LGBTQ+ discussions in Armenia are few and far between, resulting in cloudy and misinformed interpretations of what LGBTQ+ Armenians are fighting for.
Pink Human Rights Defender NGO (Pink Armenia) has continuously represented LGBTQ+ Armenians and tackled new challenges and goals every year. This year is no different. The organization hopes to expand its influence by helping more LGBTQ+ Armenians. Pink Armenia’s lawyer, Luiza Vardanyan, summarized the NGO’s goals for 2022 as “strengthening LGBTQ+ rights, working with society to change discriminatory attitudes towards them, increasing advocacy efforts for LGBTQ+ rights, and fortifying the organization.”
Vardanyan emphasized Pink Armenia’s ability to stay secretive in a country where LGBTQ+ rights are under threat every day. The organization has moved into a new resource center in Yerevan. Keeping the location secret is crucial to prevent unwanted harm or threats that are daily occurrences for LGBTQ+ Armenians. Facing discrimination but persisting is a major step for LGBTQ+ rights in Armenia and Vardanyan always hopes for new faces at Pink Armenia. “New employees keep up with trends as the world changes,” Vardanyan explained.
Nayirie Hagopian, MA in Human Rights and Social Justice, who began her job at Pink Armenia in January, described her experience as a social worker: “Organizations need social workers because they are the key to communication.” She helps individuals who have experienced any form of abuse. Her goal is to increase acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community in Armenia and to respect the rights of everyone. Expanding the reach of Pink Armenia is an important goal and recruiting new employees has become one way to work towards that goal.
Vardanyan said that job and volunteer opportunities exist for AUA students who may want to help Pink Armenia and its mission. In fact, AUA’s Career Services posted job opportunities for Pink Armenia in November 2021 and January 2022. Previously, AUA has had little association with Pink Armenia and the LGBTQ+ community as a whole. In 2017, AUA Newsroom published an article about Mamikon Hovsepyan, then-executive director of Pink Armenia, covering Hovsepyan’s seminar on LGBTQ+ rights in Armenia. Very little has followed since.
In 2018, Ani Arzumanyan, AUA alumna, joined the Rainbow Club, AUA’s first LGBTQ+ club. Ani joined the club while it was still kept a secret. “It was never advertised,” Arzumanyan said. “Eventually, however, people talked and the word got out.” Arzumanyan recounted how club members were accused of spreading propaganda. After the club was forced to close due to threats, the memory of it soon faded. “People forgot about it,” Arzumanyan said. She believes that a similar club could be opened today with official messaging. However, whoever joins it would potentially face a backlash.
In 2021, Pink Armenia held its sixth annual Rainbow Forum. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the forum was held online for the first time. Around 150 people were registered, the highest number in the history of Pink Armenia.
