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LGBTQ rights in Armenia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Legal status | Legal since 2003[1] |
| Military | LGBT people are not allowed to serve openly |
| Discrimination protections | No law prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation |
| Family rights | |
| Recognition of relationships | No |
| Restrictions | Same-sex marriage constitutionally banned |
| Adoption | Same-sex couples are not allowed to adopt |
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people inArmenia face legal and social challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents, due in part to the lack of laws prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity and in part to prevailingnegative attitudes about LGBT persons throughout society.
Homosexuality has been legal in Armenia since 2003.[1] However, even though it has been decriminalized, the situation of local lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) citizens has not changed substantially. Many LGBT Armenians fear being socially outcast by their friends and families, causing them to keep their sexual orientation or gender identity secret, except to a few family members and friends.[2]
Homosexuality remains ataboo topic in many parts of Armenian society. In a 2012 study, 55% of correspondents in Armenian stated that they would cease their relationship with a friend or relative if they were to come out as gay. Furthermore, this study found that 70% of Armenians find LGBT people to be "strange".[3] There is, moreover, no legal protection for LGBT persons whose human rights are frequently violated.[4][5]
Many LGBT individuals report fearing violence in their workplace or from their family, leading to underreporting of human rights violations and criminal offences.[6] As a result, reported incidents of discrimination, harassment, orhate crimes likelyunderestimate their true prevalence.
In 2011, Armenia signed the "joint statement on ending acts of violence and related human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity" at theUnited Nations, condemning violence and discrimination against LGBT people.[7]
In 2019, theArmenian Apostolic Church issued a statement opposing ratification of theIstanbul Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence on the grounds that the convention recognized rights fortransgender individuals.[8]
Since 2023, theHuman Rights Defender of Armenia's annual report has included a focus on LGBT+ rights.[9]
In 2025,ILGA-Europe ranked Armenia 46th out of 49 European countries for the protection of LGBT rights, with no change compared to the previous years.[10][11]
The gradualEuropean integration of Armenia will encourage the alignment ofArmenian law toEU norms and standards.Armenia's accession to the European Union will require the adoption of anti-discrimination laws ensuring equal rights for all, including the LGBT+ community.[12]
Between 1920 and 1991, Armenia was part of theSoviet Union. Until 2003, the legislation of Armenia followed the corresponding Section 121 from the formerSoviet Union Penal Code, which specifically criminalized anal intercourse between men.Lesbian andnon-penetrative gay sex betweenconsenting adults was not explicitly mentioned in the law as being a criminal offence.
The specific article of the Penal Code was 116, dating back to 1936, and the maximum penalty was five years' imprisonment.
The abolition of the anti-gay law along with thedeath penalty was among Armenia's pre-accession conditions to theCouncil of Europe in 2001. In December 2002, theAzgayin Zhoghov (National Assembly) approved the new penal code in which the anti-gay article was removed. On 1 August 2003, President of ArmeniaRobert Kocharyan ratified it, thus making Armenia the last Council of Europe member state where same-sex sexual activity was decriminalized.
There were seven prosecutions in 1996 and four in 1997 under the law (according toAmnesty International), and four in 1999 (according to the Legal Affairs and Human Rights Committee of theCouncil of Europe).
In 2001, local human rights NGO "Helsinki Association" published via its website the story of a 20-year-old.[13][14] In 1999, the young man was sentenced to three months of imprisonment for having sex with another man. He was the last to be condemned under Article 116. In his testimony, he denounced prison guard abuse and mistreatment but also the corrupt judge who shortened his sentence for a $US1,000 bribe. Themediatization or publicizing of his case signaled the first gay "coming out" in Armenia.
The age of consent is 16, regardless of gender and sexual orientation.
Same-sex marriage andcivil unions are not legal inArmenia and theConstitution limits marriage to opposite-sex couples.[15][16]
In late 2017, Father Vazken Movsesian of theArmenian Apostolic Church, a high-ranking member of the clergy, expressed his personal support for same-sex marriage, becoming one of the most high-profile supporters of same-sex marriage in Armenia. In an interview withEquality Armenia, Movsesian likened the historicpersecution of Armenians by Turkey to the persecution faced by LGBT people. "We've been persecuted because we were not accepted, because we were different. As an Armenian Christian, how can I possibly close my eyes to what's going on in the world? And it's not just in Armenia, just everywhere, this intolerance", he said.[17][18] Other supporters include organisation Equality Armenia, whose goal is "achieving marriage equality in Armenia".[19]
In November 2018, theArmenian Government rejected a bill proposed by MP Tigran Urikhanyan to introduce further prohibitions on same-sex marriage.[20]
On 26 August 2019, the Minister of Justice, Rustam Badasyan, stated that Armenia does not recognize same-sex marriage.[21]
Although Armenia was among the first nations in the region to endorse theUN declaration on sexual orientation and gender identity in December 2008, as of 2025, there is no legislation protecting LGBT individuals from discrimination andhate crime. A 2011 survey revealed that 50% of Armenians would "walk away indifferently" if they witnessed violence against an LGBT person, underscoring the deeply ingrained cultural opposition to homosexuality.[3]
In a 2024 statement on anti-discrimination legislation in Armenia, theParliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe appealed to the Armenian Government and Parliament to ensure the protection of the rights of LGBTI people, proposing the following recommendations:[22]
On 30 January 2024, the administrative court of Yerevan ruled in favor of granting Salman Mukayev, a Russian citizen fromChechnya, asylum and refugee status. Fearing persecution for homosexuality in Chechnya, Mukayev applied for asylum in Armenia. The courts decision was based on concerns over the repressive treatment of the LGBT community in both Chechnya and Russia.[23]
AtPink Armenia's 2025IDAHOBIT event, the Human Rights Defender's office confirmed their commitment to monitor the situation of LGBT+ rights, respond to violations, and enhance institutional responses.[24]
ILGA-Europe conducts activities related to advancing LGBT rights in Armenia through seven NGO's and civil societies based in Armenia.[25]
According to theHelsinki Committee of Armenia, in 2004, an internaldefence ministry decree effectively bans gay men from serving in the armed forces. In practice, gays are marked as "mentally ill" and sent to a psychiatrist.[26]
In the fall of 2004, Armen Avetisyan, founder of the extreme right group Armenian Aryan Union (AAU), announced that some top Armenian officials were gay. Various parliament members initiated heated debates which were broadcast on public TV, and asserted that any member found to be gay should resign, an opinion also shared by Presidential Advisor for National Security Garnik Isagulyan.[27]
In May 2012, suspected "Neo-Nazis" launched two arson attacks at a lesbian-owned pub in Armenia's capital,Yerevan. Armenian News reported that in the second attack on 15 May, a group of young men arrived at the gay DIY Rock Pub around 6pm, where they burned the bar's "No to Fascism" poster and drew the Nazi Swastika on the walls. This followed another attack on 8 May in which a petrol bomb was thrown through the Rock Pub's window.[28]
In May 2018, while inArmenia on ahumanitarian mission,Elton John was subjected to homophobic slurs and eggs were hurled at him. According to the photojournalist, 2 eggs hit Elton John. The suspect was later released by the police.[29][30]
In August 2018, nine LGBT activists were violently attacked by a mob at a private home in the town ofShurnukh, sending two of them to hospital for serious injuries. The violent attack received widespread media coverage,[31] and was condemned by human rights groups and the U.S. embassy.[32][33] The attackers were later released by the police.[34]
In April 2023, police raided Poligraf, a prominent nightclub in Yerevan known as asafe space for Armenia's LGBTQ+ community, detaining over forty individuals.Pink Armenia has condemned the incident, with chairperson Lilit Avetisyan stating, "They laid all those present on the ground, used violence, took everyone to the police department, and started mocking them, mainly based on their clothing and sexual orientation."[35]
On 21 August 2023, at a candlelightvigil for a murdered trans woman named Adriana, organized byRight Side NGO in Komitas Park in Yerevan, more than 100 LGBTQ+ activists gathered, along with Adriana's family, theDutch ambassador to Armenia and a representative from theBritish embassy. The vigil was disrupted by a group of agitators who threw eggs, bottles, and stones at the mourners. Police officers, who had gathered in the park in preparation for the vigil, did not intervene.[36]
In June 2023, the Armenian diaspora organized large-scale anti-LGBTQ protests inGlendale, a city home to a large Armenian community. The scene was intense: trucks circled the neighborhood carrying giant banners that read "Leave our kids alone", police officers in riot gear surrounded the school building, and helicopters hovered overhead. Speaking to theLos Angeles Times on condition of anonymity, one parent voiced her exhaustion, stating she was tired "of gay propaganda". She added, "I didn't come from Armenia for this," citing that her child had brought home rainbow-colored stickers and other items from school just the week before.[37][38][39]
Following the abolition of the anti-gay law, some sporadic signs of an emergingLGBT rights movement were observed in Armenia. In October 2003, a group of 15 LGBT people gathered inYerevan to set up an organization which was initially baptised GLAG (Gay and Lesbian Armenian Group). But after several meetings, the participants failed to achieve their goal.
In 1998, the Armenian Gay and Lesbian Association of New York was founded to support LGBT diasporan Armenians.[40] A similar group was also established inFrance.
In 2007,Pink Armenia,[41] another NGO, emerged to promote public awareness on HIV and other STI (sexually transmitted infections) prevention but also to fight discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Pink conducts research on the status of LGBT people in Armenia, while working with other NGOs to combat homophobia.
Other LGBT groups include theGALAS LGBTQ+ Armenian Society, the Armenia Rainbow Initiative, andEquality Armenia, which is based inLos Angeles,United States.[42]
During the2018 Armenian Revolution, Mamikon Hovespyan, Director of Pink Armenia, stated "while LGBT+ people were present at previous protests, this time they were more visible and accepted."[43]
On 5 April 2019, a transgender woman, Lilit Martirosyan, took the floor at theNational Assembly of Armenia and talked about the hopes for a better and more secure future for the LGBT community in Armenia.[44] She described herself as "the embodiment of a tortured, raped, kidnapped, physically assaulted, burnt, murdered, robbed and unemployed Armenian transgenders." The next day, hundreds of people protested outside the parliament building, demanding that the chamber be blessed and that the podium where she had spoken be cleansed withincense. One protester, waving a knife in front of cameras, declared that he would use it against trans people. Martirosyan began receiving threats. The outrage came from both ordinary citizens and members of parliament. In an interview withAFP, Martirosyan said she had received numerous death threats viaFacebook and email. “I informed the police that I was receiving death threats, but they did nothing to protect me. Now I’m hiding at a friend’s house. I can’t go outside,” she said. The European Union delegation in Armenia, along with the embassies of EU member states, condemned the threats against Martirosyan. “Hate speech, including death threats directed at Ms. Lilit Martirosyan, her colleagues, and the LGBT community as a whole, represents the latest in this worrying trend,” the EU embassies said in a joint statement. TheUnited Nations office in Yerevan also expressed concern over the situation, stating it was “concerned over recent hate speech and cases of violence against human rights and LGBT activists.”In response, Armenia’sForeign Ministry spokeswoman, Anna Naghdalyan, called on foreign diplomats to “demonstrate more respect and sensitivity towards Armenian society” and to “refrain from undue engagement in the public debate.”[45] In February 2020, a member of an Armenian nationalist party tried to "clean up" Armenia's National Assembly. "Since the lectern of the National Assembly has been desecrated," Sona Aghekyan announced, "I'm going to burn incense here." Aghekyan was referring to transgender activist Lilit Martirosyan, who made a brief speech in parliament from the same lectern in 2019.[46]
In 2013, the Armenian police proposed a bill outlawing "non-traditional sexual relationships" and the promotion of LGBT "propaganda" to youth in a law similar to theRussian anti-gay law.[47] Ashot Aharonian, a police spokesperson, stated that the bill was proposed due to the public's fear of the spreading of homosexuality. However, NGOs including Pink Armenia claimed that this was an attempt to distract the public from various sociopolitical issues within the country. The bill ultimately failed to pass.[48]
In November 2018, a Christian LGBT group had to cancel several forums and events it had planned due to "constant threats" and "organized intimidation" from political and religious leaders, as well as a "lack of sufficient readiness" from the police force to protect them.[49]
On 17 May 2014, theIravunk newspaper published an article with a list of dozens of people's Facebook accounts from the Armenian LGBT community, calling them "zombies" and accused them of serving the interest of the international homosexual lobby.[50] The newspaper was sued and taken before the Armenian Court of Appeals, where the judges found that the newspaper did not offend anybody and ordered the plaintiffs to pay 50,000dram (US$120) as compensation to the newspaper and its editor, Hovhannes Galajyan.[51]
In 2017, the United States Department of State reported the following, concerning the status of LGBT rights in Armenia:
Amnesty International's 2024 report on Armenia notes that in June 2024, staff in the office of theHuman Rights Defender of Armenia reported being subjected to threats, harassment and verbal abuse, particularly for their work with LGBT+ individuals.[53]Pink Armenia criticized the report's "minimal acknowledgment" of LGBT+ rights, noting that Armenia's laws still do not explicitly protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.[54]
In May 2025,Pink Armenia released its report regarding the human rights situation of LGBT+ people in Armenia in 2024. The report highlights the LGBT+ community's declining trust inlaw enforcement agencies, the widespread nature ofhate speech onsocial media and in thenews media, and Armenia's international human rights obligations.[55]
A 2016 study by theHeinrich Böll Foundation found that only 9% of respondents knew anyone who was LGBT and 90% agreed with the statement, "Homosexual relationships should be banned by law".[56]
According to a June 2015-June 2016 survey by thePew Research Center, 96% of Armenians opposedsame-sex marriage, with only 3% supporting it.[57]
In May 2017, a survey by the Pew Research Center in Eastern European countries showed that 97% of Armenians believed that homosexuality should not be accepted by society.[58]
According to a 2022 survey by theWorld Values Survey, 85% of Armenians believed that "homosexuality is never justified". The same survey found that 82% of Armenians "would not like to have homosexuals as neighbors".[59][60][61][62]
| Same-sex sexual activity legal |  (Since 2003) |
| Equal age of consent (16) | (Since 2003) |
| Anti-discrimination laws in employment only |  |
| Anti-discrimination laws in the provision of goods and services | |
| Anti-discrimination laws in education | |
| Anti-discrimination laws in all other areas (incl. indirect discrimination, hate speech) | |
| Hate crime laws include sexual orientation and gender identity | |
| Same-sex marriage legal | (Constitutional ban since 2015) |
| Stepchild adoption by same-sex couples | |
| Joint adoption by same-sex couples | |
| Adoption by single people regardless of sexual orientation | |
| Foster care by same-sex couples | |
| LGBT people allowed to serve openly in the military | (Since 2004) |
| Right to change legal gender | [63] |
| Third gender option | |
| Intersex minors protected from invasive surgical procedures | |
| Conversion therapy banned by law | |
| Gay panic defense banned by law | |
| Access to IVF for lesbians | |
| Automatic parenthood for both spouses after birth | |
| Altruistic surrogacy for gay male couples | |
| MSM allowed to donate blood | (Since 2023)[64] |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)2015 was a regressive year for LGBT people's rights in Armenia, since the newly accepted Constitution restricted marriage as a union only between a man and a woman
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| Same-sex marriage prohibited by nationalconstitution | |
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| Same-sex marriage andcivil unions prohibited by constitution | |
