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'We made the decision together': Young gay couple shares heartbreaking post before jumping to death

As per Pink Armenia, the two males, identified as Arsen and Tigran, reportedly jumped from the 301-foot Davitashen Bridge in the Armenian city of Yerevan

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

YEREVAN, ARMENIA: A young Armenian gay couple jumped to their death from a bridge before posting a picture of them kissing on their Instagram handle, according to a local LGBTQ+ group. As per the Pink Armenia organization, the two males, identified as Arsen and Tigran, reportedly jumped from the 301-foot Davitashen Bridge in the capital city of Yerevan on Thursday, October 20, 2022.

One of the two youths was reportedly 16 or 17 years old, while the other was 21 years old. According to local sources, Tigran and Arsen's parents disapproved of their relationship and even received death threats. The couple posted a heartbreaking message on Instagram just before they both died by suicide on October 20, the New York Post reported.

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“Happy End. We made the decision together to share photos and take the next steps,” the caption read. The couple reportedly shared photos of themselves getting facials together, kissing, and flashing what look to be their wedding bands.

“The young men still had many years of life ahead of them, but because of intolerance towards them, they took such a tragic step,” Pink Armenia wrote on its website. “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,” they added

The homosexual rights group in Armenia also asserted that after the couple's post went viral, hateful and homophobic remarks from the people had flooded their Instagram page.

People started tweeting about the news and started calling out the Armenian government for their ignorance towards the LGBTQ+ community.

One social media user said, "They didn’t see a future in this world filled with hate. They were only 15 years old. Hate has killed us throughout history, and it is still killing us in every corner of this world Today." Another tweet read, "Both of them very young. Rest in peace angels."

While another person tweeted, "Heartbreaking. All youth deserve love and respect regardless of sexual orientation. They also have a right to access mental health care. Suicide prevention and mental health destigmatization are urgently needed in Armenia and Armenian communities globally." 

According to reports, even though homosexuality was made legal in Armenia in 2003, many people from the LGBTQ+ community still choose to keep their homosexual relationships a secret due to the country's pervasive prejudice. 

Armenia is ranked 47th for LGBTQ+ rights out of 49 European and Central Asian nations, barely ahead of Turkey and Azerbaijan, according to the international group ILGA-Europe, which gauges hostility against homosexuals.