A1+: "Your Topic" - HIV/AIDS

Pretty good programme (AM) on Armenian online TV station A1+, with a focus on HIV/AIDS from all the right angles, and with knowledgable guests who speak the type language that should be example to others.

It's time. Best gay marriage themed video I've seen to date

I know, this video is now all over the web, shared, re-blogged thousands of times. But it is so good, that I have to post it on my blog too. This is perhaps the best gay marriage-themed video I have seen to date. No sensationalism. Shows exactly what it is.



*video is made by Get Up marriage equality campaign in Australia: 
Remove discrimination from your heart. Remove it from law.

Raffi Boghossian “breaks free” in Bulgarian X factor, in drag, à la Queen

18 yrs old Raffi Boghossian of Armenian origin is from second-largest city in Bulgaria - Burgas. He is not a professional musician, but he is very charming, entertaining and talented guy. He dreams of singing in Wembley and wants to study business management or marketing in England.

"My biggest dream is to sing in front of thousands of people in a huge stadium like Wembley. I want to be one of the world's great artists," said Raffi, who is still a student.

He revealed that he wants to continue his education outside Bulgaria. Particularly, he wants to study business management or marketing in England.

Hilarious performance.



Here is Raffi’s fan page on Facebook, and personal FB page.

Must watch: Russian TV programme makes mockery of proposed anti-gay "propaganda" law in St Petersburg

If you know Russian, this programme is an absolute MUST WATCH. It was aired today by NTV Russian TV channel re proposed anti-gay "propaganda" law in St Petersburg.

It's a rare delight. Watch it from the very beginning till the very end. You will not regret it.

It's a must watch in Russia, in Armenia, and in post-Soviet states.

Greek Ukrainian Andreas sings: Make Love, à la Kazaky, and fights animal cruelty

According to the bio posted on his website and YouTube channel, Andreas was born and grew up in Greece. Contrary to his father desires (to see his son becoming a financier), he instead chose modelling and show business. He then left Greece and came to Ukraine, first as a tourist and then, in his own words, fell in love with the country and decided to stay there.

However, Ukraine is not terra incognita for Andreas. Born in Greek repatriated family, Andreas speaks Russian very well and with no accent, thanks to his living and studying in Moscow. Moreover, Andreas can be called an international project. He can sing very well in Russian, as well as in Greek, keeping the same temperament. [...] 

In his spare time, he is seriously interested in nature and animals protection.
‘It’s not enough just to feel sorry about cruel behavior and killing animals, - Andreas says, - we should do something! I’m going to organize some events for it. For example, I plan to make people stop wearing fur clothes. It’s time to pay high attention to the cruel behavior toward pet animals as well…Until we learn to treat animals well we won’t treat people well either…’

Sexy video à la Kazaky with important messages against animal cruelty and for love. Simple as this: Make Love.



The uncensored version can be accessed here with disturbing scenes of animal cruelty.

*Thanks to Nelly for the link.

How I ‘became’ gay. A very personal reflection ahead of return to Stalinism and Fascism in Russia

Ever was curious how I 'became' gay? What sort of "propaganda" turned me, a little child, into a homosexual guy?

Here is a story of my life. Well, sort of. A teeny-weeny part of it. How I ‘became’ gay.

I was a little child. It was still Soviet Union. There were no alternative sources of information. There was no Internet.

You turn on TV, and you embrace yet another heterosexual love story. You read books - yes, heterosexual love story. You go out, and see heterosexual couples hugging, kissing each other.

All I saw among my family, relatives, friends, neighbours and strangers were heterosexual affairs, marriages and occasional divorces.

All my favourite love stories were straight ones because I didn't know of other type of love stories. This was the only type of life I was "propagated" towards.

And suddenly, as a child under such intense “propaganda”... Boom... I realised that I ‘became’ gay. A miracle happened. A little child transformed into a gay guy. It was not even Christmas time.

Basically, as long as “heterosexual propaganda” is out and proud and in full force, gay rights activists can relax, with no need to resort to ‘devilish’ plans of turning population (children) gay. I am a living proof of such transformation.

So here we are, ladies and gentlemen, the very real target you should be focusing your efforts on. Ban "heterosexual propaganda". Prevent your child turning into a gay man or woman.

P.S. This post is devoted to LGBT activists & allies in Russia who "propagate homosexuality" = fight against totalitarian rules & fascism and for human rights in Russia.

In solidarity with Russia’s gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people,

Mika
***
For background of disturbing developments in Russia that inspired my post, have a look at selected links below (in English and Russian):

(source)

(source)

Russia's gays under attack as MPs back fines for 'gay promotion'

Amnesty urges Russia to halt homophobic bill

BBC: В Петербурге вводят штраф за пропаганду гомосексуализма

The New Yorker: WHAT’S RUSSIAN FOR “HOMOSEXUAL PROPAGANDA”?

X-rated lollipop + more ;)

I never thought that the very definition of lollipop could be so X-rated. It reads like a porn.

Wikipedia: A lollipop, pop, lolly, sucker, or sticky-pop is a type of confectionery consisting mainly of hardened, flavored sucrose with corn syrup mounted on a stick and intended for sucking or licking.

The only reason I looked up for it is because I came across this pretty X-rated version of lollipop today while browsing through Soho stores in London (picture, above).

There was another treat waiting outside the store too - naked model, that is ;)

‘No gay rights movement’, admits co-founder of Azeri LGBT website

Have to be honest, when this new Azeri gay site - gay.az - was announced, conveniently coinciding with the victory of Azerbaijan at Eurovision and calls for its boycott by LGBT activists due to widespread homophobia and extremely poor human rights record, I was not convinced.

There has been some, perhaps over-optimistic, comments that the prospect of Eurovision in Baku would help local activists to put the spotlight on human rights record, including gay rights, and use the opportunity for benefits of rights movement. Unfortunately, while some attempts has been made here and there, including on Facebook, this doesn’t seem to make any real impact.

The very admission by Azeri gay activist and co-founder of gay.az website in an interview with LGBT Asylum News (reposted below) that “we do not put any aims in the struggle for our rights on the government level” says it all.

***
via LGBT Asylum News

By Paul Canning

Interview with Ruslan Balukhin, co-founder gay.az, a website for LGBT people in Azerbaijan:

Q: What is the purpose of your website?

A: This informative-entertainment resource is for LGBT community of the capital, Baku.

After news about the site appeared on the local news outlets, I started to receive SMS messages from supporters but also from people with negative views about this site. I often receive e-mails and calls with threats. Channel One and Euronews also sent me message and asked to give interviews.

Then I received similar message from Euronews where BBC and CNN were mentioned. I think, this interest is associated with the victory on Eurovision 2011 and with the calls from LGBT communities worldwide to boycott the show in Baku in 2012.

As far as I can remember, an organization, official representatives of LGBT community in Azerbaijan, exists from 2006 – 2007 [this was 'Azeri Gay Community']. During its existence it has done nothing to solve problems of sexual minorities. What to talk about, if even the site lgbt.az, which is the site of the organization, doesn't work anymore.

Q: What methods do you use in the struggle for your rights?

A: We do not yet have any defined methods. Today, our main goal is to offer psychological help to sexual minorities, and we also try to establish communication. Our site is not associated with politics and therefore we do not put any aims in the struggle for our rights on the government level.

Q: Although homosexuality is legal in Azerbaijan, I understand that it is not tolerated?

A: It's very serious problem, because there may be many backgrounds of negative attitude and aggression: conservatism, religion, education and people's views. But the main reason of different people not being accepted in our society is ignorance.

People do not know about biological and genetic causes of homosexuality. It is not easy to replace negative attitude with tolerance. In the first place, educational work must be done, it is necessary to tell people who LGBT people are and why they are different.

Q: How do gay couples survive, is everyone closeted?

A: If you mean living together, there are many homosexual couples in Azerbaijan. Of course, most of them keep their relations hidden from others, but it is not hidden from sexual minorities.

In most of our families, the attitude towards gays is that they shouldn't be in their families.

Sooner or late, families accept it. Sometimes much time is needed for the family of a transsexual to understand that nothing has changed with the person after they discovered a hidden part of his biography.

Q: What do you think about the future of the LGBT gay movement in Azerbaijan? Will change happen?

A: I'm sure that there will be equality among people, independent of their sexual orientation. It's hard to tell, how much time will be needed for it – tens or hundreds of years, but that depends on us.

Some Azerbaijani journalists call homosexuality “disgusting”, reports on these are left without reply. Gays encounter insults in everyday life – in universities, streets. Struggle against discrimination should be accompanied with educational work. We would like to have discussions about homosexuality in an adequate, delicate and informed way in universities and schools and mass media on the required level.

French rugby player of Georgian origin Dimitri Yachvili naked in Dieux du Stade

I have posted about hot Argentinian Armenian rugby player Juan Martin Berberian in Dieux du Stade 2009 famous annual calendar of naked rugby players.

Re-reading that post couple of days ago reminded me that I forgot to post about French rugby player of Georgian origin Dimitri Yachvili who appeared in one of earlier editions of Dieux du Stade.

(Wikipedia) Dimitri Yachvili (born 19 September 1980 in Brive-la-Gaillarde, Corrèze) is a French rugby union footballer who currently plays scrum-half for Biarritz and France.

Of Georgian descent, his father Michel was a French international before him. His paternal grandfather was a Georgian POW during the WWII in France who escaped and subsequently participated in the French resistance in the province of Limousin. Dimitri's brother Grégoire chose to play for the Georgian national team.

Enjoy! ;))

Oscar Meteor combats homophobia with a gay kiss music video - Water Under The Bridge

"The video started as a piece against homophobia; displaying the very images that homophobes do not want to see : an everyday gay couple kissing. It got its rhythm through association with the Oscar Meteor project, a collective endeavour based in Paris. This particular track was remixed by The Bangers, comprised of David Maltese and Mederic Nebinger, who collaborated with Daft Punk on their first release Homework. Video direction by JC Polien".

Thanks to Tetu for the link.
***
Oscar Meteor

Oscar Meteor is a collective project by a team of artists, musicians, composers, DJs, video producers and performance artists.

An innovative music act which fuses rock and electronic influences, and tackles important issues such as racism, the environment or homophobia through its songs and videos. Regular contributors to the project include The Bangers, comprised of David Maltese and Funky Derrick, known for his work with Daft Punk, and David Richards who produced many albums for Queen and David Bowie.

Together they bring our hero Oscar Meteor to life; a character with mysterious origins, a dandy both elegant and scarred, fragile and lucid. Oscar is an observer of our society's peculiarities. He displays them and sings about them, while letting us decide whether we wish to change.