History in making: first LGBT-themed scrolling billboards in Armenia capital Yerevan

UPDATE 27 May 2017: Yerevan city hall, i.e. ruling Republican party mayor, ordered removal of LGBT-themed posters from scroller billboards, citing that they were not "authorised" by them. Aside from questionable legality of this claim, by ordering removal of these posters, Yerevan mayor blatantly endorsed discrimination against LGBT people. On the same day, so called "Europe Day" was celebrated in the Armenian capital. Truly, a city hall of shame.

The fact that these social ad posters were on display for 2 days is an achievement in itself by LGBT activists in Armenia. Queering of public spaces continues.
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Thursday, 25 May 2017

Armenia consistently ranks towards the very bottom of European gay rights league tables. Still, despite all the challenges, local LGBT activists keep on queering the public spaces. The process that moved to yet another level today.

The sight of LGBT-themed social ad posters across three scrollers in downtown Yerevan, around Opera and Swan Lake, is absolutely awesome. They are supposed to stay there for 1 month.

So well done, PINK Armenia. Truly, a history in making.

The messages on posters say:

1.Դու ուզու՞մ ես, որ բոլորը երջանիկ լինեն, ուրեմն մաղթիր մեզ երջանկություն։ [‘Do you want everyone to be happy? Then wish us happiness’]

2.Դուք հանդիպում եք նրանց ամեն օր։ [‘You meet them every day’]

3.Տրանս անձինք մեր հասարակության մասն են։ [‘Trans people are part of our society’]

Related videos were circulated by PINK Armenia as part of IDAHOT week*: 

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*Videos and posters have been produced by Action Studio and Deem Communication, in cooperation with Public Information and Need of Knowledge NGO (PINK) and the Heinrich Boell Foundation South Caucasus Regional Office, through the EU-funded project “Solidarity Network for LGBTI Individuals in Armenia and Georgia”.

#DieselReboot

*London

Man and a baby (Bari, Italy)

 ...and a bit of a rainbow ;))

P.S. For more on my travel diaries from Bari, Italy - see Unzipped: Putin, St Nicholas (S. Nicola) and Italian city Bari (travel diaries)

#funnysad : “No Cross-Dressing Comedians Please, We're Azerbaijani”

Even in the former Soviet Union cross-dressing for comical purposes, comedy sketches was considered pretty acceptable and widely used.

In independent Azerbaijan, like in other post-Soviet states, including Armenia, cross-dressing is still used by some of the most popular comedians, actors, performers.

RFE/RL report suggests, however, that at least for one Azeri MP & co this is no longer considered as ‘funny’ (regardless of the context) .

Dressing up as women is something of a stock in trade for Azerbaijani comedians Rafael and Cosqun. But the double act has run into trouble over an advertisement for a major mobile-phone operator in which the two men don blond and brunette wigs twinned with white and black dresses. The advertisement for Azercell appeared on billboards across Baku and on television. [...] But not everyone was amused. Parliament member Fazil Mustafa sharply criticized the actors' cross-dressing, labeling it as contradictory to the Azerbaijani mentality, and last month called on the Baku City Executive Office to take down the billboards.

*picture via RFE/RL

If I understood right from this Wikipedia article (AZ), he is a member of parliamentary human rights committee (! - not that I have any illusion re what ‘human rights’ committee in Azeri parliament could possibly represent) and member of the Azerbaijani delegation to PACE. He is also a member of the “Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe” (no comment, indeed). 

I suppose, as long as cross-dressing appeared as part of parody or comedy sketch shows, it was considered for him & co as something of an ‘entertainment only’, 'safe', something to laugh-off. But seeing this on billboards, up-your-face, or as part of ads entering into daily life (routine!) signalled some kind of ‘threat to masculinity’ and apparently 'national mentality'.

I like the mobile phone company response: “The company has investigated and established that there are no laws that would forbid male actors in women's clothing from promoting a company. The 'Azercell' advertisement contained no embarrassing elements and nothing that would cause psychological stress or spoil people's moral atmosphere."

Truly, a comedy. #funnysad

The ads were since halted and billboards taken down, reports RFE/RL.



*Thanks to O.K. for the link.

'Never Hide' / Ray-Ban

I remember having a pair of Ray-Ban glasses during my teenage years :))

Nice ad campaign by Ray-Ban: "Never Hide". Thumbs up.

1000 London buses promote Stonewall's equal marriage message: “Some People Are Gay. Get Over It!”

Britain’s most prominent gay rights lobbying group Stonewall extends its Education for All campaign message “Some People Are Gay. Get Over It!” to launch the largest advertising campaign of its kind on 1000 London buses to promote equal marriage.

Throughout April 1,000 London buses are carrying adverts from Stonewall to promote equal marriage, in the largest advertising campaign of its kind. The iconic ‘Some People Are Gay. Get Over It!’ adverts link to Stonewall’s equal marriage campaign website (www.stonewall.org.uk/marriage), which includes details of the charity’s response to the government’s consultation on the issue and explains how people can submit their own responses.

Here is what I spotted so far.

Keep Yerevan clean of hate garbage - social ad by ArmComedy

FYI mayor of Yerevan and residents. Respects to ArmComedy.



Relevant posts from my archive:

Homophobic posters in Yerevan, Armenia 

Council of Europe issues non inclusive anti-discrimination report on Armenia amid rise in intolerance towards minorities 

A moment... with Tom Ford, Selfridges, London

Diesel: "You'll eat better". Well, sort of ;)

I spotted this ad at one of Diesel outlets in London.

"Hot naked Russians riding horses and picking cherries"

Although Gay.com says of "hot naked Russians", they may well be Ukrainians, as the agency that produced this TV ad is from Kiev. It was awarded 2nd place in this year's Russian TV/film ad contest. Entries from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus were eligible to participate.

There are different versions of the video for this TV ad. I prefer the one below. Allegedly, it was aimed at women.



*picture - via Gay.com

This is London (pics)

...as seen via Selfridges window displays

and London underground...

Orange Armenia - rainbow ad campaign

I like this new ad by Orange Armenia. It’s all about rainbow (= peace, diversity, inclusive society...), and you know, WE like rainbow, so I guess it’s about all of us too ;)

Thanks to Transgenders in Armenia for this video clip (unfortunately, no sound for technical reasons). As the blog pointed out in an earlier post, “every time watching this new ad by Orange, it looks as if LGBT movement started in Armenia” :)

Amen angam Orangi nor govazdy najeluc, inc tvum a LGBT sharjum a sksvel HH-um :)

Good job, Orange!

New blog – Gay Armenian Lounge Room

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Amazing social ad by group of students at Yerevan State University... and more

"This world is for everybody"

PINK Armenia reports that group of students at Yerevan State University prepared this amazing equality and tolerance related social ad, as part of their final term works. PINK Armenia also participated there.

Brave, tastefully made, right to the point. Well done, guys! Congratulations for this excellent work!! As far as I am concerned, you passed your tests with honors.



*English text of the video

- Being homosexual is not a choice.

- Being infected with HIV, doesn't stop me being your friend.

- By denying me, you don't help me to leave drugs.

- I am a sex worker...
- My mother is the best mother in the world.

- We all are equal, this world is for everybody


Another impressive example of social activism is by lesbian Armenians and their partners/friends. These photos below, via Queering Yerevan, entitled "Censored".

Queer

Միասեռական (in Armenian)

HIV/AIDS social ad by PINK Armenia

Candles for people living with HIV

For all your dating needs - Be courageous! (Pepsi Max ad)

You can do it too ;)



*via gay.ru

Gay foot fetish in new Diesel shoe ad

Model Jon Kortajarena, Diesel Spring/Summer 2009 shoe ad.

*source: Out.com (via Towleroad)

Update (12 December 20o8)

* via WWD: Diesel is continuing its surrealistic direction in its ads for spring, which will break in February magazines, including GQ, Details, Flaunt and Nylon, as well as outdoors in major cities like New York and L.A. Using black-and-white images shot by John Scarisbrick, the ads center on darkly enigmatic scenes such as an elderly foot fetishist worshipping model Jon Kortajarena’s Diesel high-top sneakers or a ramshackle apartment filled with cats. Rock progeny Alexandra Richards makes a cameo in one of the ads, which were photographed at 1896 Studios in Brooklyn.

“There are no messages, themes or commentary to understand,” explained Diesel creative director Wilbert Das of the hipster take on David Lynch. “Our objective is to intrigue and provoke a thought.”

London Gay Pride parade - 5 July 2008

All photos - by Unzipped: Gay Armenia

Veteran gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell and actor Sir Ian McKellen. Peter Tatchell marched  carrying a poster ridiculing the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. It featured a photo of Amhadinejad wearing blue eye shadow, red lipstick, a gold
earring and pink nail varnish. The placard was emblazoned with the words: "President of Iran. Murderer. Homophobe." Next to the President's tiny wagging finger was a mocking speech bubble with the words: "My penis is this big."

For the first time in history, LGBT representatives from all three armed forces - Navy, Army and Airforce, were out parading in their full dress uniforms. Metropolitan Police and Fire Brigade were out there too.

Older LGBT community

LGBT Muslims

The presence of transgender community was particularly strong this year.

Amnesty International supporters staged 'Eurovision Pride Contest' at the London Gay Pride parade, awarding symbolic 'nul points' to countries with poor gay rights record.

Stonewall's campaign Education for All and Boycott Heinz featured prominently during the march.

Manworthy...

    Colourful

A handful of protesters (Christian fundamentalists). Very sad people, indeed!

Rainbow flag over the St Martin-in-the-Fields church. What a sight, eh?!

Absolut vodka known for its gay-friendly ads, turned rainbow for the occasion, Soho, London.

Boycott Heinz!!!

What better way to respond to Heinz's ridiculous decision to pull an innocuous ad containing a male-on-male kiss on the cheek?

While Heinz's decision to withdraw the ad might have been seen by them as an easy way to palm off 200 fundamentalist Christian complainants, it seems to have been made under the quaint impression that it will cause no offence to Britain's 3.6 million lesbian and gay consumers. Or any of their friends, or families, or colleagues, 13,000 of whom have signed the online petition complaining about the decision.

Above all, Heinz's prim retraction seems to have been made without any thought for the damage that might be done to its business. Supporters of Stonewall have been professing a sudden fondness for Branston baked beans, Baxters soups, Buitoni spaghetti, Jardines tomato ketchup and Hellmann's mayonnaise!

*source: Stonewall Ebulletin

You and your prostate

knowledge through humour

via Queerty, this humourous take at a very serious matter - prostate cancer, the most common male cancer.