Armenian feminists respond to ‘Global Armenians’ ad in the New York Times

I am one of the signatories of this letter.

Re-posted via The Armenian Weekly
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The below open letter and pledge were developed by a group of Armenian feminists residing in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Armenia in response to a full page ad underwritten by the IDeA Foundation of Armenia (www.idea.am) that ran in the New York Times on Oct. 28.

*A part of the full page ad underwritten by the IDeA Foundation of Armenia that ran in the New York Times on Oct. 28.

Over 80 Armenian feminists, both women and men, from Armenia and throughout the Armenian diaspora, decried the gender disparity in the “Global Armenians” advertisement signatories list, which they see as symptomatic of the sidelining of women in Armenian communal institutions. The New York Times ad was signed by 22 men and one woman. As a means to address the ongoing exclusion and tokenism represented by the ad, and which they say is endemic in Armenian organizations around the world, the feminists pledged to condition their involvement in Armenian community forums on the presence of other women.

Those who signed the pledge come from a variety of professions and hail from cities ranging from Los Angeles, Toronto, New York, London, Paris, Berlin, and Yerevan. Among the signers are prominent feminist activists from Armenia, including Lara Aharonian and Maro Martosian; producer and actor Arsinee Khanjian and filmmaker Atom Egoyan from Canada; novelist Chris Bohjalian, human rights leader Sarah Leah Whitson, journalist Lara Setrakian and photographer Scout Tufankjian from the U.S.; and Berlin-based artist Silvina Der Meguerditchian. Academics from the U.S., U.K., and France are heavily represented.

Rachel Goshgarian (U.S.), one of the signers who also helped draft the feminist statement, said: “Both women and men play integral parts in Armenian communities, but it’s too rare that we see women in important leadership roles within our community organizations and too often that we see women being ‘invited’ to contribute as token members of our community and then barely listened to or heard.”

“I think it is high time this issue of excluding Armenian women was called out because despite past criticism about the gender imbalance in Armenian circles, things are getting worse,” Armine Ishkanian (U.K.) stated.

Below is the text of the letter:

On Oct. 28, a full-page advertisement appeared in the New York Times claiming to represent “Global Armenians” and sounding a call for unified action. It was signed by 22 men and one woman. Armenian women are leaders, thinkers, artists, teachers, and philanthropists around the world, but with one exception, these women were not among its signatories. While it is an open letter and invites others to join, the discrepancy in participation between men and women cannot be ignored. The letter itself calls upon the government of Armenia to adopt “strategies based on inclusiveness and collective action,” but the process of drafting and publishing the letter should have modeled those same ideals. In an effort towards preventing this kind of exclusion and tokenism, we the undersigned pledge to condition our involvement in Armenian community forums on the participation of other women. One is not enough.

• Nancy Agabian (U.S.)
• Liana Aghajanian (U.S.)
• Lara Aharonian (Armenia)
• Michael Aram (U.S.)
• Nora Armani (U.S.)
• Sophia Armen (U.S.)
• Mika Artyan (U.K.)
• Sebouh Aslanian (U.S.)
• Shushan Avagyan (Armenia)
• Lily Balian (U.S.)
• Dr. Karen Babayan (U.K.)
• Peter Balakian (U.S.)
• Houri Berberian (U.S.)
• Nvair Beylerian (U.S.)
• Zarmine Boghosian (U.S.)
• Eric Bogosian (U.S.)
• Chris Bohjalian (U.S.)
• Vicken Cheterian (Switzerland)
• Silvina Der Meguerditchian (Germany)
• Lerna Ekmekcioglu (U.S.)
• Atom Egoyan (Canada)
• Ayda Erbal (U.S)
• Sarah Ignatius (U.S.)
• Armine Ishkanian (U.K.)
• Anna K. Gargarian (Armenia)
• Olga Ghazaryan (U.K.)
• Carina Karapetian Giorgi (U.S.)
• Rachel Goshgarian (U.S.)
• Houry Geudelikian (U.S.)
• Ani Ross Grubb (U.S.)
• Veken Gueyikian (U.S.)
• JoAnn Janjigian (U.S.)
• Dr. Ani Kalayjian (U.S.)
• Sossie Kasbarian (U.K.)
• Silva Katchigian (U.S.)
• Maral Kerovpyan (France)
• Virginia Pattie Kerovpyan (France)
• Shushan Kerovpyan (France)
• Arsinee Khanjian (Canada)
• Ani Kharajian (U.S.)
• Taline Kochayan (France)
• Dickran Kouymjian (France)
• Lola Koundakjian (U.S.)
• Stefanie Kundakjian (France)
• Nancy Kricorian (U.S.)
• Marc Mamigonian (U.S.)
• Armen Marsoobian (U.S.)
• Maro Matosian (Armenia)
• Markar Melkonian (U.S.)
• Barbara Merguerian (U.S.)
• Muriel Mirak-Weissbach (Germany)
• Khatchig Mouradian (U.S.)
• Joanne Randa Nucho (U.S.)
• Carolyn Rapkievian (U.S.)
• Aline Ohanesian (U.S.)
• Ara Oshagan (U.S.)
• Susan Pattie (U.K.)
• Jennifer Phillips (U.S.)
• Nelli Sargsyan (U.S.)
• Judith Saryan (U.S.)
• Elyse Semerdjian (U.S.)
• Lara Setrakian (U.S.)
• Anna Shahnazaryan (Armenia)
• Tamar Shirinian (U.S.)
• Jason Sohigian (U.S.)
• Ronald Grigor Suny (U.S.)
• Anoush F. Terjanian (U.S.)
• Lori Megerdichian Terrizzi (U.S.)
• Karina Totah (U.S.)
• Sara Janjigian Trifiro (U.S.)
• Khachig Tololyan (U.S.)
• Scout Tufankjian (U.S.)
• Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte (U.S.)
• Anahid Ugurlayan (U.S.)
• Hrag Vartanian (U.S.)
• Nicole Vartanian  (U.S.)
• Dana E. Walwrath (U.S.)
• Seta White (U.K.)
• Sarah Leah Whitson (U.S.)
• Lilit Yenokyan (U.S.)
• Linda Yepoyan (U.S.)
• Meldia Yesayan (U.S)
• Houry Youssoufian (U.S.)

March for Europe, London - photo story + video of Abba's SOS performance

 *Michael Cashman, former actor, labour politician, LGBT activist

 *David Lammy, Labour MP for Tottenham

 *Bob Geldof, singer, songwriter, political activist

 *Owen Jones, The Guardian columnist

...and video of performance of Abba's SOS during the rally
***
Read also: Remain. #Brexit

Remain. #Brexit

I never had any doubts re where I stand on this question. I was a voter. And I voted for Remain. Here is my #VoteRemain.

I strongly believe with all its issues and problems, the positive of the EU far outweighs the negative. And if you did follow the debate in the UK, and if you do follow my blogs and Twitter updates, you would know that I could never ever support those behind the campaign to leave. The most prominent #Brexit campaigners were nationalists, racists, full of hate towards migrants, and their vision of the UK and the worldview is totally opposite to mine.

In the early hours of the morning, it became clear that nationalism, racism, isolationism, hate - i.e. #Brexit - narrowly won this EU referendum.

The United Kingdom is a country that includes England (voted Leave), Scotland (voted Remain), Wales (voted Leave), and Northern Ireland (voted Remain).

This "Kingdom" is anything but "United".

As Edward Snowden tweeted: "No matter the outcome, #Brexit polls demonstrate how quickly half of any population can be convinced to vote against itself. Quite a lesson."

Armenia and Orlando

*Also on Unzipped: Gay Armenia

Armenia president Serj Sargsyan strongly condemns “horrendous manifestation of intolerance” and “any expression of hatred”. At least, this is how he formulated his reaction to Orlando in a letter of condolences to the US president Obama following attack on LGBT club Pulse.

President Serzh Sargsyan sent a letter of condolences to the President of the United States Barack Obama on a horrible terrorist act which took place at a club in Orlando, claiming several dozens of innocent lives and wounded. The President of Armenia strongly condemned this horrendous manifestation of intolerance and underscored that the misfortune, that has befallen the friendly American people, proves once again that any expression of hatred is still a serious challenge to the humanity and it is our shared responsibility and mission to address them.

ՑԱՎԱԿՑԱԿԱՆ ՆԱԽԱԳԱՀ ՍԵՐԺ ՍԱՐԳՍՅԱՆԸ ՑԱՎԱԿՑԱԿԱՆ ՀԵՌԱԳԻՐ Է ՀՂԵԼ ԱՄՆ ՆԱԽԱԳԱՀ ԲԱՐԱՔ ՕԲԱՄԱՅԻՆ 13.06.2016 Նախագահ Սերժ Սարգսյանը ցավակցական հեռագիր է հղել Ամերիկայի Միացյալ Նահանգների Նախագահ Բարաք Օբամային՝ Օռլանդո քաղաքի ակումբում տեղի ունեցած սահմռկեցուցիչ ահաբեկչության կապակցությամբ, որի հետևանքով զոհվել և վիրավորվել են մի քանի տասնյակ անմեղ մարդիկ: Հանրապետության Նախագահը խստորեն դատապարտել է անհանդուրժողականության այս զարհուրելի երևույթը և ընդգծել, որ բարեկամ ամերիկացի ժողովրդին պատուհասած այդ դժբախտությունը կրկին ապացուցեց, որ ատելության բոլոր դրսևորումները, որոնց հաղթահարումը բոլորի հավաքական պարտքն ու առաքելությունն է, նույնիսկ 21-րդ դարում շարունակում են մնալ լրջագույն մարտահրավեր մարդկության համար:

4 years ago his party spokesman Eduard Sharmazanov (currently deputy speaker of the Armenian parliament) endorsed firebombers of gay friendly DIY bar in Armenia capital Yerevan.

“All those who are trying to protect homosexuals, who are perverting our society, are defaming the Armenian national identity. As an Armenian citizen and member of a national-conservative party, I find the rebellion of the two young Armenian people against the homosexuals, who have created a den of perversion in our country and have a goal of alienating the society from its moral values, completely right and justified. And those human rights defenders, who are trying to earn cheap dividends from this incident, I urge them first and foremost to protect the national and universal values”, said Eduard Sharmazanov.

He echoed his colleague, MP from ARF Dashnaktsutyun party Artsvik Minasyan (currently minister of economy) who justified the attack towards LGBT friendly bar, saying the firebombers acted in accordance with the "context of our societal & national ideology, in the right way”. It was then revealed that Armenian MPs from the ARF Dashnaktsutyun party Artsvik Minasyan and Hrayr Karapetyan bailed out one of the detained arsonists, while the other one was released on signature that he won’t leave the country.

DIY firebombers were effectively pardoned. They got conditional sentencing and a symbolic fine.

And now Armenia president condemns Orlando using pretty strong wording, albeit without the mention of “LGBT”. A change of heart or simply a hypocrisy directed at outside world? How genuine Armenia president was when condemning Orlando would be determined by whether his regime would indeed crack down on anti-LGBT hatred inside Armenia.

Following Orlando, a significant proportion of users (not just trolls) on Armenian social networks, particularly the Armenian segment of Facebook, either kept silence or could not resist their ‘happiness’ at killing of LGBT people.

They were effectively proclaiming the killer a hero. These are the same people who change their profile pictures demanding the world to recognise the Armenian Genocide. These are the same people who were outraged when an axe murderer of Armenian was pardoned by Azeri president and turned into a ‘national hero’.

One of the organisers of Orlando solidarity event in Yerevan, executive director of PINK Armenia Mamikon Hovsepyan, said “it was painful for him to witness Armenians’ reaction to the attack, which included advocacy of hatred and insults targeting the LGBT+ community.”

“People without the elementary capacity to think began to justify the criminal. I do not understand how a crime against humanity can be justified. Many in Armenia have been aggressive and have even expressed support for the terrorists, inviting them to Armenia, which is very sad and inhumane. Today we came here to express our solidarity with the families of the victims.” Hovsepyan said.

The activist added that he was left “dumbstruck” by Armenian President, head of ruling Republican Party Serzh Sargsyan sending his condolences to U.S. President Barack Obama in connection with the shooting; “It would have been great had [the condolences] been genuine and heartfelt. But I don’t believe it; because the same party that justified 4 years ago [the attack on a LGBT-friendly pub in Yerevan] today extended its condolences in connection with a similar act. I do find it ironic, and yet I’d like to believe that they’ve changed.” 

It was disheartening to read PINK Armenia calling fellow Armenians ‘to respect innocent victims & not defend terrorist acts’.

We call on our fellow Armenian friends and citizens to respect the innocent victims, and not to defend terrorism and terrorist acts.

Կոչ ենք անում մեր հայրենակիցներին հարգել անմեղ զոհերին, այլ ոչ թե պաշտպանել ահաբեկչությունն ու ահաբեկչական գործողությունները։

Even two main US-based Diaspora Armenian publications (Asbarez and The Armenian Weekly) kept silence on Orlando for 3 days, before posting a more general op-ed or a report from Yerevan. As my Facebook friends noted, it's because no straight Armenian was killed.

I have to say that mainstream media in Armenia, at least on this occasion, overall reported on the events respectfully, including regarding LGBT people (example).

As was mentioned on the Russian service of BBC, in relation to reactions in Russia, this event showed that not everyone in our society a homophobe ("У нас есть четкое понимание того, что общество уже не едино в гомофобии.”). This is applicable to Armenia too. Not necessarily the most optimistic conclusion but a basis for hope.