0 8000 12 11

We also had a talk with human rights activist Artur Sakunts, Chairman of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly, regarding the law on Equal rights and Equal opportunities of women and men

-Mr. Sakunts, in the opinion of the spiritual leader of Shirak Diocese, the law doesn’t so much relate to the equality of women and men, but to persons with other sexual orientation. 

-He uses a concept, a person with sexual orientation, which is out of my comprehension.  The person has always a sexual orientation. In any scientific study, the term “gender” is worded as an acquired social behavior. The law aims at the equality of the rights of women and men, and according to their social behavior, they can have orientations. If we use physics, chemistry, molecule terms, should we state the term molecule isn’t in line with our national interest? Such attacks are merely a result of a retrograde approach. Similarly, other scientific breakthroughs have always become a subject of manipulation by certain retrograde forces. Back in its time the Catholic Church forced Galileo by claiming that the Sun went around the Earth and he had no right to claim the opposite. 

– According to the Right Reverend, no such law can be exercised in our country, since the society isn’t yet ready  for its adoption and we cannot allow, let’s say, a  kindergarten nurse have a different sexual orientation.

– But who is he to state such a thing? If the society is caged in closed systems, in the dark and illiteracy, it will never be free. Whether or not to allow the application of the law is determined by the state. There can be a struggle of viewpoints, but there can be no xenophobia based on sexual orientation and gender concepts. I have great respect for the Reverend Father, but it doesn’t mean that the Church is the decision-maker whether or not the law is going to be exercised. Let them establish a church-supported kindergarten and people will decide their preferences. The Church isn’t at all authorized to mingle with the upbringing of children at the state-established kindergartens.

-Pursuant to certain standpoints, the gender equality originally stood for harmony between two genders, but today we are provided with quite a different approach under its umbrella.  For example, Bishop Mikael Ajapahian believes there are fields that will always pertain merely to women and men.

– The gender perceptions have crucial significance during the resolution of social issues of people, and the people shouldn’t limit themselves based on their gender perceptions, I don’t merely mean harmony based on physiological and gender features. Humanity has jumped so far as to recognize the issues existing from the origin of human society. For instance, Komaygi exists irrespective of our will. The concepts of men and women are originally determined, but the future social conduct of a person cannot be foreseen. Let’s say, a woman decides to go in for weightlifting, do you think she shouldn’t go for it?

-In the opinion of the Right Reverend, there was no need for the adoption of such a law and it was introduced from outside and its approval is a result of unserious approach.

-His view regarding the approaches of the authorities is right: when the government approves of this or that law or decree, it doesn’t fully comprehend its gist, but I don’t agree that the law was incorporated and we are bound with an order, which our society doesn’t need. There are issues which should be regulated instead of banning. If within the frames of the bishop’s philosophy they were given by God, then God created a human such as to have another orientation apart from the biological gender.