closeUp ‣ The Gayly Mirror

Take it away! Jon Ola Sand, a Eurovision legend.

26Jul

By Luka MandićNo Comments

closeUp, Eurovision

Take it away! Jon Ola Sand, a Eurovision legend.

The man we all came to know and love as the "Big Boss" of Eurovision has stepped down after a decade of being the Competition’s Executive Supervisor. Besides being famous for using the catchphrase “Take it away!” to announce the end of the voting process at the Grand Finale, Jon Ola successfully refreshed and modernised the show’s format. In an interview for eurovision.tv, Jon Ola Sand said: – “The past decade at the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has been fantastic and exciting, but it will also be good to come home.” – “I have been involved with the Eurovision Song Contest for over 20 years. First as Head of Delegation for Norway, then as Executive Producer in Oslo in 2010 and I have been privileged to have been the captain of the ship in Geneva for the past 9 years.” Sinc...

Taylor Swift releases new album and one song gets elected as her LGBT+ fans’ anthem.

24Jul

By RaffaNo Comments

closeUp, Entertainment

Taylor Swift releases new album and one song gets elected as her LGBT+ fans’ anthem.

A great return after months of silence and following a lockdown gestation period. Taylor announced yesterday on her instagram profile some exciting news for her fans: “Most of the things I had planned this summer didn’t end up happening, but there is something I hadn’t planned on that DID happen. And that thing is my eighth studio album, folklore. […] Tonight at midnight I’ll be releasing my entire brand new album of songs I’ve poured all of my whims, dreams, fears, and musings into. […] I wrote and recorded this music in isolation but got to collaborate with some musical heroes of mine,” - (Bon Iver, Aaron Dessner, William Bowery and Jack Antonoff) - “Before this year I probably would’ve overthought when to release this music at the ‘perfect’ time, but the times we’re living in keep ...

Film recommendations: Blockers and Hearts Beat Loud

24Jul

By rebecca1 Comment

closeUp, Entertainment

Film recommendations: Blockers and Hearts Beat Loud

Two light-hearted summer films which cover coming-of-age and parental discoveries, as teens and parents learn to readjust as the younger generation become adults. The sun is shining, the world is opening up a bit, so I’m in the mood for a light and easy, joyous film. Here are two films which are light-hearted summer fun, and both include milestones which so many youngsters are sadly missing this year. In Blockers, three parents (including Leslie Mann and John Cena) discover their daughters’ pact to lose their virginity on Prom night. They shadow the girls to the dance and the drunken after-parties, and do all in their power to prevent what they initially see as a terrible disaster. Fortunately, as they watch the smart daughters, who have a firm friendship and give each other empathic...

Israel tries to ban conversion therapies for LGBT+ People

24Jul

By RaffaNo Comments

closeUp, News, Politics, Society

Israel tries to ban conversion therapies for LGBT+ People

Israel becomes the first country in the Middle East to ban a sick and primitive practice. Only 30 years ago - in 1990 - W.H.O removed homosexuality from the list of mental illnesses, and immediately afterwards also the American Psychological Association and other similar and very influential scientific institutions in the world, warned of the deleterious mental consequences that people can have when "doctors" want to forcefully change someone's sexual orientation. Lobotomy was formerly used (in those cases which were considered 'difficult'), today, those countries that still allow such therapies, the use of hard mental practices, such as "pray the gay away" - which are worse than a lobotomy - make "patients" fall into confusing states of mind that too often result in suicides. Israel, ...

No good news for Britney Spears and the #FreeBritney movement

23Jul

By Raffa1 Comment

closeUp, Entertainment

No good news for Britney Spears and the #FreeBritney movement

Our lovely Britney Spears failed to attend a virtual court hearing today 23rd July 2020 to discuss her conservatorship from public view. This is a sad crushing blow to the #FreeBritney movement that has been fighting on social media for her freedom. So today, outside of the LA County Court, some of her fans have gathered in group screaming “Free Britney!”: this movement firmly believes that this is an illegal and poisoning arrangement where Britney is almost slave of her father, that controls her entire life to the point that she is not allowed to have children with boyfriend Sam Asghari The hearing was called to examine the singer’s finances, mental health, personal life and psychological outlook in detail. The Facts It is since 2008, that Britney Spears is “chained” in a con...

Antonella Lerca Duda is the first transexual woman to run for elections in Bucharest (Romania)

22Jul

By Raffa1 Comment

closeUp, News, Politics, Society

Antonella Lerca Duda is the first transexual woman to run for elections in Bucharest (Romania)

She is brave, she is determined and knows where she wants to get: she is also the first Roma, Transexual woman and sex-worker to fight for the LGBT+ rights in Romania and for minorities who have not voices to represent them in politics. We had a little chat with Antonella Lerca Duda which is the first #transexual woman and sex worker to run for elections in #Bucharest District 2. She explained us why she is running for these elections, what she intends to do for her city and for the #LGBTCommunity in Romania. If you wish to help her in this adventure, you can do by donating HERE. https://www.facebook.com/thegaylymirror/videos/300476691308451/ #LGBTRights #LGBTstories #TransRights

US finally places sanctions on Chechnya’s gay purge tyrant for ‘gross violations of human rights, including torture and killings’

21Jul

By RaffaNo Comments

closeUp, News, Politics

US finally places sanctions on Chechnya’s gay purge tyrant for ‘gross violations of human rights, including torture and killings’

USA sanctioning Chechnya’s gay purges for violating human rights, torturing and killing innocent people. Gay purges in Chechnya started early 2017, when Romzan Kadyrov called for Chechnya to be purified of gay people. But, at the same time he said and (still does) that “We don’t have those kinds of people here. We don’t have any gays. If there are any, take them to Canada. Praise the God. Take them far from us so we don’t have them at home. To purify our blood, if there are any here, take them. They are devils. They are for sale. They are not people.” Mike Pompeo condemns ‘horrific reports of abuses against LGBTI persons’. Finally, on Monday, the US levelled personal sanctions against the Chechen leader, his wife and his daughter — banning them from travel to the US, and permitting th...

Italy: gay couple kicked out of a beach for a kiss.

21Jul

By RaffaNo Comments

closeUp, News, Society

Italy: gay couple kicked out of a beach for a kiss.

Don't worry, we wouldn't be here talking about it if it happened between a boy and a girl. Versions of the facts - those from the manager of Fregene Navy Beach and from the two boys roughly sent away for a kiss - that will never match, but we didn't expect them to be so. The event was reported in a press release by Fabrizio Marrazzo, spokesman for the Gay Center Italy (which helps many cases of discrimination and violence every day), who made sure the incident got the attention of the media: "Last weekend in Fregene, Fiumicino, Rome, a couple of 20-year-old boys, while taking selfies and exchanging a kiss, at the Lido of the" Marina Militare "Fregene, were interrupted by a swimmer who threatened them to call the 'executive marshal to have them kicked out the beach’; the boys repl...

America: ban to fly the Rainbow flag at the Pentagon.

21Jul

By RaffaNo Comments

closeUp, News, Politics

America: ban to fly the Rainbow flag at the Pentagon.

The States are not facing easy times because of COVID-19 and all the protests against racism, but this new “Policy” on “divisive symbols” is raising serious concerns. Yes, because amongst these “divisive symbols” we confined the Confederate Flag and The Rainbow Flag too. One could easy understand that the Confederate Flag is divisive (The Confederacy was the group of southern US states that fought to keep slavery during the US civil war), but why should the Rainbow Flag be so, when it is also known and used a symbol of peace? https://twitter.com/elwasson/status/1284233454754902017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1284233454754902017%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinknews.co.uk%2F2020%2F07%2F20%2Fpride-flag-rainbow-banned-us-military-confederate-pentagon%2F ...

Pakistan: First transgender policewoman to become trans victims support officer.

20Jul

By RaffaNo Comments

closeUp, News, Society

Pakistan: First transgender policewoman to become trans victims support officer.

She faced death threats, offences, sexual harassment and did not have an easy life, but these hard times did not stop her. She is the first transgender police officer to become trans victims support officer using her experience to help others. Her name Reem Sharif, and during an interview she said that she intends to prove trans people can be perfect leaders, able to inspire others like her, to help change and stop all those prejudices that have held them back. Reem added: “Unless (trans people) have role models to follow, they will continue in the same footsteps of their predecessors who have survived by begging, dancing or carrying out sex work. But when they see a transgender policewoman or a television anchor or a lawyer, they will realise they can dream and aspire to reach for the s...