PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Gay & Lesbian Association of NY (AGLA NY)
181 N 11th St, #305
Brooklyn, NY 11211
Contact: Veken Gueyikian
Tel: 718-302-9800
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
AGLA NY Hosts "Brutality of Homophobia in Armenia" Presentation in New York
On January 16, 2009, the Armenian Gay and Lesbian Association of New
York (AGLA NY) invited psychologist and human rights advocate Lala
Aslikyan to speak about the stark realities of homophobia in the
Republic of Armenia. A member of the Huys (Hope) NGO in Armenia,
Aslikyan interviewed dozens of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual &
transgendered) individuals in Armenia with the goal of presenting her
findings to AGLA members, guests and the general public.
The event at New York’s LGBT Center in New York’s Greenwich Village
was attended by almost 20 people, including a representative of the
International Lesbian & Gay Association (ILGA) and a New York-area
psychiatrist from Physicians for Human Rights who works with
individuals seeking asylum for homophobic discrimination.
Aslikyan painted a grim picture of the lives of LGBT individuals in
Armenia. Though she did mention that today, and more than ever, there
is room for optimism as there are three non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) in Armenia that are working in the field of LGBT rights: We For
Civil Equality (), Pink Armenia (), and
the Helsinki Association (). She also mentioned that there
is now an online social network that is a nexus for LGBT activity in
Armenia and has been able to register 1,200 members.
She was dismayed to report that while there are probably tens of
thousands of LGBT Armenians in Armenia, there are only 10 who openly
advocate for LGBT rights, including reporting incidents to the local
police and filing petitions of civil rights violations in Armenian
courts. The problems of LGBT Armenians are compounded by the fact that
many human rights advocates in Armenia refuse to deal with LGBT
issues.
According to Aslikyan, there is no legislation in Armenia to protect
LGBT people from workplace discrimination and college students are
routinely harassed by their professors and others in universities
across the country.
SIGNS OF HOMOPHOBIA IN EVERYDAY LIFE
Aslikyan focused her presentation on the main spheres of Armenian life
that are greatly impacted by homophobia, including the family,
community, education, employment, social life, medical care, police,
and the military. Since most or all anti-LGBT crimes go unreported due
to fear and harassment, most of Aslikyan’s presentation was based on
anecdotal evidence culled from personal interviews.
"One of the first signs of homophobia is widespread beatings…if
somebody beats a homosexual, that it means [to many people] that he is
a kind of hero. It is supported in the society," she said. "The same
is about thefts. If someone takes a mobile from [a LGBT person], then
it’s great, the society is supporting that…if someone is stealing
from a gay [individual] then it is good they are doing that." She
spoke about the personal humiliation that was a prevalent occurrence
for many LGBT individuals in Armenia. One interviewee admitted to
Aslikyan that every day when he left his house his neighbors pelted
him with stones.
Aslikyan spoke of the extreme lack of privacy within medical care and
that if someone was diagnosed with HIV or any other disease, everyone
in the neighborhood or city would soon find out and bring shame to
their family. The problem is reportedly more acute outside Yerevan.
She told the story of one documented case in Gyumri where an HIV+ man
was forced to flee with his family since his diagnosis became common
knowledge in the community.
Aslikyan described the police forces of Armenia as bastions of
homophobia. She stated that police frequently victimize LGBT Armenians
and beatings, extortion and rape are common crimes that police
officers commit against gay men in particular.
She described paid male prostitution as a common occurrence in
Armenian jails and claimed that the warden and other jail officials
financially benefit from the practice that enslaves both gay and
straight inmates into forced prostitution. Recently, the Red Cross
attempted to distribute condoms to Armenia’s jails to reduce the
spread of HIV, but their efforts were thwarted since, Alikyan
explains, the warden "couldn’t admit that there was any type of
relationship between men in the prison."
In the military, hazing is common for soldiers, but the macho culture
of the army doesn’t allow for gay or effeminate heterosexual soldiers
to serve. Gay men are often discharged from the army and are routinely
classified as 6B, which labels them as schizophrenic or someone with a
mental illness. This classification victimizes gay people, since it
does not allow them to get visas, a driver’s license or occupy
governmental positions. Alikyan mentions that no one outside Yerevan
dares be classified as 6B, since it would causes severe familial
humiliation and might be a reason for a family to flee the country.
Alikyan’s report was the first time that most LGBT Armenian Americans
in New York were learning about the extent of homophobia in Armenia.
"We were all shocked to hear these horrible stories about our fellow
Armenians being beaten, raped or killed for simply being who they are.
I know if most diasporan Armenians heard the extent of intolerance
towards gays and lesbians in Armenia there would be major outrage. We
expect more from Armenia and as a nation that has suffered from
discrimination and genocide, Armenians should be more aware of the
rights of minorities and the importance of human rights protections,"
AGLA President Veken Gueyikian said after the presentation.
Aslikyan informed AGLA members and guests that, according to her
interviews, lesbians are more tolerated in Armenia than gay men but
that she didn’t personally know any transgendered individuals to
explain their role in society.
HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
Adrian Coman, Project Director for ILGA, attended the event and
commented on the event, "I learned with interest about the state of
human rights and LGBT people in Armenia, as presented by Lala
Aslikyan, particularly the specific issue of human rights violations
in the military."
He also commented that there were some signs that Armenia is more open
to LGBT issues, "On the positive side, I was happy to see Armenia
among the 66 countries that signed the first ever statement condemning
human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender
identity, delivered by Argentina at the General Assembly of the United
Nations (New York, December 18, 2008). Armenia’s signature confirms
that there is political will of the current government to acknowledge
these human rights issues. However, the Armenian government need to
implement this will in legislation and policies that combat
discrimination on these grounds, and LGBT and human rights NGOs at
national and international level need to join efforts towards this
end."
Offering his perspective on the issue, Coman pointed to the way other
countries are grappling with LGBT issue: "A decade ago, my home
country Romania was the last in Europe to maintain criminal provisions
against homosexuality. Concerted efforts of NGOs and supportive
governments and international organizations, such as the Council of
Europe and the European Union, led to the repeal of the sodomy law,
adoption of anti-discrimination provisions, and a decrease in the
degree of homophobia. It shows that change is possible in a relatively
short time."
Galvanized by the eye-opening presentation, AGLA has already begun
discussions of ways to help LGBT individuals in Armenia.
For an edited video of the January 16 presentation at the LGBT Center,
please visit the AGLA NY website at
AGLA New York is a 501c3 organization that serves the LGBT Armenian
American community of the Greater New York region. For more
information, get involved or make a donation that will help combat
homophobia and educate people issues that impact the lives of LGBT
Armenians, please visit