Life for LGBT (lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr) people Armenia, a socially nservative society where homophobia remas entrenched, is not easy. The difficulti are multiplied for those livg outsi the pal, where society is even ls tolerant towards LGBT people. Socialisg is particularly difficult, wh no LGBT-iendly venu and few public plac where gay people n be sure they will not be subject to abe.
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
Kyle Khandikian wrote about the place of gay Armenians wh a culture of llective shame on the Armenian Chronicl. * are there any gay armenians *
Now, he intifi as queer: a self-affirmg term ed by many people who are gay, lbian, bisexual, transgenr and non-heterosexual. 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.
THE REALY OF GAY ARMENIANS AND OUR LLECTIVE SHAME
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. For them, was homophobia as ual.
UNZIPPED: GAY ARMENIA BY MIKA ARTYAN
They shouted homophobic slurs and threats, mandg that Hakobyan and his guts leave the village.
ON LIVING AND DYING AS A GAY PERSON IN THE ARMENIAN CHURCH
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.
IT'S HARD TO BE GAY ARMENIA
" 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.