According to the Armenian LGBT+ organization PINK, the fact that Tigran (21) and Arsen (16) saw no other way out than to jump off a bridge together confirms that homophobia is still a major problem in the country. In addition to ‘’happy ending’’, the guys wrote that the decision to end life was taken together.

Below the photo are loving reactions that also show support to the relatives, but if you scroll further, you will also see a lot of homophobia. Organization PINK sees the photos going viral on social media in Armenia, where it is claimed that the suicide was justified because of the boys' sexual orientation. “Some comments even encourage other homosexuals to do the same,” the organization writes. Tigran is also accused of being a child molester, because of the age difference between the two. It should be noted that the age at which sexual relations are legal in Armenia is 16 years old.

“We find it unacceptable to justify the death of people,” PINK writes. “The boys still had many years ahead of them, but because of intolerance towards them, they took this tragic step. LGBT+ people are very familiar with the sense of isolation and incomprehension of family and society. This tragic incident proves once again that LGBT+ people in Armenia are not safe and are not protected by society or the state.”

Homosexuality is indeed still a taboo in Armenia. The country has no laws protecting LGBT+ people from discrimination and violence. Several studies show that around 90% of Armenians believe that homosexuality should be banned or at least not accepted.