May 2010

I am very lucky to work at a university, where in general the work environment is very gay-friendly. I have always been surrounded by out colleagues and I've never encountered any problems regarding my sexual orientation at work. Unfortunately, not everyone is as lucky.

This time eurOut features as Website of the Week the website C'est comme ça, a French website for young LGBT and curious people.

"Des filles en noir" revolves around two high school girls, Noémie and Priscilla, with an ‘Us vs. Them’ outlook on life. They have a strong dislike for everything and everyone around them, but seem to have a strong connection with each other.

The internet buzz has been steadily growing around MILK-Ireland’s first ever LGBT music festival over the past few weeks, so I thought I’d investigate. Having met with the organisers earlier in the week and gotten the full details, it sounds like it's set to be an epic day. The line up is fabulously camp and fun, and boasts big international acts as well as home-grown LGBT talent.

Getting ready for the Eurovision Final? Great! At 8:30pm (CET) we open the gates to our live-blog and you can discuss with your fellow eurOut-people or just share your comments by including #eurout in your tweet! Click into the post and let the fun begin!

Here is your weekly overview of everything that happened and is about to happen in the world of European lesBian entertainment. We'll keep you up-to-date on all the latest events and movie releases, what's been happening in TV land and who did what to whom.

Last summer we profiled the awesome alternative rock band Kenelis, and now they’re back with a new single, new tour dates… and an awesome new offer for all their fans! Through-out the summer, the band will be touring several Pride events and festivals across the UK from May through to September.

Learning how to do CPR is something that's been on my to do list for years. I think it's important to know what to do in case of an emergency and who knows, I might even save someone's life. However, I think I was a little misinformed about what exactly it entails.

Folk songs, funny dresses and lots of gay people in front of their televisions. Europe's most beloved and hated contest has begun this week. And we will live-blog the upcoming finale on Saturday (29th May)!

Last Saturday, May 22, the first ever Slovak Pride Parade took place in Bratislava. But alas, Dúhový PRIDE was not without disruptions.

Grading European countries on their human rights for LGB people, violent lesbophobia in Paris, and will a Moscow Pride march ever happen?

Sometimes you really can't help who you're crushing on. Whether it's fuelled by admiration, intellect, lust, or curiosity, there is something about that queer object of affection that greatly appeals to the straight admirer.

I’m not the kind of person who shouts their orientation from the roofs... wearing a t-shirt that spells it out is just that tiny step too far for me. There’s a difference between being open and being loud about it, though it should probably be noted here that I’m usually not loud about anything. But I suspect if I ever give in to my inner slogan-loving self, I will have a lot more t-shirts to sleep in, and sometimes shyly wear to a get-together with friends, possibly even in public.

The days are getting longer, the sun is starting to shine regularly and the sounds of baby birds fill the air; it’s almost summer and that means it’s time for Pride events!

This time we feature as Website of the Week Patroc, a European Gay Travel Guide. With the summer holidays getting near, it might just be the website you've been looking for.

The Lesbian Film Festival in Freiburg is celebrating its 20th year in June, so we thought we’d give you a run-down of which films will be on show this year, and a little about them all. I know, I know, we’re too kind, but it’s because we love you all so much we can’t help but treat you for loving us back!

Yesterday, a film called "Cul de Sac" received its global premiere in London. The film is based on the life of its maker, Kiana Firouz. Ms Firouz originally began filming in her native Tehran several years ago to highlight the lives of lesbians in Iran. Despite the likelihood of being punished with flogging or execution if repatriated to Iran, the UK Home Office has rejected her application for asylum.

In its 4th edition of the Hot 100, we Europeans fared quite well - there’s 8 more of us in comparison to last year! Not to mention a few honorary mentions in the "Women Over 40", "Women of Color" and "Out Women" lists that accompanied the ‘big list’ this year.

Do you want to know what happened and is about to happen in the world of European lesBian entertainment? Check out this edition of WAE that is all about families, making money, gay-friendly hotels and lots more.

Here at eurOut we love to feature music videos with a lesBian theme. Sometimes they are really good like last week, sometimes not so much. The video of "Morena" by Tom Boxer featuring Antonia is about a kind of sleazy female singer in a kind of sleazy bar.

IDAHO celebrations, violently disrupted Pride events, “overtly sexual behaviour” in church, an LGBT group for Cyprus and lots more.

The only case in which British Conservative politician Theresa May voted pro-gay was her voting in favour of the Civil Partnership Bill in 2004. Other than that she has, for example, voted against lowering the age of consent for homosexuals and against the right for same-sex couples to adopt. Yet, Theresa May is the new Minister for Women and Equality in the UK.

Whilst we have an idea of female beauty pushed up on us by the media which tells us we are only beautiful if we are stick insects with a perfect complexion, we grow to learn that women are gorgeous in all kind of ways. Ladies are, after all, like a fine wine, we get better with age...

Ladies, what can I say… it’s been too long! There may only be a few things here to recap, but as you saw from the teaser, things are going to get very interesting, very soon!

Though the majority of gay content in videos is in the background, there are a few good hidden gems. Some of the gems involve lead characters and some involve background visions or secondary characters, but it is all lesBian so I feel more than welcome to show them to you. I can tell you now that this edition is full of visual goodies.

Manchester will once more hold the Queer Up North International Arts Festival this year, celebrating it’s 18th birthday. A separate event from Gay Pride, Queer Up North is a festival that appeals to those who don’t identify as gay or as lesBian, but as queer.

Our Website of the Week this week is that of "On Top" magazine, a website dedicated to gay and lesbian news and entertainment.

Headlines like "10 New Gay Tory MPs" are almost normal when you realize how many MPs there actually are. Then again, for a Conservative party anywhere to have 10 openly gay members is quite a big deal, especially compared to Labour, which has only 8 newly elected openly gay MPs. And here I was thinking the Conservatives were supposed to be against us. The Liberal Democrats have two out gay MPs.

Sit back and relax, and enjoy another weekly overview of European lesBian entertainment news. This time we talk about kissing teachers, dating straight women and holding hands.

Two weeks ago we promised you today would be the day we present our new magazine to you. We're sure you won't be disappointed! 

While we wait for the writers to come up with brilliant scenes showing major kissage and all-round general cuteness for Sophian, I’m going to let you into a few secrets about the upcoming storylines for these lovely girlies.

This week's featured video "We May Be Remembered By What We Did When We Sat Down" probably has the longest title we have ever included on eurOut. Youth Pictures of Florence Henderson doesn't only make great music (I love WMBRBWWDWWSD!), they are also in the habit of making interesting music videos.

Slavic Pride is banned, Baltic Pride took place after all, the UK has two out lesbian MPs, an Austrian Cardinal voiced relatively positive views on homosexual couples and two British girls choose a special vehicle to drive to their prom.

Even though LGBT children's books have been around for a while, expecting to find them in a kindergarten's reader's corner still seems a bit too optimistic. But not in Norway.

Around the world several events have been organized in celebration of the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia – some small, some big. They are all there to help show the world that homophobia and transphobia are not ok. It never has been, and never will be.

This month in Lists Are Hot I want to highlight 10 lesbian and bisexual singers from 10 different European countries. Some you might already be very familiar with and others might be new for you. In any case, I hope this list can contribute to your iTunes library or at least make you appreciate some of the great out performers that are out there.

I am fortunate enough to live in a country where same-sex marriages are legally recognized. And while I have always supported and continue to support same-sex marriages for anybody, regardless of where one lives, people are apparently surprised when I tell them marriage is not for me.

EurOut's Website of the Week this time is the website of social organisation Women on a Roll.

The story is that Ronja and Isabella, who has recently returned to the village, kiss and Ronja is shocked. Later, this repeats itself in a changing room in a shop, after Isabella tells Ronja she has feelings for her and Ronja dreams about the two of them...

The annual descent of hundreds of LGBT and queer women upon the city of Cork occurred last weekend, and I was lucky enough to be a participant in some of the madness. I’ve attended all of the women’s weekends for the last number of years, and each year the craic and community aspects of the weekend continue to impress and entertain me.

Another week in European lesBian entertainment summarized for your reading pleasure. This time we tell you about confusing storylines, comebacks and showing your bum.

While writing this article I was stormed with various links to websites about the current situation in Ukraine and Moldova and there’s one thing I know for sure - it is not good.

Just like every Friday, eurOut brings you a special Video of the Week today. This time the song comes from the UK and is a little more recent than the videos from previous weeks.

A not-so-surprising cancellation of the Baltic Pride march, gay adoption in Denmark, and much more.

Today, May 6th 2010, UK residents will be voting to decide the next Government to take charge of turning the country around, and hopefully get it out of this 'recession' that has been going on for so long. As much as the recession, unemployment levels and benefits are high on the agenda for those fighting to win the election, there is one other area that has actually had quite a bit of focus from these party leaders: the gay vote.

The adoption of the directive requires the agreement of all 27 EU member states. Should it fail just because of Germany it really would be a shame, to put it mildly. It would mean a great throwback, not only for LGBT people.

Hi!

I'm staying in Ludwigshafen for a week (from May 8) and was wandering if there was a lesbian bar or club I could hang out and maybe dance with my friends? Any tips are welcome!

Thanks and cheers!

Aggie

While it is absolutely wonderful to play the hero – you are doing good things and in the end you usually get the girl – there is something wildly attractive in being the villain, or villainesses in this case. In this edition of GameOUT! I am going to introduce you to five villainesses who I think you should absolutely get to know.

One of the major reasons to go to this year’s amazing L-Beach event was the chance to meet up with the "Emma Stahl" crew. Meike Gottschalk, who plays the title character in the web’s most exciting new lesBian web series, and Sandra Uredat, who is the creative brain and producer behind "Emma Stahl", took time out of their busy party schedule to sit down with me and discuss their project.

When I was younger, every morning of my summer holidays at home was spent glued to the TV watching the summer camp reality show from America, "Bug Juice". Every summer I’d sit and watch, completely enthralled in the adventures of those who were lucky enough to go to summer camp, and participate in the crazy games, theatre productions, water sports, trips to the ice cream parlour and just the general idea of no parents!

How can an exhibition specifically created for the purpose of fighting homophobia be banned to an indoor settlement? Bergamo's Mayor Franco Tentorio responded to the question saying that he believes the images might upset children and the elderly. Isn't that ironic...

This week eurOut features Kissing Fingertips as our Website of the Week. Kissing Fingertips is a website filled with lesbian film reviews.

Last week I went to see K's Choice in concert in Vredenburg, in Utrecht, the Netherlands. It had been 14 years since I'd first seen them live and they were just as great as then, if not better.

In this recap, you’ll find out what happened with Kerstin and Juliette since last time, and you’ll also find out if Raul actually leaves, if Heidi will get more puzzles to solve, if there will be more chocolate and why love is cruel sometimes.

The terrible conditions as reported by Amnesty International should be enough reason to give Iraqi LGBT asylum seekers refuge in Europe. However, many of them are still being sent back to a country that sometimes doesn't even want them back.

Here's your weekly update of everything and anything to do with European lesBian entertainment. This week's WAE is filled with all the usual concert news, TV updates, upcoming events, and much more.

When Sandra launched eurOut, she hoped we could one day create a magazine that captured the major developments in the lesBian world that was accessible to all; today is that day.