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?
July 9, 2008
July 4, 2008
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.
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.
June 30, 2008
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.
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.May 15, 2008
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
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
April 19, 2008
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
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