Discrimination against transgender people in Armenia manifests itself in a variety of ways. The
general public attitude towards the trans community is extremely hostile. The word ‘homosexual’
(trans people are mostly assumed to be homosexuals in Armenia) is used as an insult and in
attacks against political opponents, even among various governmental bodies and within the
church. Trans people are hiding because the general attitude states that they are ill and were born
sick. Trans people are also often seen as committing sinful or “abnormal” behaviour, a problem for
society, often linked together with child abuse and commercial sex. Armenian society still thinks
homosexuals and trans people are the main vectors of HIV/AIDS and STIs.
Armenia does not have legislation regarding hate crimes or hate speech. There is no official
mechanism for legal gender recognition, and gender identity, gender expression, and sexual
orientation are not covered by any laws. The option of going to court or reporting to the police, even
to human rights organisations or the ombudsman’s office, involves having to deal with personally
sensitive aspects of one’s life and involves the risk of public exposure or another attack. As a
result, hate crimes and hate-motivated incidents often go unrecorded. The victims usually refuse
to report the attack as they do not believe that they would receive any help from the police or any
ARMENIA
Within the framework of this project, informational materials developed by TGEU were translated
into Armenian, including stickers, flyers, and video materials. The hate crime monitoring system
was also translated into Armenian, making it easier for Armenian community to report cases.
FOR THE RECORD 2016 | 13
governmental local and international stakeholders in Armenia. Several slogans, flyers, and stickers
were developed in Armenian and used during the informational campaign. As a result, some of the
stakeholders contacted us to discuss trans rights in Armenia in more depth, as well discussing
ways in which to collaborate with us. This campaign also aims to advocate for the inclusion of
trans issues on the agenda of institutions such as the European Union, United Nations agencies,
and diplomatic missions in the country.