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Syunik Diocese about homosexual marriages and law on gender
October 26 2013
Syunik Diocese about homosexual marriages and law on gender On May
20, the bill on Equal rights and opportunities for women and men
passed by the National Assembly of Armenia became a subject of intense
public discussion. The main objective of the complaint was that the
bill, for example, defines the concept of `gender as acquired and
socially prescribed behavior of people of different sex.' The term
`acquired' deserved the resistance of clergymen and various
organizations, who, upon the adoption of the bill, see major
challenges in national values and upbringing. In the interview with
Aravot.am, Syunik Diocese Bishop Markos Hovhannisyan also expressed
his concerns about the issue. He informed that serious studies have
been conducted in the Public Council Sub-committee on religion
regarding this issue, and the subsequent analysis will be beneficial
for the development of the law. In response to our observation that
people who are struggling against the adoption of the bill argued that
the adoption of the bill presumes legalization of homosexual
marriages, the clergyman replied as follows, `Of course, any clergyman
is against homosexual marriages. Therefore, the bill should be
well-considered, and correct wordings should be made, otherwise, it
may give rise to misunderstandings. With current wording, the bill is
very vulnerable. The problem is that gender is perceived among us as a
generic feature, but in Europe it is perceived as to what gender a
person is by his or her choice.' Syunik Diocese considers the public
resistance against the adoption of the law on gender appropriate. The
speculations that the elite of country has already taken money from
Europe to adopt the law on gender at any cost, the clergyman responded
as follows, `Without reliable information, I can not believe such
rumors.'
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
Read more at: http://en.aravot.am/2013/10/26/162202/
October 26 2013
Syunik Diocese about homosexual marriages and law on gender On May
20, the bill on Equal rights and opportunities for women and men
passed by the National Assembly of Armenia became a subject of intense
public discussion. The main objective of the complaint was that the
bill, for example, defines the concept of `gender as acquired and
socially prescribed behavior of people of different sex.' The term
`acquired' deserved the resistance of clergymen and various
organizations, who, upon the adoption of the bill, see major
challenges in national values and upbringing. In the interview with
Aravot.am, Syunik Diocese Bishop Markos Hovhannisyan also expressed
his concerns about the issue. He informed that serious studies have
been conducted in the Public Council Sub-committee on religion
regarding this issue, and the subsequent analysis will be beneficial
for the development of the law. In response to our observation that
people who are struggling against the adoption of the bill argued that
the adoption of the bill presumes legalization of homosexual
marriages, the clergyman replied as follows, `Of course, any clergyman
is against homosexual marriages. Therefore, the bill should be
well-considered, and correct wordings should be made, otherwise, it
may give rise to misunderstandings. With current wording, the bill is
very vulnerable. The problem is that gender is perceived among us as a
generic feature, but in Europe it is perceived as to what gender a
person is by his or her choice.' Syunik Diocese considers the public
resistance against the adoption of the law on gender appropriate. The
speculations that the elite of country has already taken money from
Europe to adopt the law on gender at any cost, the clergyman responded
as follows, `Without reliable information, I can not believe such
rumors.'
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
Read more at: http://en.aravot.am/2013/10/26/162202/