva Rivas
General Producer: Valeriy Saaryan
Director: Bakhodir Yuldashev

Kardashian family in support of gay marriage and equality; says NO to hate

Kim Kardashian voiced her support for gay rights and No H8 campaign in past too. Read my previous entry here: Kim Kardashian in support of gay rights and equality: "Shame on You, California!"

*via Kim Kardashian blog:

Kourt, Khloe and I did a photoshoot for the NOH8 campaign this week and this is one of the promo shots from the shoot! The NOH8 campaign is a cause that my whole family strongly supports. I've said it before... I believe EVERYONE should have the right to choose who they marry and that we do have the power to make a difference. What I love about the NOH8 campaign is that it symbolizes more than just people's desires to bring down Prop 8... it's about promoting love in general! Stop the H8, people!