LGBT+ History Month: Pink Armenia in Eastern Europe

1.     Could you tell us about yourself and the work of your organisation?

My name is Chougher Maria Doughramajian, and I am a programme assistant at Pink Armenia. I have had the pleasure to engage with GiveOut earlier last year through the Raise up, Rise Up for GiveOut: Supporting Queer Women fundraising event, where I represented the work that Pink Armenia is doing to support LBTQ+ women in Armenia. 

Pink Armenia is a community based LGBTQI organisation founded in 2007. Our vision is a society where human rights are protected and everybody is accepted regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity and/or gender expression (SOGIE). We work towards creating safe spaces for LGBTQI persons by promoting well-being and protection in all spheres of life, which include healthcare awareness and service provision, including SRHR, human rights protection, counselling services, legal aid, and community centres as physical safe spaces.

2. Can you point to some key moments or people that have influenced LGBTQI history in your region? 

When it comes to the Eastern European and Central Asian region, we would like to mention the following moments and individuals that have significantly influenced LGBTQI history.

Among key moments, there are: 

• Decriminalisation of homosexuality/homosexual relations in EECA countries. 

• Conduction of Pride and other visibility events in the region. The most notable prides in the region were KyivPride, Tbilisi Pride, Chișinău Pride and Baltic Pride.

• Another notable yet agonising moment was the adoption of so called ‘Anti-Propaganda law’ in Russia and attempts to adopt similar laws in other countries.

When it comes to Armenia specifically, the key moments of LGBTQI history were the following: 

• 2007: Establishment of Pink Armenia, the first community based LGBTQI organisation, which was followed by the registration of other LGBTQI organisations.

• 2012: Explosion of DIY Pub and attacks on the Diversity parade in Yerevan.

• 2015: Rainbow Forum, the biggest LGBTQI gathering in Armenia which stirred a lot of discussions in the wider Armenian society. It is noteworthy to mention that the forum has been organised every year for the past 6 years.

• 2016: First Armenian documentary telling the personal stories of Armenian LGBTQI community members. The documentary is titled “Listen to me. Untold stories beyond the hatred.”

• 2019: The first ever speech by a trans activist in Armenia’s Parliament. Lilit Martirosyan’s speech was on the issues and violence faced by the trans community in Armenia.

Among key people who influenced the history in the region and in Armenia, it’s worth to mention: 

• Mamikon Hovsepyan, the founder of Pink Armenia and a LGBTQI activist.

• Lilit Martirosyan, the founder of Right Side NGO and a trans activist.  

“There are so many lessons to be learnt from this region, and it would be beneficial to document and widely share this history.”

-Chougher, Pink Armenia

3. Why is it important to learn about LGBTQI history from other regions globally?

It is inarguable that LGBTQI history is often taught and talked about in a Western perspective, which usually concerns events that took place in Western Europe and North America. While we believe in the importance of the history and landmarks achieved in the West, we find it important to include what we often call “history in the making” moments in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Asia. There are so many lessons to be learnt from this region, and it would be beneficial to document and widely share this history.

4. From the history in your region, what are some key lessons that can be applied to future generations of LGBTQI people?

The key lesson concerns resilience and development. We have learnt throughout the years that the LGBTQI movement’s development and the empowerment of community is a multifaceted process that requires dedication and resilience, which is what we have been trying to do at Pink Armenia.