Unzipped: Gay Armenia by Mika Artyan - The Queer Armenian Library

Contents:

• GAY AND LBIAN ARMENIANS
• THE REALY OF GAY ARMENIANS AND OUR LLECTIVE SHAME
• UNZIPPED: GAY ARMENIA BY MIKA ARTYAN
• ON LIVING AND DYING AS A GAY PERSON IN THE ARMENIAN CHURCH
• IT'S HARD TO BE GAY ARMENIA

GAY AND LBIAN ARMENIANS

Now, he intifi as queer: a self-affirmg term ed by many people who are gay, lbian, bisexual, transgenr and non-heterosexual.

THE REALY OF GAY ARMENIANS AND OUR LLECTIVE SHAME

Homosexualy is still heavily stigmatized wh the Armenian muny, he said, and he experienced ternalized shame and guilt. Two of Armenia’s most celebrated poets the early 20th century, Vahan Tekeyan and Yeghishe Charents, were gay or bisexual.

On Monday, there was another gay-bashg Armenia, this time agast a member of Right Si NGO, a trans activism anizatn. Max Yarzhapetyan was walkg on the street Yerevan, the pal and largt cy, when three men started to follow him, swear at him, and hurl homophobic slurs. He said an vtigatg office told him, "Gays are not allowed or loved this untry, and that's why happened to you.

"I reached out to the thori Armenia for ments about the cint but did not get an immediate and other human rights activists are not optimistic that there will be any lseng of the systematic and stutnalized homophobia Armenia.

UNZIPPED: GAY ARMENIA BY MIKA ARTYAN

For them, was homophobia as ual.

They shouted homophobic slurs and threats, mandg that Hakobyan and his guts leave the village. Hakobyan and his iends fled the hoe and the crowd ran after them, htg and kickg them, throwg ston, and shoutg "get rid of those gays" and "tch them and beat them up. Followg the gay-bashg, Gev Petrosyan, an Armenian Parliament member wh the Prospero Armenia Party, ma this statement on his Facebook page: "I don't know who will crimate me and to what extent, but we should have already driven out (I'm statg this lightly) homosexuals, relig mori, and their protectors om our Holy land wh jot efforts.

" The statement ntued, "Durg the last several days, there has been a wave of extremist and homophobic acts Armenia, targeted at the event. " said Haig Boyadjian, print of the Gay and Lbian Armenian Society, a U. "Homosexualy has been legal Armenia sce 2003, but there are no legal protectns for LGBTQ Armenians, and Armenia is ranked 49th out of 50 European untri when to LGBTQ rights, only beatg out Azerbaijan.

ON LIVING AND DYING AS A GAY PERSON IN THE ARMENIAN CHURCH

As gay, lbian, bisexual and transgenred muni emerge the ntemporary Armenian world (both Armenia and the diaspora) more and more Armenians are makg public their personal sexual inti. Armenia crimalized gay male sex on Jan. Male homosexualy was crimalized unr the early Soviet perd and only banned durg the Stalist perd.

IT'S HARD TO BE GAY ARMENIA

While gays and lbians Armenia still face many obstacl that prevent them om leadg open and equal liv, many diasporan Armenians are not hred by homophobia and the level of acceptance is more often related to the prevalent cultural attus of the greater non-Armenian muny. There are active Armenian gay, lbian, bisexual and transgenred associatns Los Angel, New York, Paris and elsewhere. Famo Gay, Lbian and Bisexual Armenians.