Love Always Wins

As you know, Russia hosts the 2014 Winter Olympics Games, in Sochi. 

After President Putin signed anti-gay laws last summer, being openly homosexual has become as an offense in Russia.

Despite the Olympic Charter Principles, the IOC and their sponsors have not condemned the current gender discrimination in Russia. 

Share the following video and speak out against Russian anti-gay laws.

#LoveAlwaysWins !!!

"Seek" Matthew Ludwinski

In 2012, I saw Matthew Ludwinski performing in "Going Down in La La Land", and he really touched me.

Now, this awesome actor backs with a new film "Seek", written and directed by debutant Eric Henry. This time, Matthew is Jordan, an underwear model who is the romantic obsession of film's protagonist, Evan Brisby, a shy young writer who attempts to shake off the torment of lost love.

The movie has an excellent cast, Matthew addition, with Ryan Fisher, Jonathan Nathaniel and introducing Adrian Shepherd-Gawinski.

I had already wrote in a last post about this talented actor and how he would be succesful in his career.

The film makes its world premiere at the Reelout Queer Film and Video Festival on January 30th in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

Congrats Matt and my best wishes!

Seeks' main cast

Seeks' official trailer

Over 25% of gay marriages in New Zealand are Australian couples

After New Zealand's Parliament approved the same-sex marriage law last April, almost 400 same-sex couples have been married in that country.

The remarkable is almost 100 of those couples were from Australia, meaning that Australians alone make up over a quarter of the total.

Besides, ten Chinese couples, four from Hong Kong, four from Britain and four from Thailand have also married in that country, because New Zealand doesn't restrict foreign couples from marrying there.

Australia doesn't formally recognise same-sex marriages entered into overseas. And the Prime Minister Tony Abbot remains a staunch opponent of equal marriage despite overwhelming public support for it.

Recently, a four year old girl wrote a letter to Australian Prime Minister asking him to let boys marry boys and girls marry girls.

It's time Australia, what do you wait?

First gay marriages in New Zealand last August

Principle 6

Principle 6 of the Olympic Charter says:

Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement.

Of course, Principle 6 includes sexual orientation, and Russia's anti-gay laws are incompatible with the Olympic movement. While, the IOC and Olympic sponsors still refuse to speak out against the anti-LGBT Russian laws.

This Principle has inspired a campaign by the values of the Olympic charter. It's a way for athletes, spectators and global supporters to celebrate the Olympic principle of non-discrimination and call for the end to Russia’s homophobic laws before the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Some Sochi-bound Olympians, with several Olympic athletes and professional athletes also involved or support this campaign. 

Top 10 Most Photographed Cities of the World

Google published a heat map showing the most photographed cities worldwide. 

They used Panoramio, an application that feeds with pictures uploaded by Internet users. In turn, they linked it to Google Earth for recording all that activity. 

Through Google Earth amd Google Maps they were able to check data, and the result was published in Sightsmap using a heat map. 

This is the list of the 10 most photographed cities in the world. I apologize for not being able to show all the sights of each city.

1. New York, USA 

2. Rome, Italy 

3. Barcelona, ​​Spain 

4. Paris, France 

5. Istanbul, Turkey 

6. Venice, Italy 

7. Monte Carlo, France 

8. Florence, Italy 

9. Buenos Aires, Argentina 

10. Budapest, Hungary

Australian little girl asks her PM to let boys marry boys and girls marry girls

Sabrina Franco is a smart little girl, she's only four years old. But she understands the importance that love is love, regardless of gender. 

Sabrina lives in western Sydney, and she has written a letter to Australia's conservative prime minister Tony Abbott, after she found out her mother's good friends, a gay male couple, had to go to New York to get legally married, since Australia doesn't perform or recognize same-sex marriages. 

Sabrina says in her letter:

 Dear Tony Abbott,

Don’t get rid of the ABC because we love it. And let boys marry boys and girls marry girls if they love each other or they’ll be sad forever.

Thank-you.

Sabrina

It's time Australia!

Sabrina's letter

Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family) and his husband are Out For Freedom

Jesse Tyler Ferguson, star of ABC's Modern Family and his husband Justin Mikita, discuss growing up, coming out and coming together. 

Jesse, an ACLU Celebrity Ambassador for the Freedom to Marry and Justin are Out for Freedom. 

As vocal supporters of the importance of the freedom to marry, this candid conversation about their own relationship and their advocacy efforts to spread the freedom to marry in Jesse's home state of New Mexico and beyond, highlights a national movement for equality for all loving, committed couples.

Watch the following video.

U.S. Court Rules People can not be Excluded as Jurors Because they are Gay

A federal appeals court has ruled, in an unanimous decision, that the U.S. Constitution bans the exclusion of persons from a jury based on their sexual orientation.

Judge Stephen Reinhardt wrote in the ruling: "Strikes exercised on the basis of sexual orientation continue this deplorable tradition of treating gays and lesbians as undeserving of participation in our most cherished rites and rituals".

You can read the ruling here.

Two years ago, Jonathan Lovitz, a New Yorker model, was excused from jury duty for being gay. He told the judge: "Since I can't get married or adopt a child in the state of New York, I can't possibly be an impartial judge of a citizen when I am considered a second class one in the eyes of this justice system". The judge agreed and dismissed him.

Jonathan Lovitz, a New Yorker model, 

was excused from jury duty for being gay

First Step in Florida Towards Marriage Equality

Six same-sex couples and the Equality Florida Institute have filed a lawsuit challenging Florida’s gay marriage ban. The lawsuit argues that Florida’s laws barring same-sex couples from marriage violate the United States Constitution by denying them the legal protections and equal dignity that having the freedom to marry provides.

Nadine Smith, the Equality Florida Institute Chief Executive Officer, has declared: "Today the majority of Floridians stand with us as we take this historic step toward marriage equality in the Sunshine State. These couples have been embraced by their families and communities, but every day, Florida laws are denying them the protections and dignity that every family deserve,s. These harmful laws are outdated and out of step. It is time for all families in our state to have full equality under the law".

Remember that Florida voters approved in 2008 a state constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.

Now, Florida has taken the first step towards marriage equality and it follows Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Arizona, where same-sex marriage lawsuits have also been filed.

Let's give time to time.

New York Gov. Says Anti-Gays Have No Place in his State

Andrew Cuomo, New York Governor, has spoken on in-fighting within the Republican Party in a radio interview.

Cuomo said: "It’s more about extreme Republicans versus moderate Republicans". And he continued: "The Republican Party candidates are running against the SAFE Act, it was voted for by moderate Republicans who run the Senate. Their problem is not me and the Democrats; their problem is themselves. Who are they? Are they these extreme conservatives who are right-to-life, pro-assault-weapon, anti-gay? Is that who they are? Because if that’s who they are and they’re the extreme conservatives, they have no place in the state of New York, because that’s not who New Yorkers are".

In 2010, Cuomo ran for Governor of New York and faced Republican Carl Paladino, a businessman who had been supported by the Tea Party movement. Cuomo won the election for Governor with 62% of vote. In keeping with a campaign promise, Cuomo signed same-sex marriage state legislation on June 24, 2011.

Cuomo at Gay Pride 2013 in NYC

Russian Gay Activist Detained for Unfurling a Rainbow Flag at Olympic Torch Relay

After President Putin said gay people would be safe at Sochi Olympics if they "leave kids alone", a Russian gay protester has been detained today for unfurling a rainbow flag during the Olympic torch relay.

Pavel Lebedev, the young protester, unfurled the rainbow flag when the torch passed through his hometown, Voronezh, which is 560 miles north of Sochi. He has been immediately detained and taken to police station for being questioned.

Putin originally signed a decree banning all demonstrations during Olympics, but later declared that protests would be allowed in authorised protest zones.

In any case, it's a fact that only one man with a tiny rainbow flag is enough to break Russian law banning gay propaganda. Who is really safe Mr. Putin?

The "dangerous" protester has been forcefully detained

I See a Family, and You?

Kordale and Kaleb are two gay fathers with three kids who have no problem with their fatherhood. Well, no more problems than any other couple with sons. Their main objective as parents is to provide their children love, education, support, encourage, and love some more!

After a ridiculous heap of anti-gay outrage on Twitter from people offended by two men taking care of their children, the couple posted this picture on Instagram and wrote:

Being fathers is getting our daughters up at 5:30 am making breakfast getting them dressed for school and putting them on the bus by 6:30 .This is a typical day in our household . It's not easy but we enjoy every moment and every minute of #fatherhood.

Ignore insults guys, you are an awesome family! I love you!

Be happy guys and my best wishes!

Uganda's President Does Not Sign Anti-Gay Law

After Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan signed into law a bill banning any homosexuality's public act, seems that a good news comes from Africa. The President of Uganda Yoweri Museveni has refused to sign the bill that could have punished gay people with jail for life.

Uganda's President affirmed that if the bill had passed "gay people would go underground and continue practicing homosexuality". And he said: "The question at the core of the debate on homosexuality is what do we do with an abnormal person? Do we kill him? Do we imprison him? Or we do contain him?". And he added: "You cannot call an abnormality an alternative orientation. It could be that the Western societies, on account of random breeding, have generated many abnormal people".

If I have understood Museveni's words, gays are abnormal persons but they can be rescued or cured instead of punished with jail. Yeah!

However, Museveni can send the bill back to parliament where it needs a two-thirds majority to force it into law without his consent. Further complicating matters, if parliament was found to have not had a proper quorum, it may be even this first refusal won’t eventually count to that number.

How all this hate can be stopped?

Ugandan gay protesting

Remembering Roger and People who died Fighting for LGBT Equal Rights

Roger Jean-Claude Mbédé had been sentenced to 3 years in prison in Cameroon because he sent another man an SMS that said "I'm very much in love w/u", in a country where it's illegal to be gay. Sadly, Roger has died.

The details of how he died are not yet clear, but the true is he faced physical abuse and medical emergencies. Besides, once out of jail he was attacked and turned away from employment, school, shelter and even critical healthcare.

Despite attacks and great hardship, Roger spoke out against Cameroon's anti-gay law. He said he did it so that other LGBT people in Cameroon would not have to face what he did.

Roger lived with love but died without seeing justice for himself. The world needs to hear his story. Add your name to AllOut campaign Virtual vigil to honour Roger’s memory, and call for the end to anti-gay laws that are destroying lives everywhere.

More than 130,000 All Out members around the world

heard Roger's plea and called for Cameroon to #FreeRoger

Nobel Laureates Sign a Protest Letter over Russia's Anti-gay Law

An open letter to Russian Government and people has been co-signed by 27 Nobel prize winners, protesting its law banning so-called "homosexual propaganda to minors". The letter has been published in the UK’s The Independent newspaper.

The group of Nobel laureates is leaded by Sir Ian McKellen and his childhood friend the chemist Sir Harry Kroto, and they speak out against Russian homophobic legislation.

Their goal is to show that many senior members of the international scientific community express solidarity with politicians, artists, sports people and many others who have already expressed their abhorrence for the Russian authorities' actions against its gay citizens.

The signatories are:

Ian McKellen (aka Henry V/Gandalf)

Harold Kroto (Nobel Chemistry 1996)

Mairead Maguire (Nobel Peace 1976)

Eric Cornell (Nobel Physics 2001)

Sheldon Glashow (Nobel Physics 1979)

Brian Josephson (Nobel Physics 1973)

Martin Perl (Nobel Physics 1995)

Roald Hoffmann (Chemistry 1981)

Gerhard Ertl (Chemistry 2007)

Susumu Tonegawa (Physiology/Medicine 1987)

Tony Leggett  (Nobel Physics 2003)

Dudley Herschbach (Nobel Chemistry 1986)

Paul Nurse (Nobel Physiology/Medicine 2001)

Robert Curl (Nobel Chemistry 1996)

Martin Chalfie (Nobel Chemistry 2008)

Richard Roberts (Nobel Physiology/Medicine 1993)

John Polanyi (Nobel Chemistry 1986)

Edmond Fischer (Nobel Physiology/Medicine 1992)

Timothy Hunt (Nobel Physiology/Medicine 2001)

Jack Szostak (Nobel Physiology/Medicine 2009)

John Coetzee (Nobel Literature 2003)

Eric Wieschaus (Nobel Physiology/Medicine 1995)

Leon Lederman (Nobel Physics 1988)

Peter Agre (Nobel Chemistry 2003)

John Sulston (Nobel Physiology/Medicine 2002)

Herta Müller (Nobel Literature 2009)

Brian Schmidt (Nobel Physics 2011)

Thomas Steitz (Nobel Chemistry 2009)

McKellen leads the protest letter 

and signed as aka Henry V/Gandalf

Brazilian Diver Comes Out

Following Tom Daley's example, Brazilian diver Ian Matos came out of the closet in an interview with the Portuguese newspaper Correia.

Matos, 24 years-old, is the current Brazilian 3-meter champion and he hopes being an out athlete will not cost him potential sponsorships in the future, or impact his ability to be a successful diver.

He said a friend advised him to stay closeted until after the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, but Matos said the pressure of hiding boyfriends, avoiding gay parties and not being himself proved to be too much stress.

Well done Ian, and many successes!

Nigerian President Signs "Jail all the gays" Law

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has finally signed into law a bill banning same-sex marriage and public displays of homosexuality and relationships, as well as gay organizations and groups.

Under the new law, anyone who enters into a same-sex marriage or civil union may be jailed for up to 14 years, and all such unions entered into abroad are made "void".

It also bans people who register, operate or participate in gay clubs, societies or groups, or who publicly show that they are in a same-sex relationship will be punishable with up to 10 years in prison.

The new law violates the equality and non-discrimination clause of the Nigerian constitution, the Commonwealth Charter and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, which Nigeria had signed and pledged to uphold.

Another step back in Africa for gay people.

This is the place for gays in Nigeria 

Gay New Zealand Speed Skater Speaks Out Against Russia's Anti-gay Law

New Zealand speed skater Blake Skjellerup has said he is “disappointed” because he can not to participate as a gay man at the Sochi Winter Olympics, as a result of Russian law banning gay propaganda.

Skjellerup said: "It takes something like this for others to realise what it actually means to be gay, and who people are. It’s about breaking down those stigmas, and shattering those barriers that have been imposed by society on gay people for a long, long time".

And he added: "The Olympic Games are a great event because they embody diversity, friendship, education and peace. To have something like this happen during this time, it’s a great way for the Olympic movement to shine in what it chooses to highlight".

Of course, all support for him!

Someone wants to argue with him?

Obama Admin. Recognizes Gay Marriages in Utah

Eric Holder, U.S. Attorney General, has announced that Federal Government will recognize as valid the 1,360 same-sex couples who married in Utah between December 20, when a Federal judge ruled the State's ban on marriage equality is unconstitutional, and last Monday, when the U.S. Supreme Court granted a stay on that ruling.

Holder said: "I am confirming today that, for purposes of federal law, these marriages will be recognized as lawful and considered eligible for all relevant federal benefits on the same terms as other same-sex marriages", and he added: "These families should not be asked to endure uncertainty regarding their status as the litigation unfolds".

Then, same-sex couples who married in Utah during the 17 days it was legal can file joint federal taxes and are entitled to all federal benefits granted to married couples.

You can watch the video posted on the Department of Justice’s website.

German Former Soccer Player Comes Out

Former German international Thomas Hitzlsperger has declared he is gay in an interview published on German weekly Die Zeit. 

Four months after ending his soccer career, he said: "I talk about my homosexuality because I want to encourage discussion of homosexuality in professional sports". 

He admitted that the recognition of his homosexual condition has been a long and difficult process. "Only in recent years I had clarity about who would prefer to live with a man", he added.

Between 2004 and 2010, he played as left-sided midfielder 52 games for Germany. He defended the colors of Aston Villa and Everton in England, the Stuttgart and Wolfsburg in Germany and Lazio in Italy. And he also participated in Euro 2008.

Hitzlsperger is the first soccer player who talks openly about his homosexuality in Germany. In the interview he explains that he had never been ashamed for it, but he admits that many jokes and comments about gays made in the locker rooms had embarrassed him.

In any case, he has taken a very important step.

A big applause for him