This Russian anti-gay bill is nothing short of medieval barbarity. In November 2011 St Petersburg shocked the world.
The legislative assembly approved, in its first reading, a bill which outlawed the promotion of homosexuality, transsexuality and paedophilia to minors. The passage of the bill provoked a quick reaction from local LGBT activists, who organised several protests against the initiative. It also mobilised the international community. The bill was condemned by MEPs, the US state department and thousands of people from around the world, who signed an online petition against its implementation. St Petersburg, which is deemed the cultural capital of Russia, the place where many famous gay people created our artistic heritage, entered into the 21st century's hall of shame by drifting into medieval barbarity.
The bill that was proposed in St Petersburg sets administrative fines for the propaganda of homosexuality, transsexuality and paedophilia but it does not explain what "propaganda" actually means. Homosexualität: "So, wie ich bin" Ulrich Doert ist schwul.
Und Lehrer. Ist das noch ein Problem heutzutage? Speichern Drucken Twitter Facebook Google + Zu Hause im Arbeitszimmer von Ulrich Doert klebt ein ausgerissenes Blatt aus einem Rechenheft an der Wand. Die Mutter eines Schülers hat ihm das geschrieben, nachdem sie von dem Film erfahren hat. Anzeige Es ist ein herrlicher Tag im Herbst, Ulrich Doert fährt von seiner Wohnung in der Kölner Altstadt aus über den Rhein auf die Schäl Sick, die falsche Seite, wie der Rheinländer sagt. Um kurz nach acht übernimmt Ulrich Doert eine Vertretungsstunde, danach muss er schnell zum Fototermin mit den jungen Filmemacherinnen. Sie erinnern sich noch gut, wie aufgeregt sie vor einem Jahr waren, als sie in der Pause vor dem Lehrerzimmer standen. Es gab Zeiten, da ging der Lehrer für Biologie und Englisch nicht so gern zur Schule.
Snow White: Not Just a Fairy Tale. Most of us are familiar with the story of Snow White: beautiful princess, jealous witch, hitman, dwarves, poisoned apple, hero prince.
A cute little tale that got even cuter once Walt Disney got in hands on it in 1937, right? It may have been more than a tale, and the true tragedies the fairy stories might be rooted in are anything but cute. Two young German ladies have been identified as possible inspirations for the story of Snow White and her jealous stepmother. Margarete von Waldeck Back in the mid 1500s, there was a beautiful girl named Margarete von Waldeck who lived in a mining town called (...wait for it...)
Maria Sophia Margaretha Catharina von Erthal Behind door number two, we have Maria Sophia Margaretha Catharina von Erthal, to be known as Maria from here on out. True tales or just a case of small German cities trying to generate a little tourism? Why is school such a hard place to be gay? The teenage years are tough.
Fuelled by hormones, laced with uncertainty, they are the years when we try to work out who we are and find our place in the world. We can swing from intense excitement to extreme embarrassment in a heartbeat, while all the time wanting nothing more than to make friends and fit in. It's hard for everybody but, without a doubt, for gay teens it can be a lot harder. When even the word "gay" has become a synonym for "crappy" or "pathetic", it's clear that the problems are incredibly deep-rooted. Some shocking statistics: according to Stonewall, 92% of LGBT teens have been verbally abused because of their sexuality; 41% have been physically bullied; 17% have had death threats. But I went to a fairly rough London comprehensive school where survival was Darwinian.
There is no doubt that, in many ways, things have got better for us queer folk and yet, despite all the progress, we still live in a country where two-thirds of gay teenagers are bullied at school.