Homophobic hate speech in Azerbaijani media

An article that spreads hate speech was published on AFN.az, one of Azerbaijan’s local media resources. In the article, Zaur Aliyev, who is presented as a historian, targeted several Armenians and made claims that they were supposedly homosexual, and presented these claims in the context of national hostility.

Although the author claims at the beginning of the article that the article “is not intended to offend LGBT,” the entire structure and language of the text is based on classic homophobic discourse that equates LGBTQI+ with danger and immorality. LGBTQI+ identities have once again become a tool in this article to create an “enemy image.”

Allegations are made about the personal lives of the figures whose names are mentioned in the article and who indeed have problems.

The article directly puts homosexuality alongside the concepts of violence, aggression, and national betrayal. This reinforces dangerous stereotypes against LGBTQI+s living in Azerbaijan. Such texts send a clear message to society: “to be gay is to be an enemy.”

LGBTQI+ human rights defenders have repeatedly emphasized that using people’s real or assumed sexual orientation as a weapon in national, political, or military conflicts is contrary to both human rights and ethical journalism principles. Such approaches only deepen hatred, normalize violence, and further target already endangered communities.

In Azerbaijan, LGBTQI+s are a group that has not been protected by the state for many years and has often been the object of criminalization and insults in the media. Instead of changing this situation, such articles serve to legitimize homophobia under the guise of “patriotism.”

As Minority Azerbaijan, we remind everyone once again: Sexual orientation and gender identity can never be a means of insult, accusation, or political manipulation. Coming to terms with history is possible not with hate speech, but with facts, ethics, and respect for human dignity.

Additionally, it should be noted that Zaur Aliyev has previously made statements that were not taken seriously by the scientific community. In an interview in 2021, he claimed to be conducting research into the "presence of aliens in Azerbaijan" and said that an "event that will surprise everyone" would occur soon, without providing concrete evidence.

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