Gay Armenian Couple Kill Themselves 'Because of Intolerance'
Two gay Armenian men jumped to their deaths after posting a pic on Instagram of themselves kissing, the LGBTQ+ website Pink Armenia said.
"Tigran and Arsen shared a heart-wrenching post on Instagram of their final moments with the caption: 'Happy ending. The decisions about sharing the photos and our next steps were made by both of us,'" reported the Daily Mail.
The couple displayed photos of their wedding rings before leaping off the 310-foot Davtashen Bridge in Yerevan, the country's capital, Pink Armenia said.
"Local media reports claim the youngsters' parents did not accept their relationship and Arsen is believed to have run away from home, although this has not been confirmed," the Mail added.
"We consider it unacceptable to justify the death of people," Pink Armenia said. "The young men still had many years of life ahead of them, but because of intolerance towards them, they took such a tragic step. LGBT people are very familiar with the feeling of isolation and misunderstanding of family and society. This tragic incident proves once again that LGBT people in Armenia are not safe and not protected by society or the state."
"Homophobia is a major problem in Armenia and many LGBT couples face discrimination in the former Soviet nation," the Mail detailed.
"Homosexuality was only decriminalised in 2003 and many still choose to keep their relationships secret. The country ranks 47th out of 49 in Europe for LGBT rights, with only Russia and Azerbaijan trailing behind. In 2012, 55[%] of people said they would stop a friendship if they discovered the other person was gay."
"The same study found 70[%] thought LGBT people are 'strange,'" the Mail continued.
Many on social media expressed their sorrow.