PSIA Seminar: LGBT Issues in Armenia

About the Seminar:

This seminar will examine the politics of LGBT issues in Armenia. What are the rights of members of the LGBT community and to what extent those rights are respected in the country? What does the government do to protect those rights and what more can it do? The absence of legislative arrangements to ensure the proper realization of LGBT persons’ rights allows homophobic people in society to carry out attacks against LGBT people. Moreover, the opinions of the law enforcement agencies are a hindrance to the disclosure of offenses committed against LGBT people. As a result, bringing perpetrators to justice is practically unsuccessful within the framework of existing legislation. What are organisations such as Pink Armenia and others doing to bring about greater recognition and protection of the rights of LGBT people?

About the Speaker:

Mamikon Hovsepyan, Executive Director, Pink Armenia

Mamikon Hovsepyan is a LGBT activist and a Human Rights Defender in Armenia. He started his activism in 2002. In 2007 Mamikon founded PINK Armenia, the leading LGBT organization in the country. PINK Armenia works LGBT community empowerment, human rights protections on national and international levels and awareness raising. Mamikon holds a degree in sociology, and a Masters Degree in Human Rights and Democratization. He specializes in health, human rights, and gender issues. Mamikon is a board member of Los Angeles based Gay and Lesbian Armenian society and Human Rights House Yerevan. In 2017 he received a Bob Hepple Equality Award for his work in advancing LGBT rights in Armenia.

Language: English