Sunday 28 February 2016

Prominent Armenia LGBT activist perfectly shuts down homophobic journalist by coming out… again

Journalist (from hraparak.am): "If an anti-discrimination law is passed [in Armenia] and gays are allowed to come and go freely and be seen during the day, is that normal to you?..."

Mamikon (executive director of PINK Armenia): "Do you not see gays during the day?"

Journalist: "I see them, and it's not normal."

Mamikon: "It's not normal? You and I talking right now is not normal?"

Journalist: "It's normal."

Mamikon: "I am gay. It's not normal to you?"

Journalist: "Then it's not normal." [...]
***
The expression of Mamikon's face and the reaction of the audience illustrated just how ridiculous and outrageous the journalist’s questions were.

Big respects to Mamikon. As he Twitted afterwards:
"we come out every day. my public #ComingOut - season 5, episode 1:)" 
Video (AM), from 31:40 mins:



Via PINK Armenia:
On February 24, a press conference took place at Yerevan’s Media Center (media-center.am) on “Violence against Sexual Minorities: The Approaches of Law Enforcement and Healthcare System”, which was live streamed via YouTube. The speakers of the press conference were Mamikon Hovsepyan, Executive Director of PINK Armenia, Sergey Gabrielyan and Artur Makaryan of New Generation Humanitarian NGO, and Sona Harutyunyan, lecturer at the Medical Psychology Department of Yerevan State Medical University. The recent homophobic attack on LGBT activists, as well as other matters regarding discrimination and hatred towards LGBTQ people was discussed during the press conference. A journalist from hraparak.am asked a question on whether it would be admissible to see homosexual people during the day walking in the streets if anti-discrimination legislation is passed in Armenia. Hovsepyan in turn asked the journalist if she sees homosexuals during the day. The journalist said yes, and that it was “not normal” to her. In response to her statement, Hovsepyan asked if it was “normal” for the journalist to be talking to him, to which she said, “Yes.” “I am homosexual,” said Mamikon in response, coming out publicly in front of journalists and cameras.
Read also Epress.amArmenian Reporter Worried Anti-Discrimination Law Would Let LGBT People ‘Move Freely'.