LGBT individuals are definitely not accepted in Armenia. Some of them, already stigmatised by society, are even subject to physical violence if they do not hide their sexual orientation; others live in secret, choosing to keep their private life strictly confidential.

When I realised I was “different”

Levon (the name has been changed), 33, has been living in Yerevan for five years now, but is from Lori region. He says that he left when he realised his true self.

“When I turned 25, my parents began to try and convince me that it was time to get married. I was living in a village. 25 is indeed a mature age in our village, and according to the unwritten law I should already be a father of the family at that age. They started looking for a bride for me. At that time I did not yet realise that I'm not interested in girls at all, that I have another inner world. Without understanding myself, I rejected every proposal. Finally, it seemed to me I could like a girl from our neighbouring village. We organised the wedding, took the bride to our house, and we lived for about a year 'under one roof'. Every day of our joint life was a hell for both of us”, recalls Levon.

At the age of 27, under the pretense of financial problems, Levon left to work in Russia. In fact, he says, he wanted to escape his life of misunderstandings. Read more via OBC Transeuropa