Breaking news: Gay marriages are now legal in Portugal!!

Fantastic news from Portugal, right for the occasion, on the day when the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia is being celebrated worldwide.

Portugal's president ratifies gay marriage law

(AP) – 59 minutes ago

LISBON, Portugal — Portugal's conservative president says he has decided to ratify a law allowing gay marriage in the predominantly Catholic country.

The head of state's decision to permit the enactment of a bill passed by Parliament in January makes Portugal the sixth European country allowing same-sex couples to wed.

President Anibal Cavaco Silva announced his decision Monday.

The Socialist government's bill was backed by all of Portugal's left-of-center parties, who together have a majority in Parliament. Right-of-center parties opposed the measure and demanded a national referendum.

Portugal's Constitutional Court validated the bill's legality last month.

Gay marriage: Good (Connecticut, US) and Bad (Portugal) news

Good news: Connecticut's Supreme Court has overturned a ban on same-sex marriages, making it the third US state to legalise such unions. Earlier, California legalises gay marriage. The only other state where it's legal is Massachusetts.

The court ruled that the law limiting marriage to heterosexual couples was unconstitutional as it discriminated on the basis of sexual orientation. Gay marriage was legalised in California earlier this year and in Massachusetts in 2003. Connecticut already permits same-sex civil unions.

Unfortunately, the fate of California's historic gay marriage ruling is under the threat now, facing re-ban by a put forward "Proposition 8" to be voted in November.

Bad news: Portuguese parliament says no to gay marriage. No surprise here considering pretty conservative mentality dominant there under the strong influence of the Catholic church. This is despite the announced "Portugal's process of modernization".

My Eurovision 2008 favourites: Armenia, then Portugal and France

Only hours before Eurovision final begins, I thought I would share my favourites, apart from Armenia, of course.

Btw, although Sirusho's chances to win declined following the semi-final performance, she is still considered among top favourites both in betting agencies and Eurovision fan polls. According to the reports on final rehearsals from Belgrade, she looked fantastic on the stage, her performance improved, but vocally there was still "some room for improvements until the final". It remains to be seen if she will deliver the expectations. Any place lower than or equal to No. 8 would be considered as disappointment, as she is the best Armenian entry to date. If not winning (miracle?!), I wish her to be in top 5.

Unzipped and Unzipped: Gay Armenia wishes Sirusho Good Luck!!! I will be voting for you!

Apart from Armenia, here are my two other favourites, which I will vote for too. They are unconventional favourites. I do not care if they are not among bookies' or poll winners. I like them.

Portugal
Amazing performance. I have not heard Vânia Fernandes before the second semi-final, and was pleasantly surprised, and voted for her, and was very happy that she is through to the final. If not Yerevan, I do not mind Lisbon 2009.




France
It's different; it has a very retro feeling; it's unlike any other entry in this year's Eurovision. Sébastien Tellier will perform "Divine" for France. "I come from a very underground world in France, so for me Eurovision is the complete opposite and therefore new opportunity to make my art of paradox. In the underground there are too many questions about my music, but in the popular music arena, there is just one question - "do I love it or not?" It's a very simple vote and I love it.[...] Since he's described Eurovision as 'vulgar', is Tellier not afraid of tarring himself with the same brush? 'It's a part of my work to denigrate the past,' he declares, 'because I don't like it; I prefer the future. Even if I had to be vulgar to change, I prefer that. I always say that to be a nobel in the future, you have to be a rebel now, so if you use vulgarity and kitsch, but make really good art, then may be I can transform them.'" (from the interview with Time Out London magazine)



I'd like to finish this post with a hilarious comment by Time Out London:

"...there is a whole new element to Eurovision this year. Following the recent revelations that, when he was not violently repressing political opposition, General Franco's masterplan involved him conducting an international espionage campaign to sabotage Cliff Richard's chances of winning the talent contest in 1968, who knows what other secretive conspiracies the 'Eurovision' may bring? Complimentary sushi trays for UK entrant Andy Abraham courtesy of Vladimir Putin? Robert Mugabe refusing to accept the results as definitive when his rendition of 'I'm Just A Killer For Your Love' is disallowed? Or will it just be a flamboyant celebration of how absolutely bonkers the people of our continent are (epitomised by Spanish entrant Rodolfo Chikilicuatre)? One thing is certain: with the UK being represented by an ex-binman 'X-factor' reject, the trophy won't be ours."