Official STATEMENT on LGBT Christians Forum

STATEMENT

Yerevan                                         10.10.2018

In view of the discussions, discriminatory, defamatory and offensive calls, distorted information on the European Forum for LGBT Christian Groups that has recently been widely spread online, the protest actions against the Forum held on October 5, 2018 and the upcoming one, as well as hate speech used by the participants of the protest action against Human Rights CSOs and Human Rights Defenders, particularly against New Generation Humanitarian NGO,

WE STATE

• RA Government represented by Nikol Pashinyan does not have any relation to the organization, hosting and funding of the European Forum for LGBT Christian Groups,
• The European Forum for LGBT Christian Groups does not have any political context; does not pursue any purpose of adopting any legal act or making amendments to any standing legal act,
• The European Forum for LGBT Christian Groups will be held in the format of a conference; no marches, mass public events or visits to Yerevan and RA provinces are intended,
• The European Forum for LGBT Christian Groups by no means implies or intends edition of the Bible,
• New Generation Humanitarian NGO is not the organizer of the European Forum for LGBT Christian Groups; it only provides technical support to its organization․
• New Generation Humanitarian NGO welcomes every civil activity given that it is carried out within the limits of the law and does not violate the rights of the others.

WE CALL ON

RA Government:

• To make an official statement and clarification on the absence of any relation of the European Forum for LGBT Christian Groups to the RA government,
• To state their position on LGBT-related issues in the Republic of Armenia and the activities made aimed at the prevention of discrimination against these people.

RA Police:

• To watch and hold under control the online posts of hate speech and calls of threats containing criminal elements before and during the organization of the Forum,
• To watch, examine and bring to responsibility the people who incite violence and hate crimes with their calls and actions,
• Take preventive measures before and during the Forum to prevent possible clashes,

Mass Media Representatives:

• To refrain from writing and spreading materials that infringe upon the honor, dignity and good reputation of the person, are offensive and defamatory,
• To refrain from disseminating information from unreliable, false, unknown or doubtful sources.

The Protesters against the European Forum for LGBT Christian Groups

• To realize their right to freedom of assembly in accordance with RA and international legal acts,
• To refrain from expressions and actions that infringe upon the honor, dignity and good reputation of the person, are offensive, defamatory, incite violence and hate crimes

RA Society

• Not to give in to the political provocations that are aimed at the disruption of the society.   

New Generation Humanitarian NGO