World AIDS Day 2008 Celebrated in Yerevan, Armenia

On December 1 an event dedicated to World AIDS Day took place in Yerevan. The event was organized by Public Information and Need of Knowledge (PINK Armenia), Women Resource Center, Armenian Red Cross Society, Real World Real People and Youth Culture non-governmental organizations. At 4:00 p.m. people gathered near the Vardan Mamikonyan statue before starting the march. During the march volunteers of the organizations distributed flyers and information materials to people; some volunteers were holding posters with expressions of the day. “Helsinki Association” NGO, whose mission is human rights protection, also participated in the march. The participants were wearing white T-shirts with red ribbons and the “Stop AIDS, Keep Promise” slogan printed on them, which were especially made for World AIDS Day. Letters were delivered to the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Science and Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan while marching to the Republic Square. During the march random people joined the procession and afterwards the group of 80 people walked to the “Avangard” club, where the World AIDS Day event took place.
Videos, social clips and live shows, as well as the “God’s Children of America”, were presented during the event. Also the event organizers presented the mission of each organization, then a message to the Armenian government was read. The main request of the organizations from the government was a strengthening of participation in solving AIDS issues.
Letters to Santa Claus from children with HIV were read during the event. These children live in bad social conditions, which creates such psychological difficulties as anxiety, isolation and low self-esteem.
These children dream about Santa Claus visiting them as well as their friends, and write letters to him hoping in their hearts that their wishes will come true this year.
During the event money was collected and granted to “Real World Real People” NGO to buy New Year presents for children living with HIV.
The event was continued with a rock concert performed by the bands “PINCET”, “INAD”, and “LSD”. At the end of the event some youngsters presented different posters on the stage with messages reading that all people are equal regardless of our desires, jobs, health conditions, ages, sex and sexual orientations.
During the event brochures about HIV/AIDS, its transmission and prevention and general health as well as condoms were provided by volunteers.

• The organizers highly appreciated the work of the volunteers, participants, journalists, friends and supporting organizations.

ՁԻԱՀ-ի Համաշխարհային Օր 2008-ը նշվեց Երևանում, Հայաստան

Դեկտեմբերի 1-ին Երևանում տեղի ունեցավ միջոցառում նվիրված ՁԻԱՀ-ի Համաշխարհային Օրվան: Միջոցառման կազմակերպիչներն էին Հանրային Տեղեկատվություն և Գիտելիքի Կարիք (ՓԻՆՔ Արմենիա), Կանանց Ռեսուրսային Կենտրոն, Հայկական Կարմիր Խաչի Ընկերություն, Իրական Աշխարհ - Իրական Մարդիկ և Երիտասարդական Մշակութային հասարակական կազմակերպությունները: Ժամը 16.00-ին Վարդան Մամիկոնյանի արձանի մոտից սկսվեց երթը, որի ընթացքում կազմակերպությունների կամավորները անցորդներին բաժանում էին թռուցիկներ և տեղեկատու նյութեր, իսկ ոմանք էլ բարձր պահել էին այդ օրվան նվիրված արտահայտություններով պաստառներ: Երթին մասնակցում էր նաև մարդու իրավունքների պաշտպանությամբ զբաղվող «Հելսինկյան Ասոցիացիա» ՀԿ-ն: Մասնակիցները հագել էին հատուկ ՁԻԱՀ-ի Համաշխարհային Օրվա կապակցությամբ պատրաստված սպիտակ շապիկներ, որոնց վրա կարմիր ժապավենի կողքին գրված էր «Կանգեցրեք ՁԻԱՀ-ը, կատարեք խոստումը» խորագիրը: Երթը շարժվեց դեպի Հանրապետության հրապարակ, որի ընթացքում նամակներ հանձնվեցին ՀՀ Առողջապահության նախարարությանը, Կրթության և Գիտության նախարարությանը և վարչապետ Տիգրան Սարգսյանին: Երթի ընթացքում մասնակիցներին միացան նաև պատահական անցորդներ, այնուհետև մոտ 80 հոգուց բաղկացած խումբը ուղևորվեց դեպի Ավանգարդ ակումբ, որտեղ էլ կայացավ ՁԻԱՀ-ի Համաշխարհային Օրվան նվիրված միջոցառումը:
Միջոցառման ընթացքում ցուցադրվեցին օրվան նվիրված տեսանյութեր, սոցիալական հոլովակներ և կենդանի ներկայացումներ, ինչպես նաև «Ամերիկայի Աստծո զավակները» ֆիլմը: Միջոցառման ընթացքում ելույթ ունեցան կազմակերպիչները` ներկայացնելով յուրաքանչյուր կազմակերպության գործունեությունը և առաքելությունը, ապա ընթերցվեց ուղերձը Հայաստանի Հանրապետության կառավարությանը: Կազմակերպությունների հիմնական պահանջն էր, որպեսզի կառավարությունը ավելի շատ ուշադրություն և ժամանակ հատկացնի ՁԻԱՀ-ին առնչվող հարցերին:
Միջոցառման ընթացքում ընթերցվեցին ՄԻԱՎ-ով ապրող երեխաների նամակները` ուղղված Ձմեռ Պապիկին: Երեխաներն ապրում են անբարենպաստ, ոմանք էլ ծանր սոցիալական պայմաններում: Անժխտելի է այն հանգամանքը, որ սոցիալական անբարենպաստ վիճակը ծնում է հոգեբանական մեծ խնդիրներ` ճնշվածություն, մեկուսացում, ցածր ինքնագնահատական:
Երեխաներն իրենց երազանքներում պատկերացնում են, թե ինչպես նրանց էլ, բոլոր իրենց հասակակիցների նման, հյուր կգա Ձմեռ Պապը, և ջանասիրաբար ցանկություններով լի նամակ են գրում նրան` սրտի մի անկյունում փափագելով, որ այս տարի կիրականանա իրենց երազանքը:
Միջոցառման ժամանակ տեղի ունեցավ նաև դրամահավաք և ողջ հասույթը փոխանցվեց «Իրական Աշխարհ - Իրական Մարդիկ» ՀԿ-ին` ՄԻԱՎ-ով ապրող երեխաներին ամանորյա նվերներ գնելու նպատակով:
Միջոցառումը շարունակվեց ռոք համերգով, որի ժամանակ ելույթ ունեցան «PINCET», «INAD» և «LSD» ռոք խմբերը: Իսկ ավարտին մի քանի երիտասարդներ բեմ բարձրացան տարբեր ցուցանակներով` նշելով, որ բոլորս հավասար ենք` անկախ մեր ցանկություններից, աշխատանքից, առողջական վիճակից, տարիքից, սեռից ու սեռական կողմորոշումից:
Ամբողջ միջոցառման ընթացքում երիտասարդները կարող էին մոտենալ տաղավարներին, որտեղ կամավորների օգնությամբ բաժանվում էին ՄԻԱՎ/ՁԻԱՀ-ի, դրանց տարածման և կանխարգելման, առողջ ապրելակերպի մասին գրքույկներ և պահպանակներ: Տաղավարների մոտ կանգնած կամավորները դրանք բաժանում էին մասնակիցներին:

• Կազմակերպիչները, բարձր գնահատելով բոլոր կամավորների, մասնակիցների, լրագրողների, ընկերների և աջակցող մյուս կազմակերպությունների աշխատանքը, շնորհակալություն են հայտնում միջոցառումն իրականացնելու և տեղեկատվությունը սփռելու համար:

relevant links:
World AIDS campaign
Global voices online
Unzipped: Gay Armenia
A1+
One world blogs

World AIDS Day 2008

Dear friends PINK Armenia, Women's Resource Center, Real World Real People, Red Cross Armenia with Youth Cultural organization and other NGOs are organizing the World AIDS Day event in Yerevan.

From November 28 till December 1 we'll work day and night, 82 hours. If you want to join us and help during the preparational works, please call +374 10 556 946 or +374 91 232 708.

We promise to make the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day unforgetful.

*********************
Program: December 1st

December 1st, at 4pm we will gather near the Vardan Mamikonyan statue and start our march till Republic Square, and after all will go to Pushkin street, Avangard folk-club (Pushkin 3a) to start the main event at 5pm, which includes punk underground rock concert, presentations, films and live shows. During the event we'll distribute different information materials on HIV issues and condoms.

Rock bands: PINCET, INAD, LSD
presentation, social advertisements and movies about HIV, transmission, facts, discrimination are provided by local NGOs
live shows: NGO volunteers

The radio program "Lyunse" of Public Radio will broadcast a special program on HIV awareness issues, including interviews with NGO representatives.

Be with us and...

STOP AIDS. KEEP THE PROMISE

ONE year with us, ONE year with *PINK*

Hi, I am Mamikon. Last year I created a group in Yesoudo.com. Long time couldn't find a proper name for this group, finally we discussed with friends and choosed the name: "Armenian LGBT Community". You can see there that we had different topics to discuss and there were so many oppinions and suggestions from all of Yesoudo members.

Then me and my friend Garri decided to create a nice project for Armenian LGBT community. It was in October. We had so many ideas and dreams but didn't know how to make them come true. Finally we thought to register an NGO and start to work in the frames of our project. Our third friend, Arthur joined us and we registered our organization officially.

We call it "Public Information and Need of Knowledge", to have the abbreviation PINK.

"PINK Armenia" was born in December 14, 2007...

Thank you all for you support

Thanks for being together

PINK loves you!!!

PINK Armenia launches Information Center in Yerevan

Official launch of the PINK Information Center in downtown Yerevan took place on September 12, 2008. The office is conveniently located near the Yerevan State University.
"PINK Information Center"
40 Charents str, apt. 45Yerevan, Armenia
tel. +374 10 556946
Working hours: 11am-19pm
Working days: Monday-Friday

There were many guests invited from different organizations and countries. During the event the president of NGO gave short information on PINK’s program and policy, presented the main activities, successes and future plans.We collaborate with local and international human rights related and other relevant NGOs, as well as some governmental agencies, particularly, the Norwegian Embassy in Moscow and the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs.

PINK Information Center has began developing a library of relevant literature, leaflets, booklets, CDs/DVDs, educational materials in Armenian, Russian, English, other languages which we intend to expand into a comprehensive and useful source of information on LGBT related issues, STI prevention (with the special attention to HIV/AIDS) and so on. Any help in this regard or other support for PINK’s activities will be highly appreciated.

For this article we used the material from Unzipped: Gay Armenia

PINK Information Center

Dear friends,
Finally we open our Information Center, where people can visit us, use information materials from the library, participate in our trainings, group discussions, events and other activities.

"PINK Information Center"
40 Charents str, apt. 45
Yerevan, Armenia
tel. +374 10 55 69 46
working hours: 11am-19pm
Working days: Monday-Friday

We want to thank our friends for their support, as they helped us to find a good place for the office, day and night worked with us to establish this wonderful Center: Vahagn, Hovik, Vazgen, Kolya, Stephane, Nana, Marinka, Sergey from "New Generation" NGO, Grigor and "Women's Resource Center" NGO

Global AIDS prevention gives short shrift to gays

HIV infections rising among gay, bisexual men while few global prevention programs target them

Jorge Saavedra's moment of truth came in the middle of an impassioned speech to 5,000 people about the paltry amount of money being spent to stop the spread of AIDS among gay men.The Mexican federal official paused, then said publicly for the first time that he was gay.As he held up a photo of himself with his partner, the crowd applauded wildly. Afterward, men from Africa and India congratulated him with tears in their eyes."They told me that I was a hero, and that they wished they could do the same in their countries," said Saavedra, who is infected with HIV and also heads the AIDS prevention program in a country where many gay men live in denial.Saavedra's coming out on Tuesday at the International AIDS Conference sent a powerful message to the world: Homophobia must be stamped out if AIDS is to be controlled.Fewer people are dying from AIDS, but new HIV infections among gay and bisexual men in many countries are rising at alarming rates.Yet less than 1 percent of the $669 million reported in global prevention spending targets men who have sex with men, according to UNAIDS figures from 2006, the latest available data.UNAIDS says these men receive the lowest coverage of HIV prevention services of any at-risk population. And experts say discrimination has driven gay and bisexual men in developing nations underground _ turning them into one of the epidemic's hardest groups to reach. From Mexico to India, a surprising number of men who have sex with men insist they are not gay, and in many countries, governments still refuse to admit homosexuality exists."It's very difficult to provide services to men who have sex with men in countries that don't acknowledge they exist or criminalize them if they do exist," said Craig McClure, executive director of International AIDS Society, which organized the conference.In 86 nations, homosexual sex is considered a crime, and in seven countries it is punishable by death, according to the Foundation for AIDS Research, known as Amfar.During the conference's inauguration, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged nations "to follow Mexico's bold example and pass laws against homophobia."In 2003, Mexico banned discrimination based on sexual orientation, and it has opened what it calls homophobic-free health clinics. The government has a national campaign that includes radio spots with mothers accepting their gay sons. Saavedra's program has earmarked 10 percent of its $12 million budget toward prevention among gay and bisexual men.Worldwide, few developing nations check the rates of HIV infection among men who have sex with men, but researchers who have surveyed some of these countries say they are finding the rates are nearly twice that of the general adult population."This fight needs to be driven by epidemiologists" who urge making this high-risk group a priority, not only for the human rights argument, but for the public health argument, said Chris Beyrer, director of the Center for Public Health and Human Rights at Johns Hopkins University. "It's a virus so you need to put the money where the virus is."Gay and bisexual men are 19 times more likely to become infected with HIV than the general adult population, according to Amfar, which collected data on these men in 128 countries. In Mexico, this group is 109 times more likely to acquire HIV. To date, 57 percent of the HIV diagnoses in Mexico are from unprotected sex between men.Thailand is seeing "an emerging epidemic of really unbelievable proportions" among its gay and bisexual men after being held up as an example for its success with a massive condom campaign that curbed HIV's spread among sex workers, drug users and migrants, said Kevin Frost, Amfar's chief executive officer.Prevalence of HIV among gay and bisexual Thai men was more than 15 percent this year compared to 1.4 percent for the general adult populaion, according to Amfar. Frost said the country's prevention programs ignored one of its most vulnerable groups."These men believed they were not at risk because they were not having sex with sex workers or women, which is what the campaign focused on," Frost said. "That scenario is being played out across the developing world."Complicating matters is that in countries from Latin America to Southeast Asia, many men who have sex with men, insist they are not gay. More than 30 percent of Latin American men who reported having sex with men said they also had unprotected sex with women, according to UNAIDS. Many are married."Everybody knows somebody like that," Saavedra, 48, said. "Instead of saying they are gay, it's easier for them to justify their behavior. They say they were drunk and they were really sexually excited and willing to have sex with whomever."Some have beaten up transvestites after having sex with them because they are ashamed of themselves, experts say.Even governments deny these men exist. Last year, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejab said at Columbia University in New York, "In Iran we don't have homosexuals like in your country."In Malawi, that country's first organization working on behalf of gay men was created in 2006 with the backing of World Bank officials and other international agencies.Called the Centre for the Development of People, the group surveyed 100 gay men about discrimination to prove to the government that such men existed in Malawi. Homosexual sex is punishable up to 14 years in prison in the African country.The organization also found through testing 200 gay men that about 21 percent carried HIV compared with 12 percent for the general adult population."This means that we are not moving ahead with the fight against AIDS," said Gift Trapence, the organization's director who has received e-mails threatening hanging.AIDS activists say they avoid using words like "homosexual" or "gay" and instead use the label "men who have sex with men," or MSM, so their work is not impeded by the stigma.Ashok Row Kavi said he has learned the importance of carefully choosing his words in India, where he started one of the country's first organizations to work with gay and bisexual men.The Humsafar Trust found nearly 14 percent of the gay and bisexual men it surveyed in 1999 were infected with HIV. Kavi said when he told India's AIDS officials they "totally panicked because until now they believed these men did not exist."But last year they added a definition of men who have sex with men to their health planning program to start prevention campaigns. The definition includes married men.Kavi has been training health workers how to ask men if they have had gay sex and not scare them away."I tell them to say things like, 'There are many cultures where men are very close to men. Are you one of these men?'" he said. "These questions have to be sensitive," especially in India, where sodomy is illegal."That's why the word homosexual is not used," he said. "If anyone asks a man that, he will slap you."



UNAIDS: http://www.unaids.org/en
CBS NEWS: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/08/09/ap/health/main4335409.shtml

Capacity Building for Armenia’s health sector

This August, in collaboration with the Yerevan Women’s Resource Center, Lory Hovsepian (Ph.D. candidate in Public Health, Université de Montréal) and Apraham Niziblian (Lobbying and advocacy specialist) will facilitate a three-day conference, supported by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) entitled: Capacity Building for Armenia’s health sector. This project will focus on developing community capacity in Armenia’s health sector, specifically regarding the promotion of sexual/reproductive health and the prevention of HIV/sexually transmitted infections in Armenia. Community organizations working in Armenia on these issues have been invited, with the hopes of knowledge transfer and capacity building, culminating in the creation of a collaborative effort to maximize effective promotion of key sexual health issues within the Armenian public.
In recent years, our experience with various civil society groups working in the Armenian health and social sectors has suggested that although there are many community organizations working either in the realm of sexual health or with vulnerable groups, these organizations often work independently and collaborative efforts on common projects are rare. Moreover, prior fieldwork and needs analysis have indicated need for common spaces where these organizations can come together, share experiences and expertise, learn from each other, all in a collaborative spirit. This situation has led us to believe that there is a need to create such a space and to facilitate concerted action in the area of sexual health. This common space will allow for needs analysis and knowledge transfer, following which it is our hope that the organizations present will pursue the steps, and that the process will culminate into the possible creation of a form of partnership – whether it be in the form of a consortium, coalition, or ‘table de concentration’ (the outcome, of course, will be left to the actors/stakeholders involved, reflecting their needs/interests in such collaborative efforts). Such collaborative efforts can only be beneficial to the attainment of the objectives set forth in the realm of sexual health in Armenia.

Invitation
Given our belief that it is through concerted, intersectoral and multi-level action that change can be brought forth, such a process cannot be successful without the inclusion and implication of all representatives of the health sector, including representatives of academic, health and governmental institutions. In this respect, we invite "PINK" NGO to participate in this conference. It is through the collaborative effort of organizations such as "PINK Armenia" that we can create the needed concerted effort in the Armenian health sector. In an effort to be as inclusive as possible, we would like to request your help in reaching out to other organizations that may be interested in participating in this conference.
The conference will consist of three half-day workshop sessions between August 12 and 15, 2008. The August 15 session will be followed by a networking event. During this event, representatives from various groups and institutions (e.g. Ministry of Health, health sector practitioners and researchers) will be invited to discuss possible venues of collaboration in the short and long term.

Sirusho vs. Madonna

Even after the final part of eurovision Sirusho is still in top played songs at clubs, at least in Moscow. I knew about it, but was shocked yesterdayy: me and my brother where at the club in Moscow hanging out with friends, then all of the sudden, the first lyrics of "Qele, Qele" filled the whole club. The feeling that only both of us were Armenians at the whole huge club, where were approximately more than 600 people, made us scream. We thought may be someone found out we are Armenians and ordered for us?! Apparently not!!! If that happened once or twice and not more than 6 times per night we could understand. The funniest thing is that Madonna has recently released a new song which is one of my favourites, was played only once. We are happy for Sirusho and for us too!!

G.T.

Army: 2 years of struggling for life

Talking about army for some people it sounds like a verdict to death or something like that. Not sure how the situation is in other countries, but mostly in post Soviet Union countries the situation in army is still bad, even terrible. Every day we can read many articles regarding to this issue-the issue of homosexuality and army. Are these both compatible? Doesn’t army need any reforms?
Twice a year families are under stress, time to follow to your “patriot obligation”, because according to law each male person who has reached the age of 18 has to serve in army. Hardly finishing the school, boys, still being teenagers, are being taken to the army. Yes, taken, because a very few who go to army by his own will.
The process of checking boys at the military checking points is very annoying, disappointing, harmful, humiliating and etc. They bring all them at one place at 9 o’clock in the morning and make you wait still they “are ready” for the job. I had that experience personally. Than when they “are ready” they invite boys by groups inside, where they are being checked by doctors to see if they are required for the army, but this process is not efficient, because a lot of guys who have serious problems are taken to army.
More problems are for gays, who are being offended, humiliated not only from the military service workers, but also from other guys waiting outside. Usually if they find out a person to be gay, they begin to give clichés; very often they beat him very hard by groups. But all these are more awful when military workers see that and do nothing, like “it should be like that”. Next, when at that check points they still don’t recognize your orientation and qualify for army (because homosexuals are not qualified for army, because of the high risk of danger waiting for that person in army and plus to it, homosexuality still considers to be a “mental disease”) you go further and finally get into army. Nobody can give a guarantee that a gay man will return home safe or just alive.
Recently a guy had similar problems with army, where he had the same problems: he was beaten, humiliated, he had separated dishes, separated place to sleep and etc. As he said: “Every day I feel I won’t be able to get back home, I didn’t feel my dignity that was terrible experience I had in my life”. And this is a “normal”, everyday thing in army.
Now there are several NGOs who are interested in this, and do whatever they can do, one of them is “New Vision to Democracy” NGO, who made its best effort to take that guy out that situation. Now he doesn’t serve and is in safety. “PINK Armenia” and “New Vision to Democracy” now tries to collaborate and do much work in order to do something with that issue.
They invite round tables with LGBT representatives where they discuss problems regarding to army. Most of them don’t know their rights, and where asked why they hadn’t told their parents, they answered the same attitude should have been from them too.
So now all we hope that a small group of young people can do something to change the situation in army, at least they will try.
Army is a necessity for Armenia, but the government should understand also that without good condition of it lots of people will try to avoid it. And is there any army without soldiers?

Youth, reality, perspectives

The Center for Organizing Youth Activities with the financial assistance of the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs organized a youth conference “Youth, reality, perspectives” aiming to activate and enlarge the Youth information field, and foster links between the youth NGO’s, as well as with the governmental and international organizations.
During the 3 days of the conference (25-27 June, 2008) an exhibition-fair “Idea Market” presented NGO’s of Armenia, Artsakh and Javakhk, and also those governmental and international organizations whose activities interact with the youth. The “Idea Market” helped about 90 organizations to present their history, activities, and plans. A special designated area and facilities were provided on request.PINK Armenia was one of those lucky organizations that presented the activities and future plans. The conference gave a good chance to find other partner organization to collaborate with. We are happy to collaborate also with government. As a first step we started our work with the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs and it’s 10 Youth Centers in each region of Armenia.

MetastaZ

"We are Armenians, not homos..."

In the end of May the State Dramatic Theatre named after H. Abelyan of Vanadzor opened curtains for the premiere of the performance "MetastaZ (Metastasis)" under same play of Hovhannes Tekgyozyan "Metastasis". Premiere was really impressing from the both chosen subjects and the originality of the performance. The Theatre had never had such kind of performance in it yet, which was sort of experiment for the the theatre filled with glory and with scandal at the same time. From the very beginning it was planned as the audience would be a part of the play: there were 30 chairs black and white colored, like chessboard and they were on the stage. Director Nune Khechumyan said: "That has been done on purpose, because it is more difficult for the actor to play looking at the audience at the same time, which means the professionally of the actor should be very high. It is interesting also for the spectator, because there wasn't such kind of experience at the theater before. The spectator can do nothing rather to be a participant of all that". A plead of talented actors was evolved in the play, such as Temur Atchinyan, Alla Darbinyan, Edgar Qocharyan, Hamlet Gyulzadyan and also one of the founders of PINK Armenia. The casting has been done very carefully. Also Hovsep Mesropyan and Vahe Shahverdyan were in all that action. One can speak about the performance continuously; improbable occurrence and disappearance of actors on the stage surprised the audience and etc. The most interesting fact is that a performance based on real facts of two homosexuals was played in the third city of Armenia and not Yerevan. The main goal of the director was not the elucidation of the theme of homosexuality and drugs in general, but the torture of the people, having a pain arisen by treachery. The same can overtake each of us like it happened to the heroes of performance "MetastaZ". Unequivocally, one of the central aims of performance is the orientation of heroes that has caused spasm for the majority of spectators. In fact the most part of the Armenian society, does not accept and does not wish to accept "sick people, who still can recover from". The most part of public has been shocked and admired from professional acting and director's work of performance, and some others experienced a shock, proceeding from basic reasons and traditional mentality: " How can it be possible, we are Armenians, not homos?" Everybody was waiting for similar comment, however they are not in forces to suspend the group of these professionals. The troupe is not going to be limited only by premiere and couple of performances. They are measured to organize tours in all over Armenia and also abroad. Additives to it, Yerevan, Tbilisi, Moscow and Saint-Petersburg already wish to watch "MetastaZ". Performance deserves all the praise and also can be a great competitor for the European chamber representations.

Mr. Gay Europe

PINK Armenia is the official representative who will organize Mr. Gay Armenia every year and the winner will participate in Europian event.
Mr. Gay Europe celebrates the gay European man and pays tribute to the diversity as well as what we have in common as gay men in Europe. Gay men all over Europe and Eurasia are invited to take part in the festivity.
The Mr. Gay Europe Organization hereby invites to enter the Armenian Delegate in the Mr. Gay Europe Competition.
Read more about the rules and regulations and the Delegates

Gay Armenian in LA committed suicide after being forced into marriage

A young gay armenian commited suicide in April 2008 ... he was 22 years old. The stress of being gay was to hard for him to handel. he was forced to get married with an armenian girl to cover up his sexuality... and sadly 3 months into the marriage. he couldnt take it anymore... he was under a lot of stress from his family and the general stress that the armenian community brinkgs to the tabel about homosexuality...

for more details please visit http://www.yesoudo.com/group_posts.php?gid=7&tid=184 or http://gayarmenia.blogspot.com/2008/04/gay-armenian-in-la-committed-suicide.html

Winter Blitz News

21-27 January, 2008
Tbilisi, Georgia
Millenium Development Goals
Pink Armenia was invited to Georgia for MDG Conference. The meeting was organized by Georgian UN Association.

---------------------------------------------------------

20 January, 2008
Gyumri, Armenia
Expo 2008
Expo 2008 of local and international NGO's was organized in Gyumri, January 2008. PINK also took part in that event and presented the main projects.

---------------------------------------------------------

14 December, 2007
Yerevan, Armenia
PINK Armenia is officially registered
PINK members created the main project in September 2007 and started to collaborate with local and international organizations, organizing tranings, pesentations and events. Finally we were officially registered in December 2007,

---------------------------------------------------------

02 December, 2007
Gyumri, Armenia
Live talk-show about sexual minorities
Tsayg TV company organizaed a live talk show about the sexual minorities in the frame of the program "Tesankyun". The main guest of that show was the president of PINK Armenia NGO. The program was broadcasted in Shirak Region.