Recently, a turmoil was raised after the post on Kyle Khandikian’s Facebook page, a Diaspora Armenian young man who had returned to Armenia from the United States, in which he has stated that a member of the “Karin” Folk Dance Ensemble, instructor Harut Baghdasaryan has dismissed him from the dance group after founding out that he is homosexual.
Gagik Ginosyan, the Artistic Director of Karin Folk Dance Ensemble, in an interview with us, told that the instructor was dismissed him from the group for offending an Armenian because he has said that as a homosexual, he is ashamed of being an Armenian.
In this respect, in an interview with Aravot.am, Kyle Khandikian told some details of how the instructor has actually dismissed and offended him. He assured, “This problem is about homophobia and discrimination, it is not about what I wrote, and it is not about the honor of an Armenian man. It is known that my words are used as a scapegoat to justify homophobia and discrimination, which I experienced by Mr. Baghdasaryan.
When he asked me not to attend the classes of the group, he said, what I was thinking when I was writing such things. I replied, saying that I do not think that I need to give an explanation to him that LGBT people are not accepted in our nation. He asked. “What is LGBT?” To which I replied, “homosexual people.”
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Then, he began saying humiliating and discriminatory things about homosexual people. He said that he is fighting against homosexuality, and I have no right to learn Armenian dances, he said that homosexuality is a bad thing.
He reminded the 2012 Diversity march, which was organized by “PINK Armenia” and “Women’s Resource Center” after the attack on DIY pub, saying that he was the first standing against the march that day, and he and his like-minded people were holding notice-boards, which read “Send Gays to Baku”. He also said that if he sees a homosexual man in the street, he will not do anything wrong, but he believes that such people should be stoned.”
The dance instructor had explained to the young man what a real family is and how it should be formed, “He said that the only family which he believes is the model of mother-father-child, and this model strengthens the state.”
Caption: Kyle Khandikian photo from his Facebook page
As for Gagik Ginosyan, Kyle Khandikian said that he did not know him personally, and they are not acquainted, “I have no personal problems with Mr. Baghdasaryan and Mr. Ginosyan, I greatly respect their work as dance instructors. I am eager to learn Armenian folk dances, and I attend Mr. Baghdasaryan’s classes with great pleasure. But he was wrong, and nothing could justify what he did. Discrimination should be illegal in Armenia like in all democratic and free countries.
Interestingly, a few days ago, I saw a very impressive video on social networks: Armenians dances in front of St. Geragos Armenian church, in Diyarbakir city in Turkey, historical Tigranakert. When I watch this video and listen to this beautiful music, I remember why I started to learn Armenian dances. I danced because I was feeling powerful when dancing, and I could feel that I am Armenian. Then, it turned out that the dance was one of the works of Mr. Ginosyan. I believe that I, Mr. Baghdasaryan and Mr. Ginosyan have much more in common with each other rather than differences, the first one is our love to Armenian dance.”
After this incident, Gagik Ginosyan asks an indirect question, “I am sorry, but who is going to defend Armenian’s honor when he offends? Is there such an organization in Armenia that defends the honor of the Armenian, that this guy visited Armenia 2 months ago allegedly for the benefit but today is ashamed for being Armenian?
In this regard, Kyle Khandikian replied that he does not agree with Ginosyan, “I have never said that I am ashamed of being Armenian. I have written in the same post that I love being Armenian, I love all my compatriots, even those who hate me and make calls of violence against homosexuals. I love my homeland. I wrote a post for raising the problems of homophobia and transphobia because LGBT Armenians and our problems are not visible. I personally wrote those words so that people wake up and realize that this is a very serious problem, that people should understand the anger that I feel when people express hate and violence calls against those who are different from them.”
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
