ARMENIAN NATIONAL VALUES?
By Kyle KhandikianÂ
The self-proclaimed patriots who are struggling for the survival of our nation have revealed the truth about themselves, a truth that women and LGBTQ+ activists have known all along: that they’re full of it.
For the last two months or so, the only thing the news media and people on Facebook have been talking about was the European LGBTQ+ Christians conference that was due to take place in Yerevan this weekend. We saw three anti-LGBTQ+ rallies and marches, anti-LGBTQ+ flyers all over the city, and violent hate speech everywhere, from national assembly members to Facebook users online. The conference was cancelled, and the “traditional Armenian family” and our “national values” were saved, or so the self-proclaimed defenders of our homeland say.
Last Monday, twenty-year-old Kristine Iskandaryan was beaten to death by her husband, tenth woman to be killed in a domestic violence incident this year in Armenia. What was the response from these outstanding Armenians? Silence.
Where are those indignant, righteous citizens who were marching in the streets two weeks ago to protect the “traditional Armenian family”?
Where are the priests who marched with them, representatives of the world’s oldest national church spreading the good message of God’s love, compassion and non-violent struggle for the oppressed masses? “Thou shalt not kill,” right?
Where are our moral boundaries? What is the content of our core values? When are we going to start asking who the real patriots are? When are we going to start asking what is truly shameful?
When are we going to take the narrative back from men (yes, men) who are writing the national script for them and about them only, who are out to defend their freedoms and privileges, and no one else’s.
When are we going to admit that violent masculinist heteronormative nationalism is the #1 threat to families? It is, after all, that nationalism that says, “We don’t want our men to become women (i.e. homosexual).” Why? Because it hates women and femininity, and it hates the idea that women can be anything other than their reproductive organs, which must make men and only men. “Armenian women are respected, they are sacred.” Then why are they being MURDERED?
LGBTQ+ people do not threaten children, families, or the nation. The biggest threat to our society and to us as a people is our own apathy and hypocrisy.
This piece was originally published on Kyle Khandikian’s Facebook page and was republished on The Blunt Post with Kyle’s permission.