“For me being European is also being tolerant, and feeling safe. Being in Europe especially, [means] being safe and if Armenia wants to be part of Europe it needs to create a safe space for everybody”.
An anonymous LGBT+ Armenian
Introduction
Every year ILGA-Europe, an independent, international NGO “uniting over 750 LGBT+[1] organisations from 54 countries across Europe and Central Asia” publishes the ‘rainbow map.’ This map ‘annually ranks 49 European countries on a scale from 0% (gross violations of human rights, discrimination) to 100% (respect of human rights, full equality) on the basis of laws and policies that have a direct impact on LGBT+ people’s human rights.’ The ranking is based on seven categories of laws including equality and non-discrimination, asylum, and more[2]. According to ILGA-Europe, Armenia is ranked 46th in regards to LGBT+ people’s human rights and have an overall average score of 9.16%[3].
Understanding ILGA-Europe’s Score
If one looks at the ILGA-Europe data on Armenia, the category ‘Civil Society Space’ - which concerns laws, policies and practices that allow for full exercise of freedom of assembly, association and expression for LGBT+ people – the country has a remarkable score of 50%. However, in regards to the other six categories, Armenia presents a very low score.
Other data from Armenian LGBT+ organizations, such as Pink Armenia, highlight the complex reality for LGBT+ individuals in the country, stating that they still face discrimination and can be violently persecuted. For instance, last year Pink Armenia reported over 260 LGBT+ people seeking legal assistance due to “discrimination and violence across various aspects of life, including family, the armed forces, law enforcement, care facilities, educational institutions, and public spaces”[4].
While there are some encouraging signs, Armenian LGBT+ individuals are still working towards securing their rights and freedoms. This inspired me to explore what life is like for LGBT+ Armenians: what support might be available to them? What is the situation for the LGBT+ Community in Armenia, and what could be done to improve their experiences? To shine a light on this topic, I was very grateful for the opportunity to speak with an LGBT+ Armenian living abroad who courageously shared his story with me. I am excited to share some insights from that discussion in this article.
Interview with Simon
[5]
No laws for hate crimes or domestic abuse:
First, I asked Simon to provide an overview regarding the current situation around LGBT+ legal issues in Armenia. Simon explained that “there is still no law that considers attacks on LGBT+ people as hate crimes”. He added, “it’s viewed as a simple attack or assault and for that reason it’s not always properly addressed”. About this, Pink Armenia documented 51 cases of violence towards LGBT+ people during 2022 (23 of accounts were committed by family members) and highlighted that “in most cases parents, having learned about the LGBT+ identity of their family member, had then beaten, harassed, threatened, or locked them up”[6][FP1] . However, Simon added, “these cases are not always taken seriously because the law does not recognise sexual orientation as a protected characteristic from hate crimes”.
A question of identity, belonging, friends and family relations:
Speaking of identity, I asked Simon how he defined himself and how his identity as an LGBT+ Armenian affects his relationships. Simon is bisexual, meaning he can experience romantic attraction to men and women, and shared that during childhood and teenagerhood, he never knew about LGBT+ communities in his country. He stated, “it was only after moving abroad…that I could discover my true identity [and] that there was such a community in Armenia, but I could not connect with it”. He said that even though there is a large LGBT+ community in the EU country where he currently lives, it is hard to decide which community to call his own. He clarified, “I have a lot of LGBT+ friends here who are not Armenian and I feel very comfortable with them, but at the same time, I cannot speak Armenian with them for example; I cannot always watch Armenian movies or make jokes from our culture”. It is clear that Simon loves his Armenian identity and wants to be able to celebrate who he is as being both LGBT+ and Armenian.
The difficulties being a LGBT+ Armenian: Feelings of loneliness and shame
Simon also mentioned his feeling of loneliness as an LGBT+ person in Armenia. He highlighted that he had never seen any LGBT+ representations on TV shows or in music. He stated: “because we don’t have these representations at home that’s largely why I only discovered who I was and I came to terms with the fact that I was part of this community when I went abroad…and that I’m not alone because that’s what a lot of people go through when they’re young: when they don’t see themselves represented they think that they’re alone, that there must be something wrong with them, which is essentially what I felt as well”. He described his internal battle as “pushing his homosexual side” to “stick to the straight one”. Additionally, he spoke of feelings of shame and guilt of being Armenian and LGBT+, feeling that he was “exactly the opposite of what people expect him to be”.
Feeling Trapped Being an LGBT+ Armenian also came with pressure not to reveal one’s authentic self. Simon expressed this through the statement: “When I was in Armenia, during the first 17 years of my life, the words “I’m Homosexual” or “I’m Bisexual” never came out of my mouth…ever. It was only after I left to [an EU country] that I could share this with a couple of my friends, very close friends, in Armenia, that I’m actually Bi[7] and these were people that I knew would accept me, so I had no problem telling them. [However] as far as my family is concerned, nobody knows that I’m Bi, and I don’t think I’m ready ever maybe to come out to them”.
At the same time, this pressure is also accompanied by the fear of “dishonoring the family”. Simon was worried about what might happen to his family if they found out.
“At one point you actually stop thinking about your mental health and you start thinking about what would happen to other people if I came out... which is not good for you own [mental health] …The fact that I’m not officially out to my family… that’s the blocking thing because at one end I don’t want to do that - to come out to them - but I feel like that’s the last step to finally be free and essentially I’m kind of trapped in the middle.”
Being heterosexual and supporting LGBT+ rights in Armenia
Another point that he mentioned was the stigma that heterosexual people in Armenia experience when claiming they support LGBT+ rights. They state: “Once you say I support gay people in Armenia the assumption is ‘you must be gay too, because how can you be heterosexual and still support them’?…So, a lot of people who are heterosexual, but allies, don’t actually say out loud that they support LGBT+ people…when they voice their support for gay people they put their own lives also in danger”. He expressed that Armenia should cultivate a society where heterosexual people can vocalise their support for LGBT+ rights as “more and more people need to come to terms with the fact that it’s both okay to be LGBT+ and to support them.”
Armenian culture and LGBT+ artists:
Simon also highlighted a fear that some Armenians believe that joining the EU might threaten their traditional Christian values, which is not the reality.
He stated: “On the one hand Armenia wants to be part of so-called Europe or the European community - essentially join the EU - … but at the same time when we see something that is - according to Armenians - radical or two progressive we joke that ‘oh it must come from Europe, it must be corrupted, it must be some propaganda from there’ [...]because it’s going to corrupt our Armenian values”
While debunking this disinformation, he highlighted how Armenian cultural heritage presents works that are homegrown, coming from domestic LGBT+ Armenian artists, not from the EU. He explained that in the Armenian language there is no distinction between male or female pronouns and that this allows LGBT+ artists to express themselves and write LGBT+ romantic poems without expressing their love for any particular gender. Additionally, he explains that buying LGBT+ Armenian cultural objects (such as books or novels) or listening to music from LGBT+ Armenians brings him joy.
“To have this tangible - I guess – material [object], like a book that I can hold in my hand that has an Armenian author’s name and it’s an LGBT+ story… I feel like ‘wow I could never buy this book and touch this book in an Armenian bookstore’…but now in the Armenian diaspora, among many Armenian refugees across the world, we see more Armenian LGBT+ artists, novels, and songs, and it’s always… seeing them brings me joy. I always try to listen to their music and buy their books to also support them… [These artists] are explicitly claiming the Armenian identity and I guess reshaping what it means to be Armenian, and doing it publicly and not being ashamed of it: I mean it’s kind of healing. [it is a] healing process seeing these people take back the narrative and construct new identities…It’s definitely a way to show that LGBT+ is not something created by Europe or a sort of corruption from the EU. …I’m quite proud of my heritage, and I hope that by discovering these hidden works at others will finally be accepting of it too."
Simon also emphasised the important work that LGBT+ communities and organizations such as Pink Armenia and Right Side NGO, as well as LGBT+ Armenian activists on social media are doing. In detail, he expressed admiration to the people who continue to remain in Armenia despite being at risk to fight for their rights. He stated: “for me they are heroes because in some situations you have to leave the country because your life is literally in danger but at a time seeing these people that continue to live in Armenia despite these dangers… I mean, I kind of worship them”.
Conclusion
Finally, our conversation concluded with a discussion of what could be done to better support the LGBT+ community in Armenia. Simon spoke about supporting people who continue living in Armenia fighting for this community, following, supporting, and sending love to creators on social media, and contributing financially to organizations such as Pink Armenia, to further empower their work. They also mentioned how the voluntary work from the EU NEIGHBOURS EAST Young European Ambassadors[9] contributes by giving LGBT+ Armenians, like himself, “a safe space to express themselves”.
It is fundamental to carry on these conversations to spread awareness and support LGBT+ Armenians because, as Simon summarised “We are not asking for something more than what others already have. [just] normal basic human rights and to be comfortable around other people.”
Follow the comments:
|
