"Ruben" is a 20-year-old bartender at the only gay bar in Yerevan and one of three men employed as strip dancers in the nightclubs of Armenia's capital. Ruben has not told his family about his work, and few friends are aware he is in love with another man.

Mistreatment and intolerance of homosexuals, which often then turns into animosity, are typical in Armenian society. A survey showed 53 percent of Armenians felt animosity towards homosexuals, 40 percent were tolerant, 4 percent treated them well, and 3 percent were undecided. When asked, “What would you do if your child were a homosexual?” 73 of the respondents said that they would disown the child.

The Armenian Apostolic Church views homosexuals as people with an illness and does not allow them to partake of the Communion. Even if they confess, they are considered to be in a period of repentance and are refused Communion.