Armenia, Europe

Armenia is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Situated at the juncture of Western Asia and Eastern Europe.

Since 2003, homosexuality is legal in Armenia. Until 2003 the legislation of Armenia followed the corresponding Section 121 from the Former Soviet Union, which only specifically criminalized anal intercourse between men. Lesbian and non-penetrative gay sex between consenting adults was not explicitly mentioned in the law as being a criminal offense. The specific article dates back to 1936, and the maximum penalty was 5 years. There were 7 prosecutions in 1996 and 4 in 1997 under this law (Amnesty International 1999 Report on Armenia); and 4 in 1999.

 

 

In the Caucasus, queer people are forced to flee their homes

Provincial communities in the Caucasus are particularly queer-hostile The following is a version of a partner post written by Armine Avetisyan, Nika Musavi, and Dato Parulava that first appeared on the website OC Media. Faced with bullying, discrimination, and violence, queer people in the South Caucasus are frequently forced to flee their homes. Mel from… Read more »

In the Caucasus, queer people are forced to flee their homes

Provincial communities in the Caucasus are particularly queer-hostile The following is a version of a partner post written by Armine Avetisyan, Nika Musavi, and Dato Parulava that first appeared on the website OC Media. Faced with bullying, discrimination, and violence, queer people in the South Caucasus are frequently forced to flee their homes. Mel from… Read more »

LGBTI Christian group forced to cancel event in Armenia after death threats

Armenia is the second worst country in Europe for LGBTI rights An LGBTI Christian group canceled an upcoming event in Armenia after receiving violence and death threats. The European Forum of LGBT Christian Groups and the ‘New Generation’ Humanitarian NGO scheduled a four-day conference in Armenia’s capital Yerevan, starting 15 November. However, in the last… Read more »

Armenia’s Ostracized Minority

A photographer challenges bias and hate in Yerevan I didn’t know much about Yerevan’s LGBT community when in, in 2010, I decided to start documenting their everyday lives. But like everyone else in the city, I knew that there was a park called Komaygi in front of the mayor’s office where cross-dressers and trans­gender peo­ple… Read more »

Armenia: HIV/AIDS Patients Struggle with Rampant Discrimination

If you are an HIV/AIDS patient looking to visit a dentist, attend school or have your hair cut in the South Caucasus country of Armenia, you might well find that your options are limited. Despite years of public-awareness campaigns, discrimination against Armenians with either Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is widespread,… Read more »

Life As A Gay Man In Armenia

I am a 24-year-old LGBT/HIV activist from Armenia, where homosexuality was decriminalised only 11 years ago. I don’t know when I realised I was gay. I think it was around the age of 14 when I first thought I was different from my classmates. One of my classmates made comments while we were changing in… Read more »

Armenian homophobia

Proposed anti-gay propaganda legislation raises human rights concerns in Armenia, where violence against sexual minorities is supported by representatives of the institutions Proposals to introduce legislation to ban the promotion of ‘non-traditional sexual relations’ in Armenia has concerned human rights activists in the small former Soviet republic. The bill, posted on the website of the… Read more »

Historic Petition: Armenians Support LGBT Rights in Armenia

The Armenian Gay and Lesbian Association of New York has sponsored the following historic petition that is co-signed by 20+ leading Armenian cultural figures who have unified their voices to support human rights in Armenia. This is the first time such a petition has been created in support of LGBT human rights in Armenia. Please… Read more »

Historic Petition: Armenians Support LGBT Rights In Armenia

We, the undersigned, write to support democratic and human rights for all in Armenia. We are disturbed by the May 8 firebombing of the gay-friendly bar DIY and the subsequent vandalism of the space. Attacks on the May 21st Cultural Diversity march in Yerevan by a few hundred “neo-fascists,” some wearing swastikas, lead us to… Read more »

Neo Nazis launch two arson attacks on Armenia gay bar

Lesbian-owned DIY Rock Pub in Yerevan, Armenia gets petrol bombed and vandalized twice since start of May Suspected Neo Nazis have launced two arson attacks at a lesbian-owned pub in Armenia’s capital, Yerevan, since the start of the pub. Armenian News reported that in the second attack on 15 May, a group of young men… Read more »

Bullying in Armenia

If only for the impact that inspired young people from Armenia & elsewhere to open up this [Born This Way Foundation Armenia] and similar pages and share their stories of bullying, bravery, individuality, coming to terms with who they are… Lady Gaga will be remembered with great respect. CivilNetTV reports: “Bullying is just as common… Read more »

Human Side of LGBT Issues in Armenia

One of the most important issues of human rights protection in Armenia is the issue of LGBT community. Due to mention that the Armenian legislation does not include any direct norm regarding the LGBT people. A discrimination prohibiting norm is the article 14.1 of RA Constitution, which states; “Everyone shall be equal before the law.… Read more »

Being Gay and Armenian: The Stigma

This is the first part of a multi-series report dealing with Armenians and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender individuals. On a Spring day in 2008, Herbert Hoover High school in Glendale, Calif. planned a “National Day of Silence.” Organized by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network and held in April since 1996, the day… Read more »

Armenia: Gays Live with Threats of Violence, Abuse

Two years after Yerevan signed an international agreement to uphold the civil rights of gays, homosexuals in Armenia still face the constant threat of physical abuse and social isolation because of their sexual orientation. “When my parents learned that I was homosexual, they first beat me and then kicked me out,” Armen, a 22-year-old Yerevan… Read more »

Gay Armenia News & Reports

Armeniapedia Gay Armenia We For Civil Equality 1 Armenian activists threaten to out politicians 12/02 2 Armenia Removes Anti-Gay Laws From Criminal Code 1/03 3 Armenia’s Animosity Towards Gays 8/07 4 IWPR: Armenia gays face long walk to freedom 3/09 5 PINK’s new steps in new office 7/09 6 Armenia: Homophobia turns deadly 8/09 7… Read more »