LGBT rights in Armenia

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LGBT rights in Armenia
Location of Armenia (green) in Europe (dark grey)  –  [Legend]
Status	Legal since 2003[1]
Military	LGBT people are not allowed to serve openly
Discrimination protections	No law prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation
Family rights
Recognition of relationships	No
Restrictions	Same-sex marriage constitutionally banned
Adoption	Same-sex couples are not allowed to adopt

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Armenia face legal and social challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents, due in part to the lack of laws prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity and in part to prevailing negative attitudes about LGBT persons throughout society.

Homosexuality has been legal in Armenia since 2003.^[1] However, even though it has been decriminalized, the situation of local lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) citizens has not changed substantially. Many LGBT Armenians fear being socially outcast by their friends and families, causing them to keep their sexual orientation or gender identity secret, except to a few family members and friends.^[2]

Homosexuality remains a taboo topic in many parts of Armenian society. In a 2012 study, 55% of correspondents in Armenian stated that they would cease their relationship with a friend or relative if they were to come out as gay. Furthermore, this study found that 70% of Armenians find LGBT people to be "strange".^[3] There is, moreover, no legal protection for LGBT persons whose human rights are frequently violated.^[4][5] In 2024, ILGA-Europe ranked Armenia 46th out of 49 European countries for the protection of LGBT rights, marking progress compared to the previous year.^[6]

Many LGBT individuals report fearing violence in their workplace or from their family, leading to underreporting of human rights violations and criminal offences.^[7] As a result, reported incidents of discrimination, harassment, or hate crimes likely underestimate their true prevalence.

In 2011, Armenia signed the "joint statement on ending acts of violence and related human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity" at the United Nations, condemning violence and discrimination against LGBT people.^[8]