X Factor Armenia judges: homophobes, closets and… drag

Egor Glumov

X Factor Armenia judge. Works as a presenter at homophobic radio station - radio Van. Self-proclaimed “militant homophobe”. To be more precise: “Christian and militant homophobe”, as he describes himself on a bio page for X Factor Armenia judges.

And here is Egor Glumov in drag, celebrating his workplace birthday. Or shall we say ‘celebrating’ himself?

*source of pictures: Tert.am

***

Garik, aka Ekaterin

X Factor Armenia judge. He is the author of lyrics for Armenia Eurovision entry Aram MP3 song Not Alone. But he is more known in Armenia as Ekaterin for his comedy sketches in drag.

When this blog exposed homophobic statements by Aram MP3, followed by Aram’s apology, Garik was all silent in Copenhagen where the song contest took place. As soon as he arrived back in Yerevan’s Zvartnots airport, he suddenly became all vocal, you know the fake macho-style type vocal, with a series of homophobic outbursts. [There is a saying in Armenian re this type of people: Հայաստանից դուրս կուռկուռի ձագ են դառնում]

And in his capacity of X Factor judge, Garik, aka Ekaterin, on the very day when the world marks IDAHOT, shouted that he is fighting too but on the side of homophobes. (watch this video from 1:17)
***

Andre

X Factor Armenia judge. Andre was the first representative of Armenia in Eurovision in 2006.

On this video (from 26:40) from one of past seasons of X Factor Armenia he burst into homophobic rant when a participant dedicated his performance to IDAHOT. It’s hardly a secret who Andre really likes being with and which clubs he attends when in US or Europe.
***

To sum up:

You do not have to expose details of your private life. You do not have to be gay rights activist. But you don’t need to be a f*cking homophobic bully on TV or elsewhere. And if you do, there will be people out there to expose your hypocrisy.
***

P.S. I wonder if X Factor license that Shant TV - I assume - holds allows such displays of homophobic hatred.

Charles Aznavour's “Comme Ils Disent" feature in Divas show, Las Vegas

The fame of Charles Aznavour's groundbreaking "Comme Ils Disent" ("What Makes a Man a Man”) - "the first song about homosexuality" - extended to Las Vegas, featuring in popular Divas show. In fact, it was one of the strongest performances in Divas, emotionally charged, very nicely executed.

If you are in Las Vegas, do not miss your chance to check it out. I highly recommend.

P.S. Today is Charles Aznavour's birthday. Happy bday, Aznavour !! Thank you for your music. And more. Much more !!

The Legend of Armen Ra and the Theremin: “I do feel I carry the cross of all gay Armenians on my back”

I posted about Armen Ra, US-based Iranian Armenian Theremin virtuoso, drag artist and performer, famous for uniquely brilliant interpretation of the music by prominent Armenian composer Komitas.

Great to know that a feature documentary about his life - When My Sorrow Died: The Legend of Armen Ra and the Theremin won Director’s Choice Award of the Illuminate Film Festival 2014 and it will be screened at 13th Annual San Francisco Documentary Festival in June.

*Armen Ra with producer Matt Huffman, director Robert Nazar Arjoyan, and mother Ruzanna Makarian-Hovanesian, Illuminate Film Festival 2014 (picture via festival's FB page)

*via The Bay Area Reporter 

When My Sorrow Died: The Legend of Armen Ra and the Theremin This hidden gem spotlights the savage wit and rags-to-rags story of the fabulously talented and uncomfortably honest Iranian-born performance artist/former drag diva and now stellar artist/composer Armen Ra. Looking a bit like champion skater Johnny Weir's twin separated at birth, the articulate girly-boy grew up in a prosperous Tehran family of Armenian Christian descent. A well-behaved little boy whom adults grew used to taking to adult functions, the seven-year-old shocked his grownup chaperones one night at the opera when he demanded to be allowed to sit in the royal box.

The 1979 revolution destroyed the boy's cloistered life of high culture and forced his mom to resettle in a shabby Boston apartment. Queer-baited and bullied at school, Ra finally beat up one of his tormentors, getting him kicked out of school and ultimately promoted to the 80s Lower Manhattan club-kids scene. There followed a furious stab at drag-diva stardom, interrupted by bouts of depression and binge-drinking on the verge of suicide.

A miracle at a New York rock club led him to discover the joys of the Theremin. While instant riches did not follow, Ra did get himself a spotlight on a CNN feature in which he was quoted as calling the Theremin his "Maria Callas machine." Eventually he recorded his first album, consisting mostly of music from his Armenian culture, whereupon he made a rude discovery. "And it was received well all over the world with the exception of Armenia. To think I brought the music of the patron saint of Armenia to millions of persons who never have heard it, and to get hate mail and death threats from my own people is disgusting. It makes me ashamed. I'm ashamed for them. Look, I didn't choose to be gay, I didn't choose to be Armenian, it is the way it is. If I could choose, it would be from Spain or Norway. Everyone's happy there! I do feel I carry the cross of all gay Armenians on my back, and that cross is getting heavy. So let's get out of the closet, kids, be visible, fight, that's how you stop prejudice."

He's pretty, witty, sassy, and in-your-face, and if your taste runs to girly-boy provocateurs, then this doc is your cup of tea. (Northern California premiere, Roxie, 6/14, 18)
***

And a treat from Armen Ra’s Twitter page:

*Armenian divas - Armen Ra with Cher

Charles Aznavour rocks Royal Albert Hall in London and tells the audience the story of his gay themed song

I kind of knew I would like it but didn’t expect I would enjoy Charles Aznavour concert at  Royal Albert Hall that much. It was full house. It was a definition of awesomeness.

Until last Friday, I didn’t know he was so well known and appreciated in Britain. It was announced during the concert that Terry Wogan was in attendance too, along with other prominent British presence + Armenians and French, of course.

Almost 90 years old, still with amazing vocal ...and some cute dancing skills too.

He also performed his gay-themed song [French Armenian singer Charles Aznavour says he wrote "the first song about homosexuality" - WOW!] and told the audience how he made it into France prime time.

He first performed it in front of his gay friends. Their reaction was... silence. Charles thought they didn't like it. But they asked: who is going to perform such song? Me. In front of public? Are you going to introduce it somehow? You are a father, you have children. Why, just because I sing a song about gay man I should justify something? And he did perform it. In public. Without justifying anything. It was instantly accepted by public. With his performance and public’s acceptance, he made it into France prime time ...with a broadcast every single day! In early 70s. Nothing like this could have happened in the USA, remarked Aznavour. But it happened in France.

I never seen anything like this in London before. Non-stop standing ovations for Charles Aznavour.

Royal Albert Hall introduced him as “the legend”. He truly is.

For other reviews, read: The Telegraph; FT; Mark Grigoryan

#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.

Madonna + Kazaky : "Girl Gone Wild"

Absof*ckinglutely awesome. It's a dream come true. Madonna + Kazaky. Says it all.

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.

Editor-in-chief of Russia Today Margarita Simonyan on her Sochi gay club experience with Armenian twists & not only

Margarita Simonyan, the editor of Russia Today, announced on Twitter that she is going to write a column about her experiences in Sochi [Russian seaside resort] gay club. The column is pretty long, with interesting and not only gay related twists, I’d recommend to read. Below is an extract (RU) of the copy of her column that Margarita re-posted on her blog today.
***
[...]
-- А я читал, что в Англии Элтона Джона обвенчали с мужиком, -- сообщает Фауст.
-- Что в мире творится! – возмущается дядь Арут.
-- Это не в мире, это в Англии, -- успокаивает его Анжелка.
-- Нет. Не в Англии, -- вдруг мрачнеет Фауст. Опускает голову и беспорядочно чертит ножом по столу. – Я вам должен одну вещь сказать.
            Брат поднимает на нас свои сверкающие черные глаза под сверкающими черными бровями и медленно произносит:
-- В Сочи открыли гей-клуб.
            Пауза.  И сразу после нее:  
-- Да ну нах??? – хором вопят по-армянски мои родственники и еще человек 20 за соседними столиками, которые с увлечением слушали наш разговор.
-- Открыли, в натуре, гей-клуб! – клянется Фауст. -- Я, правда, сам не верю, я думаю, там в клубе никого нет, а вокруг клуба одни натуралы сидят на корточках, семечки жуют и ждут, когда первый гей появится.
-- Едем туда! – решаю я. Мне же надо веселую колонку писать. А веселее, чем гей-клуб в городе, где каждый второй – Фауст Сирунянц, сложно себе что-то представить.
В общем, несмотря на протесты Фауста и ужас в глазах дядь Арута, решаем ехать. Еще и берем с собой маму – развеяться. Брат тоже едет с нами, потому что кто же нас отпустит одних. Остается отпросить у мужа Анжелку.
Моя подружка бежит от себя много лет. Она родилась Иннокентием Анненским, но в 21 нецелованной вышла замуж, с тех пор рожает детей и варит туршу из фасоли.  Муж у нее – бандит. С бычьей шеей и мертвой хваткой – все как положено.
И я должна отпросить у него подругу в гей-клуб.  
-- Какой гейклуб-мейклуб я не знаю. Моя жена дома должна сидеть. Зачем она пойдет – чтоб на нее там смотрели все? – говорит, естественно, муж.
-- Ну, брат, -- уговариваю я, -- на нее никто не будет смотреть. Там народ не по этому профилю.
-- Профиль-анфас я не знаю. Твой муж тебя не умеет воспитывать, а моя жена дома должна сидеть, базар окончен.
-- Брат, но ты пойми, ей нужно расслабляться. Это ГЕЙ-КЛУБ! Мы даже если голые придем, никому там не будем нужны!
-- Сказки мне не рассказывай! Гей-клуб она придумала! Откуда в Адлере геи?
-- Ну что ж, ну геи, что такого? Еще Блок говорил, что только влюбленный имеет право…
-- Когда блок говорил, керамзит что делал? Дальше ты что мне скажешь?
            Дальше сказать было нечего. Мы просто напоили Анжелку так, что ей уже было все равно, в какую сторону у мужа кепка. Она выключила телефон и поехала с нами.
            Первый шок случился в такси. Вместо привычного «Рафик послал всех на фиг» кассетник фыркнул на меня женским голосом: «Эппрувал энд дисэппрувал. Одобрение и неодобрение».
-- Английский учу, -- смущенно пояснил пожилой таксист дядь Мигран. – Пахомов сказал, кто английский не выучит, за Мамайку всех переселят. Чтоб не позорили Олимпиаду – так сказал.
 [...]
-- Сядь, Анжела, угомонись! – кричу я. Но подруга меня не слышит. Ее несет далеко. Сквозь уроки английского, которые таксист и не думал выключать, до меня доносится непонятно к чему относящийся анжелкин всхлип:
-- Армяне – непобедимые, летающие в космос люди!
            И  тут мы, наконец, подъезжаем к клубу. Таксист сидит мрачный и злой. Фауст спрашивает:
-- Ты что, злишься на нас, дядь Мигран? Ну, выпила, женщина, не сильно она там тебе все и прожгла, и ликера разлила не так много.
-- Этот ваш клуб у меня вызывает большой дисэппрувал, -- отрезает таксист и до рубля отсчитывает нам сдачу.
            Дальше железная дверь без опознавательных знаков. На входе женщина – а, может, это был и мужчина – оглядывает Фауста неодобрительно.
-- Молодой человек раньше был в нашем заведении? – строго спрашивает она.
-- Этот-то? Конечно, был! – улыбаюсь я.
-- Сомневаюсь, -- цедит женщина сквозь зубы. Но пропускает. Внутри за столиком уже сидит моя сестра – младшая, продвинутая. Она работает в «Олимпстрое», поэтому в этом клубе бывает часто. Мы заказываем еще выпить.
            А дальше – я не могу это описать! Я только скажу, что мой брат каждые 20 секунд орал: «ААААА!!!!» -- и еще иногда орал: «Мамой клянусь, это жесть!!!!»
            На сцене, тем временем, зажигали трансвестит Вартанчик и его подруга Аза, в миру сбежавший из не скажу какой республики дзюдоист Азамат. В зале истекала слюной пара адлерских бандюков-армян.
-- Мир, труд, май! – кричала со сцены Аза. – Это лучше, чем война, безработица, декабрь!
            И мы не могли с ней не согласиться. Отпев первый номер, сверкая кружевными красными стрингами и безупречной эпиляцией всего, Аза спустилась в народ. Когда она подошла к нашему столику, брат мой, с плечами в полстола, умудрился забиться под диванную подушку.  Аза двинулась напрямую к моей сестре.
Вообще в городе моя сестра знаменита тем, что она моя сестра. Но конкретно в этом заведении моя сестра знаменита тем, что у нее четвертый размер груди.  Аза подошла к нашему столику, поцеловала сестру и объявила:
-- Пока ты накачаешь такую задницу, как у меня, твои сиськи отвиснут до пуза.
            После чего воткнула гвоздику в мою пепси-колу и вернулась на сцену.
-- Москва есть в зале? – крикнула она.
-- Да!!!
-- Официанты, запомнили, где Москва сидит? А Хоста есть?
-- Да!
-- Ну слава Богу, олигархи все тут, -- сказала Аза и стянула с себя юбку, вызвав оргазмический вопль зала и одинокий обморок Фауста.  
            Таких Аз на сцену выходило штук пять или шесть. «Откуда, откуда они все у нас?» -- хрипел Фауст. Друг друга они называли трансухами и, не побоюсь этого слова, хачихами.  Одна прочитала то, что сама назвала стихотворением Тютчева «Хачи прилетели».
Дальше девочки тянули на сцену какого-то парня, сидевшего за ВИП-столиком, его с визгом тащила обратно пришедшая с ним девица, и Аза орала:
-- Боишься мужика потерять, води его на дистотеку «Черноморец», фигли ты его сюда привела, натуралка безмозглая?
            Потом на сцену вышла та, кого Аза объявила:
-- Народная артистка Якорной щели и Туапсе Валентина Монро. 
Она спела песню «За то, что только раз в году бывает май». Неплохо, кстати, спела. Ее сетчатый лифчик трепетал поверх богатырской груди, и нежно вздымалось жемчужное ожерелье прямо под выбритым кадыком.
Ну и дальше начался совсем ужас. Аза кричала кому-то:
-- Столик, за которым орали «Пидарасы!» -- вам отдельный поцелуй!
На сцене бесновалась полуголая Лайза Минелли, Аза подбадривала: «Давай-давай, Ваенга!», -- и последнее, что я помню, это как подруга моего детства, жена бандита, не целованная до свадьбы мать четверых детей, бросила на сцену гвоздику с криком: «Вартанчик, хочу еще!»
[...]

Novak Djokovic - new No. 1 in tennis - Wimbledon - in drag and more

Before the match, I tweeted:

I am torn between my integrity and desires. I love Nadal in a kind of cute/sweet way, but I love Djokovic too, in a kind of rough way ;)))

Now let's remember how cheeky and playful Djokovic can be, especially with another sexy Serbian tennis player, Viktor Troicki, that is.

Warning: video contains serious touchings, and Djokovic in drag ;)


***

*video and pics - via Towleroad

Arthur Gasparyan (Archibaz): Armenian member of Kazaky - Ukrainian band that everyone talks about

Kazaky took the Internet by storm, instantly becoming the hottest band from Ukraine that everyone talks about. Good looking, fit guys, hot with stilettos... and from the post-Soviet country Ukraine. This is their winning combination. Adding unashamedly homoerotic nature of the choreography, no surprises they became hit project with big gay following. [Read: Kazaky in drag. Ukrainian "response to Lady Gaga" did it again ;)]

Among them... our very Armenian Arthur Gasparyan, nicknamed Archibaz.

No much details are available re bio of Kazaky band members, including Arthur. Here is info via formenya_lire (RU, thanks to A.N. for the link).

Артур Гаспарян - 100% арменин, родился 22 июня 1984 года в Ереване.
Артур окончил Академию Русского балета в Петербурге. Был солистом в Московском Академическом Театре классического балета Н.Касаткиной и В.Василова. С 2007 солировал в Национальной опере Украины им. Т.Шевченко. 2010 год - участник танцевального коллектива "Kazaky".

Below are pictures of Arthur and Kazaky via their Facebook page and official website.

Also, towards the end you may see their latest collaboration with Georgian fashion-designer BICHOLA at the Ukrainian Fashion Week (thanks to Lusine for the link). And appearance in music video clip by Lama - Тримай.

Enjoy ;)

***

Kazaky in drag. Ukrainian "response to Lady Gaga" did it again ;)

They hit the headlines last year with In the Middle and instantly gained big gay following. Their performances are over-the-top bordering 'bad taste'. But hilarious viewing, nevertheless.



In this new music video Love they do it in drag, with stilettos. Kazaky from Ukraine ;)



*Wikipedia
**official website
***Facebook page

Ukraine: 'Sex and the City', or 'Секс в ПГТ'

For all SATC fans out there. But you have to know Russian to get it. Here we are. Ukrainian response to 'Sex and the City' - 'Секс в ПГТ'. Too funny :)))



*thanks to Angela for the link.

Father Christmas à la Ted Baker, London - Թիթիզ Ձմեռ Պապի ;)

*Btw, Ted Baker is one of my favourite British designers.

Garik Martirosyan in drag

This unconventional image of popular Russia-based Armenian showman (Comedy Club) Garik Martirosyan was unveiled at the exhibition in Moscow by Russian artist Ekaterina Rozhdestvenskaya.

*picture - via MIGnews

Gender bending performances by Russian pop stars

Lolita - Остановите землю



ВИА Гра - Сумасшедший / VIA Gra - Crazy



Ruki Vverh - On tebja celuet

How would you say “drag” in Armenian? (փոխհագություն)

Queering Yerevan posted an Armenian-English ‘mini-dictionary’ re the word “drag”. We do not have a straightforward, and easy to remember/comprehend, equivalent of “drag” in Armenian. Shushan Avagyan suggests փոխհագվել (փոխհագություն).

Although it’s a bit long, it seems to me OK version of “drag”. However, փոխարքա (drag king) and փոխթագուհի (drag queen) don’t sound right, as փոխ- in this case sounds more like a “deputy” (or "vice", like փոխ-նախարար, փոխ-նախագահ) in Armenian and could be confusing.

Other suggestions? If you do have one, please, leave a comment here or on Queering Yerevan.

London Gay Pride 2009 (video)

London Gay Pride parade (march), 4 July 2009

In this video: armed forces, police, fire brigade, National Health Service (NHS), Transport for London (tfl), British Airways (BA), sex workers, drag acts, Calvin Klein underwear models, swimmers, football players, Russian flags...



*Here is link to my Photostory

French Armenian singer Charles Aznavour says he wrote "the first song about homosexuality" - WOW!

Speaking to The New York Times, French Armenian singer Charles Aznavour says he wrote "the first song about homosexuality":

"Mr. Aznavour’s work might be described as a European bourgeois edifice resistant to outside influences. But within that structure no subject is off limits. Mr. Aznavour mentioned writing “the first song about homosexuality,” “Comme Ils Disent” (known here as “What Makes a Man a Man”). In the age of gay marriage, it may seem quaint but it is still affecting. All kinds of awful things happen to the couples in his psychological eviscerations of long-term relationships. Nasty games are played, lovers come and go, and eventually desire itself evaporates."

Below is a video of English version of the song, as well as lyrics.



My mum and I we live alone
A great apartment is our home
In Fairhome Towers
I have to keep me company
Two dogs, a cat, a parakeet
Some plants and flowers
I help my mother with the chores
I wash, she dries, I do the floors
We work together
I shop and cook and sow a bit
Though mum does too I must admit
I do it better
At night I work in a strange bar
Impersonating every star
I'm quite deceiving
The customers come in with doubt
And wonder what I'm all about
But leave believing
I do a very special show
Where I am nude from head to toe
After stripteasing
Each night the men look so surprised
I change my sex before their eyes
Tell me if you can
What makes a man a man

At 3 o'clock or so I meet
With friends to have a bite to eat
And conversation
We love to empty out our hearts
With every subject from the arts
To liberation
We love to pull apart someone
And spread some gossip just for fun
Or start a rumour
We let our hair down, so to speak
And mock ourselves with tongue-in-cheek
And inside humour
So many times we have to pay
For having fun and being gay
It's not amusing
There's always those that spoil our games
By finding fault and calling names
Always accusing
They draw attention to themselves
At the expense of someone else
It's so confusing
Yet they make fun of how I talk
And imitate the way I walk
Tell me if you can
What makes a man a man

My masquerade comes to an end
And I go home to bed again
Alone and friendless
I close my eyes, I think of him
I fantasise what might have been
My dreams are endless
We love each other but it seems
The love is only in my dreams
It's so one sided
But in this life I must confess
The search for love and hapiness
Is unrequited
I ask myself what I have got
Of what I am and what I'm not
What have I given
The answers come from those who make
The rules that some of us must break
Just to keep living
I know my life is not a crime
I'm just a victim of my time
I stand defenceless
Nobody has the right to be
The judge of what is right for me
Tell me if you can
What makes a man a man

*Thanks to A.W. for the link to NYT article.

Armenian men in drag in downtown Yerevan… to mark Motherhood and Beauty day

Brabion Flora Service continue with its hilarious PR campaigns challenging notions of masculinity in Armenia. First, it was a naked men action to mark Valentine’s day. They announced back then that all men who would come to their flora salon in downtown Yerevan in swimwear or underwear only, would get a free bouquet.

On 7 April, to mark Motherhood and Beauty day (2nd official holiday dedicated to women in Armenia; 1st - 8 March), they had a similar free bouquet promotion, but this time only if men turn up dressed in women's clothes and wigs (necessary condition: mini skirts, high heels and wigs). The result was pretty hilarious and as unprecedented (or more!) as their previous action.

Well done, Brabion! And well done to Armenian men in drag! A truly historic occasion ;)

P.S. We did have drag shows in Yerevan in past, but in bars or clubs, never so public, in daylight.

*Photos – by Kamo Tovmasyan (Kamoblog)