Wednesday 4 February 2009

Local TV programme discusses gay Armenian issues in the aftermath of UN gay rights statement

I think, there were some genuine attempts in this TV report (“Epikentron” programme) to understand the issue, to view it from various sides, inviting also gay Armenians.

However, they did not describe what exactly that UN statement says. Only brief fragments of the interviews with gay Armenians were presented, and the main accent then was shifted towards sociologist Aharon Adibekyan who is apparently considered as some kind of ‘universal expert' in Armenia on any subject matter. Here in this interview Adibekyan shares his views that homosexuality is developing due to upbringing by parents, increased rates of divorces, lack of traditional gender roles in society (he is very sad about it) and so on. He is also saying that there are no sufficient numbers of openly gay Armenians to stand up for their rights, therefore we can’t consider their problems. He does not, however, ask himself a question – why gay Armenians prefer remaining in the closet?

Journalists tried to find out data on numbers of LGBT Armenians from the national statistics centre, but obviously there were no such data available.

They also briefly reflected that infamous press conference by Karine Danielyan & co.

Still, at least more neutral reporting, attempt to understand the subject matter they are talking about, and welcome use by the journalists of “miaserakan”(the most acceptable Armenian version for “gay”).



*video via PINK Armenia

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I asked that journalist hundred time not to use "hamaseramol", I explained him what's the difference and he got the point.
What is funny we were having conversation about 30 minutes till our "gay hero" came, and then he said that he couldn't feel good and comfortable with homosexual as he was feels, for example, with me:)))

Anonymous said...

Lack of traditional gender roles in Armenia?? I don't know the Armenia Adibekyan is living in, but in terms of gender roles, I think I would much prefer his over the Armenia that I know which still has plenty of traditional gender roles. ;-)

How big does a group has to be for Adibekyan before its problems should be considered by society? One, two, twenty, one hundred, a million? Or is size a flexible notion?

artmika said...

See, Mamikon, education works. Well done.

Myrthe, agreed! ;)

Anonymous said...

oh by the way, journalist told me this: Adibekyan told him once that there are 261 gays in Armenia, but during the interview he didn't say this number, the journalist laughed a lot and told me that only he knows 250 gay already...
also another fantastic fact, I can't keep it in me any more.
- Կ. Բադալյանի տվյալներով, Հայաստանում կան մոտ 6500 համասեռամոլ և 3400 լեսբուհի: Այս տվյալները ստացվել են ինտերնետ-կայքերում ծանոթության համար լրացվող անկետաներից:
http://www.armtown.com/news/am/prm/20061205/9735/

how he could let them to use համասեռամոլ in that article, how he could announce such stupid info, how he could let them to print it out and finally how he can still be so proud

Angela Harutyunyan said...

this guy is a total jerk anyways...He believes that boys have to taught how to be real men, otherwise they will become victims of alcoholism, drug abuse and...homosexuality...