Side by side: Turkish and Armenian signs at Istanbul Gay Pride

Simply incredible pictures. Among sea of people, rainbow flags and posters, you may see numerous Armenian and Turkish signs at Istanbul Gay Pride (27 June 2010). More pictures...

There were two different types of signs in Armenian. One says something like "We are here. Get used to it" which is great. The other is a bit unclear, and does not sound like proper Armenian. Literal translation could be something like "Love gets organised". They are in Western Armenian dialect, used by Turkish Armenians, so probably they use slightly different phraseology to that used in Armenia.

*pictures - via Radikal (thanks to John for the link).

London Pride 2010: My top favourite pictures

Cute and adorable.

Same-sex family.

Enough is Enough. Act Against Homophobia.

*For more pictures - see my Picasa Web Album

London Pride 2010: Mayor of London backs same-sex marriage and marches with Gay Liberation Front

Mayor of London Boris Johnson marches with Gay Liberation Front founded in 1970 and marking its 40th anniversary. Prominent British human rights activist Peter Tatchell (first picture) reports that during the march London mayor expressed his support for same-sex marriage.
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Boris Johnson backs same-sex marriage

London - 4 July 2010

When challenged by human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell at yesterday’s London Pride gay parade, the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, declared his support for same-sex civil marriage.

He was responding to Mr Tatchell’s placard, which read:

“Dave & Sam Cameron can marry, gays can’t. End the ban on gay marriage.”

(David Cameron is the British Prime Minster and Samantha is his wife).

The Mayor took a look at the placard and said: “Why not?”

“So you are in favour of same-sex marriage?” queried Mr Tatchell. “Yes, I don’t see why not,” replied Mr Johnson. Pressed further, the Mayor added: “Fair enough, the ban should go.”

When Mr Tatchell reminded him that that the Conservative-Liberal Democrat government does not support same-sex marriage Mr Johnson replied: “Well, they should.”

“If the Conservatives and Liberals can get together in a national coalition and settle their differences, I don't see why you can't have gay marriage,” the Mayor told Mr Tatchell.

“If a gay couple want to get married in a registry office, why shouldn’t they?” he added.

Mr Johnson, the second most influential Tory political leader, is the most senior Conservative to endorse the campaign for same-sex civil marriage.

His call for marriage equality was echoed by the openly lesbian Tory MP, Margot James. Marching with Mr Tatchell, she told him that although she supported civil partnerships she also wanted to repeal the ban on lesbian and gay couples getting married in a registry office.

“It is a big breakthrough to win Boris’s backing for marriage equality. His support will increase pressure to end the gay ban. I am very grateful to the Mayor.

“Public opinion is on our side. The government and most MPs are out of touch. An opinion poll conducted by Populous and published by iopinion poll conducted by Populous and published by The Times last June found that 61% of the British public support same-sex civil marriage.”

“Civil partnerships are a big advance but they not equality. They are second class. In a democratic society, we should all be equal under the law. Having separate laws for gays and heterosexuals is a form of sexual apartheid,” said Mr Tatchell.

London Pride 2010: Political parties - Lib Dems, Labour, Tory

Lib Dems

Labour. This last picture is a leaflet distributed by LGBT Labour during the Pride and detailing party's achievements in advancing legal rights of LGBT people in the UK.

Tory

*For more pictures - see my Picasa Web Album

London Pride 2010: Slavic Pride

*For more pictures - see my Picasa Web Album

London Pride 2010: Armed Forces and Metropolitan Police

They were very popular yesterday ;)

*For more pictures - see my Picasa Web Album

London Pride 2010: Gay Muslims, Immigration, Refugees, Asylum, Persecution

*For more pictures - see my Picasa Web Album

London Pride 2010: Nando's and Freedom

I thought in Nando's you may only get chickens on the menu ;)

Freedom guys

*For more pictures - see my Picasa Web Album

London Pride 2010: Gay Rugby Players

This last picture is my favourite :)

*For more pictures - see my Picasa Web Album

London Pride 2010: UK and Rainbow

*For more pictures - see my Picasa Web Album

London Pride 2010: "Love Your Inner Lesbian"

Popular poster at London Pride 2010: "Love Your Inner Lesbian"

3 July 2010

*For more pictures - see my Picasa Web Album

Today: Pride London 2010 - marking 40th anniversary of Gay Liberation Front in London

Cover of Boyz magazine's Pride issue marking 40th anniversary of the foundation of the Gay Liberation Front in London in 1970.

I like the title of this article in QX magazine: "Gay Liberation Front: from victims to victors".

Archive footage, QX magazine.

The British PM's Number 10 Pride reception last week (Boyz magazine): "David Cameron proudly told the invited guests that it was the biggest Pride event Downing Street had ever hosted".

Cover of QX magazine's Pride issue.

Proud magazine, Pride issue. OUT at work (Stonewall), summer issue.

Advert for newly released documentary film: "Gay Sex in the 70s".

Cover interview (Proud magazine) with Gareth Thomas, Welsh rugby star who recently came out.

Advert by Royal Air Forces (OUT at work, summer issue).

British Medical Association declares that 'conversion therapy' for gays is discredited and harmful

Medical profession in Armenia should take a note of this important development. This should be publicised among Armenian psychiatrists and other doctors, as some of them still offer (or attempt to offer) a 'therapy' aimed at changing sexuality.

The Independent reports:

BMA declares that 'conversion therapy' for gays is harmful

By Sarah Cassidy

Friday, 2 July 2010

Gay rights campaigners were celebrating "a watershed moment" yesterday after doctors said so-called "conversion therapy" designed to change sexuality was discredited and harmful.

More than two-thirds of doctors at the British Medical Association's annual meeting in Brighton approved a motion backing a call for the Royal College of Psychiatrists and other mental health standards bodies to reject such treatments and ban their use in their codes of practice.

Health departments should also investigate alleged cases of conversion therapy being funded by the NHS, the meeting agreed.

The vote follows a year-long undercover investigation published in The Independent in February. Patrick Strudwick, a journalist and campaigner, posed as a "patient" to reveal how evangelical therapists – some operating within the NHS – tried to "reorient" homosexual men and women using techniques developed in the US. One of the people Mr Strudwick interviewed described his treatment as "psychological torture".

Mr Strudwick called yesterday's vote a "watershed moment in the struggle for gay equality".

He added: "My undercover investigation for The Independent, which prompted this motion, highlighted the fact that not only are psychiatrists and psychotherapists still peddling these abhorrent techniques, but that in some cases the NHS are paying for it.

"Hopefully, anyone involved in the so-called treatment of homosexuality will realise that the medical profession considers them dangerous charlatans, and will reconsider their beliefs. I also sincerely hope that any vulnerable gay person who is unhappy about their sexuality takes notice of this motion and realises that it is the world that needs to change, not them."

Tom Dolphin, vice-chair of the BMA's junior doctors committee who proposed the motion, said: "Sexuality is such a fundamental part of who a person is, that attempts to change it just result in significant confusion, depression and even suicide. You can't just wish away same-sex attraction no matter how inconvenient it might be."

But Cardiff consultant neurophysiologist Gareth Payne said there was no "gold standard" evidence that conversion therapy did not work and was harmful. He said it was important to respect the wishes of patients who asked for the therapy.

Pride 2010: Internet powers Google and Yahoo in support of gay rights and equality

To mark 40th anniversary of Gay Pride festivals, Yahoo launched a dedicated page:

Yahoo! Celebrates Pride in 2010

Beginning this month and running through July, the LGBT community around the US will be celebrating 40 Years of Gay pride. Check out the full list of Pride events from around the country using the Yahoo! event finder, the most comprehensive list of LGBT festivals in any one place. Yahoo! is proud to support the LGBT community and wishes all a Happy 40th Gay Pride!

In the meantime, Google announced it will “raise the salaries of gay and lesbian employees whose partners receive domestic partner benefits, to compensate them for a tax they pay that heterosexual married couples do not.”

Sex diaries

Well, not mine ;) It’s Time Out London’s cover story this week. They introduce few London based bloggers who write about their sex life.

You will meet:

• The single girl who was forced to go public and prefers hairy-chested men with “some meat on him”
• The fashion girl who blogs on her sex disasters
• The anonymous sexed-up city worker (“Gay Banker”)
• The kinki American on the loose in London and
• The bondage-loving guy who likes to try anything (likes sex with 'trysexuals')

The only Armenian blogger I am aware of who to some (very limited) extent writes about his sex life is the author of Gay Armenian Lounge Room. He does it by posting explicit microchats based on online communications.