Human rights defender Mikael Danielyan considers the complaints against the draft law on “Equal rights and equal opportunities for men and women” is the result of ignorance. Those complaining and concerned about the word gender, according to him, are “ignorant and underdeveloped”. There is nothing to fear, it is about ensuring equal rights for men and women, and such laws are enacted in different countries.” According to the human rights defender, the clergymen concerned about this draft legislation and conducting a protest action recently should think about other issues. “There are many-many questions, let them go and think about them”, said Mikael Danielyan to Aravot.am without detailing.
Then he said that it is ridiculous for him that there are discussions held about this law. “It is a law, well, let it be. LGBT community in our country is available up to the law, now what will be changed after the adoption of this law?” To our observation that there are concerns that by the adoption of the law, the marriages of homosexuals, adoption of children will be allowed by the law, human right defender said, “Yeah, well, if they want, let them marry: you should not be so retrograde. Everyone in Armenia is already walking with I-phones and various laptops, let them advance a little bit, or their wit reaches only the I-phones.” To the question whether we are ready to accept homosexuals marriages in Armenia, he said, “Which Armenian are you talking about, the one that says that it is good in the city. I can say on my behalf that I am ready to accept. If it remains to the society, they do not accept a lot of things. For example, they do not accept that citizens of Armenia serve in Karabakh, they do not understand that people can not be beaten in police department. I am saying again, you should not be so retrograde.”
Arpine SIMONYAN
