Pink Armenia
An Armenian LGBTQIA+ rights organization providing community support, public advocacy, and policy engagement.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Pink Armenia, also known in Armenian as Փինք Հայաստան, is an Armenian non-governmental organization focused on the rights, safety, dignity, and social acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and other sexual and gender minorities. Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Yerevan, it is described as Armenia’s first LGBTQIA+ rights NGO. Its work combines direct assistance to community members with public education, documentation, advocacy, coalition-building, and engagement with state institutions. The organization’s support services include emergency response, case management, legal assistance, social support, family support, and mental-health assistance. Its earlier activities placed particular emphasis on public awareness of LGBT issues and prevention of sexually transmitted infections. Pink Armenia has organized or supported trainings, conferences, forums, documentary screenings, public events, and other programs in Yerevan and regional cities including Gyumri, Dilijan, and Vanadzor. Through these activities, it has sought to make discrimination and violence more visible while improving access to practical assistance for people who may be unable to obtain help through conventional institutions. Advocacy is a central part of Pink Armenia’s role. The organization participates in dialogue with Armenian authorities, submits recommendations on legislation and public policy, and campaigns for sexual orientation and gender identity to be recognized as grounds of protection against discrimination. During Armenia’s 2015 Universal Periodic Review process, it urged the government to include these grounds in the country’s draft anti-discrimination framework. Pink Armenia also works with other Armenian and international organizations on sexual health, human rights, equality, diversity, gender issues, and democratic development. It collaborates with Right Side NGO on transgender-rights matters, including advocacy for easier gender self-identification. Pink Armenia’s networks extend beyond Armenia. It became a full member of ILGA and ILGA-Europe in 2011 and joined the Eastern European Coalition for LGBT+ Equality in 2014. The organization has also participated in diaspora and international discussions concerning LGBTQIA+ rights in Armenia. Its work has included public responses to censorship, political rhetoric, police conduct, restrictions affecting community spaces, and international developments that could affect civil-society funding. The organization has remained active during periods of political and social change. It supported the aims of Armenia’s 2018 revolution and noted that LGBT+ people appeared more visibly and were more accepted within the protest movement than in earlier demonstrations. It has continued to use cultural events, research, public forums, and media advocacy to challenge stigma. Its annual Rainbow Forum has provided a setting for discussion of equality and democratic rights; the 2022 forum attracted more than 140 participants and received support from the Government of Sweden. Pink Armenia also offers solidarity and assistance beyond Armenia when LGBTQ+ people face displacement or crisis, including its 2022 statement offering legal aid and counselling to LGBT+ people from Ukraine and Russia affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Pink Armenia is not a listed commercial company and does not operate as a conventional consumer brand. Its institutional identity is instead associated with rights advocacy, community services, public-interest research, and coalition work. As of January 2026, the organization had consultative status with four Armenian ministries: Health; Internal Affairs; Justice; and Labor and Social Affairs.
History
Pink Armenia was established in 2007 as Armenia’s first LGBTQIA+ rights non-governmental organization. Its initial work concentrated on raising awareness about LGBT issues and preventing sexually transmitted infections. From its early years, the organization delivered trainings and conferences in Yerevan and several regional cities, including Gyumri, Dilijan, and Vanadzor. This combination of education, health information, and rights advocacy helped establish Pink Armenia as both a community resource and a public-interest organization. On 21 May 2012, Pink Armenia organized a diversity parade in Yerevan to commemorate World Day for Cultural Diversity. The event reflected its use of public programming to challenge stigma and promote social inclusion. The organization subsequently expanded its direct-support and policy work, including legal assistance, emergency response, case management, mental-health support, family support, and social assistance for LGBT community members. Pink Armenia developed an international institutional role during the 2010s. It became a full member of ILGA and ILGA-Europe in 2011 and joined the Eastern European Coalition for LGBT+ Equality in 2014. These affiliations connected the organization with broader networks addressing discrimination, equality, diversity, and LGBT rights across Eastern Europe and the European Union’s Eastern Partnership region. Policy advocacy became increasingly prominent. In 2015, Pink Armenia submitted recommendations during Armenia’s United Nations Universal Periodic Review and called for sexual orientation and gender identity to be included as protected grounds in the country’s draft anti-discrimination legislation. In the same year, it appealed to President Serzh Sargsyan to protect LGBT people and ensure that public officials monitored discrimination. Pink Armenia has also maintained dialogue with Armenian government bodies and works with partner organizations on transgender rights, including easier gender self-identification. The organization has used research and cultural production to make LGBT experiences more visible. A 2016 survey conducted by Pink Armenia and the Women’s Initiatives Supportive Group found that only 9% of surveyed Armenians said they knew an LGBT person. In October 2016, Pink Armenia hosted the premiere of Listen To Me: Untold Stories Beyond Hatred, a documentary produced by the organization about ten LGBT people in Armenia. The film became part of a wider debate over representation and censorship after the Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival cancelled screenings of the documentary and Apricot Groves in 2017. Pink Armenia described the cancellations as discrimination against the Armenian LGBT community and an infringement of artistic and expressive freedom. Pink Armenia and members of the LGBT community supported the goals of Armenia’s 2018 revolution. The organization observed that LGBT+ participants were more visible and appeared more accepted in that protest movement than in earlier demonstrations. At the same time, its representatives warned that politicians could instrumentalize LGBT issues during periods of political uncertainty and use hostile rhetoric for strategic purposes. In the 2020s, Pink Armenia continued its combination of direct assistance, public forums, coalition work, and emergency solidarity. In 2022 it offered legal aid and counselling to LGBT+ people from Ukraine and Russia affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Its seventh Rainbow Forum, held in Yerevan on 1 November 2022, drew more than 140 participants and received support from the Government of Sweden. The forum also connected LGBT rights with democratic governance when Garo Paylan argued that a democratic Armenia should respect LGBTIQ rights. In March of that year, Pink Armenia representatives participated in an international digital panel on allyship for Armenian LGBTQIA+ communities. In April 2023, the organization condemned a police raid on Poligraf, a Yerevan nightclub regarded as a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community. Pink Armenia reported that people were subjected to violence, detention, ridicule, and treatment linked to clothing and sexual orientation. In November 2024, Swedish activist Greta Thunberg visited Pink Armenia, which presented the visit as an expression of international solidarity. The organization has also criticized threats to USAID funding, warning that cuts could weaken civil society and assistance for vulnerable groups. As of January 2026, Pink Armenia had consultative status with Armenia’s Ministries of Health, Internal Affairs, Justice, and Labor and Social Affairs.
- 2026
Consultative status with four ministries
[1]As of January 2026, Pink Armenia has consultative status with Armenia’s Ministries of Health, Internal Affairs, Justice, and Labor and Social Affairs.
- 2024
Greta Thunberg visits Pink Armenia
[1]The organization receives Swedish activist Greta Thunberg during her visit to Armenia.
- 2023
Condemns Poligraf nightclub raid
[1]Pink Armenia condemns the police raid and detentions at Poligraf, citing alleged violence and discriminatory treatment.
- 2022
Rainbow Forum and international solidarity
[1]Pink Armenia holds its seventh Rainbow Forum, participates in allyship discussions, and offers assistance to LGBT+ people affected by the war in Ukraine.
- 2018
Participation in Armenia’s revolution
[1]Pink Armenia and community members support the aims of the 2018 Armenian revolution and highlight the greater visibility of LGBT+ participants.
- 2017
Film-festival screenings are cancelled
[1]The Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival cancels screenings associated with LGBT representation, prompting criticism from Pink Armenia.
- 2016
Listen To Me documentary premiere
[1]Pink Armenia premieres a documentary portraying the lives of ten LGBT people in Armenia.
- 2015
Submits anti-discrimination recommendations
[1]During Armenia’s Universal Periodic Review, Pink Armenia recommends recognizing sexual orientation and gender identity as grounds of discrimination in anti-discrimination legislation.
- 2014
Joins Eastern European Coalition for LGBT+ Equality
[1]Pink Armenia joins a regional coalition of organizations working to improve conditions for LGBT+ people in Eastern Europe and the Eastern Partnership region.
- 2012
Yerevan diversity parade
[1]The organization holds a diversity parade in Yerevan on 21 May for World Day for Cultural Diversity.
Products and positioning
LGBTQIA+ rights advocacy, community support, anti-discrimination work, and public-policy engagement in Armenia
Social and legal support
Community support services
Pink Armenia provides non-commercial support for LGBT+ community members, including emergency response, case management, legal assistance, social support, family support, and mental-health assistance. These services address immediate safety and welfare needs as well as longer-term access to rights and social resources.
Documentary and public education · 2016
Listen To Me: Untold Stories Beyond Hatred
This documentary, produced by Pink Armenia and premiered in 2016, presents the lives of ten LGBT people in Armenia. It formed part of the organization’s effort to increase public understanding, counter stereotypes, and make the experiences of LGBT community members visible through cultural storytelling.
Public forum and advocacy program
Rainbow Forum
The Rainbow Forum is a recurring public-dialogue initiative addressing LGBT+ rights, equality, democracy, and social conditions in Armenia. The seventh forum took place in Yerevan in 2022, attracted more than 140 participants, and was supported by the Government of Sweden.
Controversies
2023
Police raid on Poligraf nightclub
Pink Armenia condemned an April 2023 police raid on Poligraf, a Yerevan venue known as a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community. The organization alleged that people were subjected to violence, detention, mockery, and treatment connected to clothing and sexual orientation.
2017
Cancellation of LGBT-related film screenings
The Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival cancelled screenings of Listen To Me: Untold Stories Beyond Hatred and Apricot Groves. Pink Armenia characterized the decision as discrimination and an infringement of freedom of expression and artistic creation.
Marketing campaigns
- 2022Ukraine and Russia emergency solidarity
Armenia · Ukraine · Russia
After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Pink Armenia announced that it was prepared to assist LGBT+ people from Ukraine and Russia who required legal aid or counselling.
Outcome. The statement extended the organization’s support role to LGBT+ people affected by regional conflict and displacement.
- 2022Rainbow Forum
Armenia
Pink Armenia held its seventh annual Rainbow Forum in Yerevan, bringing together more than 140 participants to discuss equality, democracy, and LGBTIQ rights.
Outcome. The forum received support from the Government of Sweden and included public calls for Armenia to respect LGBTIQ rights.
- 2016Listen To Me documentary project
Armenia
Pink Armenia produced and premiered a documentary centered on the experiences of ten LGBT people in Armenia, using film to challenge social stigma.
Outcome. The project generated public discussion and later became associated with a dispute over cancelled festival screenings.
- 2015Anti-discrimination policy advocacy
Armenia
Pink Armenia advocated for sexual orientation and gender identity to be included as protected grounds in Armenia’s anti-discrimination framework and separately called on the president to address discrimination.
Outcome. The recommendations entered Armenia’s international human-rights review and domestic policy debate.
- 2012Yerevan Diversity Parade
Armenia
Pink Armenia organized a diversity parade in Yerevan on 21 May to mark World Day for Cultural Diversity and promote public acceptance of difference.
Outcome. The event became one of the organization’s documented public-awareness activities.
Brand decisions
2022
Expansion of emergency solidarity beyond ArmeniaStrategyBackground
The Russian invasion of Ukraine created urgent displacement and safety needs for LGBT+ people in the region.
Action taken
Pink Armenia stated that it was ready to provide legal assistance and counselling to LGBT+ people from Ukraine and Russia who required help.
Aftermath
The organization publicly extended its regional humanitarian and community-support role.
2016
Launch of the Listen To Me documentaryProduct launchBackground
Pink Armenia sought to increase public understanding of LGBT lives and challenge narratives based on stigma and invisibility.
Action taken
The organization produced and premiered Listen To Me: Untold Stories Beyond Hatred, featuring ten LGBT individuals in Armenia.
Aftermath
The documentary later became part of a controversy after festival screenings were cancelled in 2017.
2015
Advocacy for explicit LGBT anti-discrimination protectionsStrategyBackground
Armenia was developing an anti-discrimination framework, while LGBT people faced social and institutional discrimination.
Action taken
Pink Armenia submitted recommendations during the Universal Periodic Review and called for sexual orientation and gender identity to be recognized as grounds of discrimination.
Aftermath
The issue was placed within Armenia’s international human-rights review and domestic policy discussions.
Recent events
- 2024
Greta Thunberg visits Pink Armenia[1]
Other
During a visit to Armenia, Swedish activist Greta Thunberg visited Pink Armenia. The organization expressed appreciation for her solidarity with Armenia’s LGBT+ movement.
- 2022
Pink Armenia joins international discussion on Armenian LGBTQIA+ rights[1]
Campaign
Pink Armenia director Mamikon Hovsepyan took part in a digital panel on improving allyship for Armenian LGBTQIA+ communities, alongside Armenian, diaspora, academic, and civil-society representatives.
- 2022
Pink Armenia offers assistance to LGBTQ+ people affected by the war in Ukraine[1]
Other
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Pink Armenia said it was prepared to help LGBT+ people from Ukraine and Russia who needed legal assistance or counselling.
- 2022
2022 Rainbow Forum brings LGBTQ+ rights into democratic dialogue[1]
Campaign
The seventh Rainbow Forum, held in Yerevan, attracted more than 140 participants and received support from Sweden’s government. Turkish-Armenian parliamentarian Garo Paylan made an impromptu appearance and called for respect for LGBTIQ rights.
- 2018
Pink Armenia participates in post-revolution rights advocacy[1]
Other
Pink Armenia and members of its community supported Armenia’s 2018 revolution, while the organization commented on the increased visibility and acceptance of LGBT+ people in the protests.
- 2016
Pink Armenia releases survey findings on public familiarity with LGBT people[1]
Other
A survey conducted with the Women’s Initiatives Supportive Group reported that 9% of respondents in Armenia said they knew an LGBT person.
- 2016
Pink Armenia premieres Listen To Me: Untold Stories Beyond Hatred[1]
Campaign · Product launch
Pink Armenia hosted the premiere of a documentary presenting the lives of ten LGBT people in Armenia and invited government representatives and ministries to attend.
- 2015
Pink Armenia urges presidential action on LGBT discrimination[1]
Other · Regulation
The organization wrote to President Serzh Sargsyan asking the government to protect LGBT people and monitor direct and indirect discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
- 2015
Pink Armenia contributes to Armenia’s Universal Periodic Review[1]
Regulation
Pink Armenia recommended that sexual orientation and gender identity be expressly recognized as grounds of discrimination in Armenia’s draft anti-discrimination legislation.
- 2012
Pink Armenia hosts a diversity parade in Yerevan[1]
Campaign
The organization held a diversity parade in Yerevan on 21 May to mark World Day for Cultural Diversity.
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