Recap| August 2024

National Day for LGBT+ Human Rights Protection

August 3 marks the 5th annual celebration of National Day for LGBT+ Human Rights Protection. This day is important because it highlights the ongoing struggle for equal rights and protection for LGBT+ people in Armenia. The day remembers an event in 2018, when nine young people, including LGBT+ activists, were attacked by more than 20 people in the Shurnukh community of the Syunik region. They were attacked because of their real or supposed sexual orientation and gender identity. This event led to the creation of National Day for LGBT+ Human Rights Protection.

Given these challenges, it is crucial to emphasize the long-term fight against discrimination by engaging in various activities. These include discussions and meetings with police, lawmakers, and other state officials, as well as organizing public and online campaigns to raise awareness about LGBT+ issues.

Mid-year summary of Pink’s services in 2024

Pink continued to actively provide vital services to the LGBT+ community. Alongside ongoing financial support for our existing programs, individual contributions through the Global Giving platform played a significant role in sustaining our efforts, enabling us to deliver uninterrupted services to those in need.

You can read in more detail about the number of services and counselings provided by our specialists, as well as about the needs and requests of the beneficiaries here.

Semi-annual summary of LGBT persons rights violations documented in 2024

In August, we published the semi-annual summary of LGBT persons rights violations documented in 2024, which briefly presents the human rights situation of LGBT people in the first semester of 2024, based on the analysis of violations cases and law enforcement practices recorded by the Pink Human Rights Defender NGO, as well as on the study of the progress of legislative changes.

Pink Human Rights Defender NGO documents cases of discrimination, violence, and hate speech on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity. It should be noted that the situation in the first half of 2024 is worrisome, as 42 cases of human rights violations in conjunction with discrimination have already been recorded, which is close to the number of cases recorded during the entire year previously. 

In 2024, the draft anti-discrimination law, which has been discussed with few changes since 2016 was again presented to the public. At the same time, according to the action plan for 2023-2025 deriving from the Human Rights Protection national Strategy, the adoption of the law is planned for the second semester of 2024. However, it should be noted that the draft law does not include such legal instruments and mechanisms that would make it an effective measure for protection against discrimination.

You can read the details here.