The 7th Annual Rainbow Forum titled “Strengthening the LGBT+ Movement” took place

This year, the 7th Rainbow Forum, which has already become a tradition, took place from October 28 to 30. More than 140 people registered to participate in the three-day forum, including LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer) people, their parents, civil society representatives, artists, activists, lawyers, healthcare and related field professionals.

This year’s forum agenda allowed participants to choose the discussion topics they were interested in and the most convenient times to participate in the workshops and discussions. This year, the forum was titled “Strengthening the LGBT+ movement.” During the forum, LGBT+ people and their allies discussed several topics: the LGBT+ movement’s small and significant achievements and changes, current wars, border escalations, the aftermath and consequences, as well as their impact on the feminist and LGBT+ movement, the experience of LGBT+ people when engaging with professional fields, the opportunities and challenges, Armenia-Diaspora connection and contribution to the LGBT+ movement, etc.

The discussions led by various local activists were related to the issues of women and LGBT+ people during the war, professional burnout, safety and visibility challenges faced by gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans people in Armenia. While summarizing the discussions, the speakers noted that the conversations were often emotional, referring to the October 20 death of a gay couple.

During the forum, various queer artists had the opportunity to screen their films, after which the participants discussed the importance of queer art in the movement, the problems that queer people face when creating, as well as the possibilities of spreading queer art in Armenia.

The participants also had the opportunity to take part in the NGO exhibition, during which they got familiarized with the sector’s civil society organizations, their work, and the services they provide. They also interacted with the representatives of NGOs, who presented the activities of their organizations and the services they provide and distributed relevant information materials, books, postcards etc.

On October 29, the second day of the forum, the “Berneberan” (“Mouth to Mouth”) queer performance took place, where LGBT+ people and allies performed, sharing their stories full of sorrow, joy and pride with the participants and guests.

On the third day of the forum, Garo Paylan, a member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey known for his pro-Armenian activities, made an unplanned visit with Pink’s invitation. He made a speech at the forum’s closing ceremony, highlighting that Armenia has chosen the path of democracy: “If Armenia wants to be a democratic country, it must respect the human rights of LGBTQ people.” At the end of his speech, he expressed his support for the community, stating the following: “LGBTQ rights are human rights. We must respect everyone’s identities, so I am on your side, and all other politicians should also be on your side.”