Boobs for votes: Belgian boob election ad causes a stir

“Do you vote right or left-wing?” this unusual Belgian billboard poster inquires. The remarkable poster campaign, at first glance designed by Antwerp ad agency/magazine publisher Think Media for the “Flanders votes” weblog [in English, translated by Google] drew a lot of attention (surprise..) but finally resulted in a formal ad council complaint [in English, translated by Google] by two local women who felt this public street ad, currently all over Antwerp on huge billboards for clint.be was inappropriate and in breach of common public decency standards. The complaint is, well, “pending”. Are your billboard ads this “outspoken”?

Antwerp city to sponsor Gay Pride 2009, alongside extreme sex clubs

I’m quite upset reading that my “beloved” city of Antwerp is once again an official sponsor of the Antwerp Gay Pride 2009, a predominantly commercial event where gay emancipation has long been replaced by cashing-in on the influx of gay tourists. But what I, and a majority of responsible gay Antwerp citizens cannot fathom is the need to stand alongside extreme-sex fetish events such as A hard Night, featuring some clubs that have a bad track record or are just notorious for the unsafe sex practices of their visitors.

Dear city of Antwerp, do you actually realize that you are sharing a bed with sleazy clubs such as The Kinky’s, a private, gay, extreme fetish club? [Update: Antwerp pride removed the link after discovering  this post...] Many of us are utterly shocked, especially since this way Antwerp City indirectly appears to endorse extreme sex clubs catering to a livestyle that is bound to spread STDs and potentially even HIV.  The fact that safe-sex advocate organization “Sensoa” is also one of the sponsors makes this Antwerp Gay Pride 2009 event utterly unreal.

[Tragic note: in 1999 a Belgian court judge was fired after engaging in SM with his own wife. He even lost his civil rights. Ten years later the city of Antwerp is endorsing an open air SM and fetish fair near the prestigious city marina next June. Weird, isn't it?]

We, the majority of responsible gay Antwerp citizens urge everyone to contact the city of Antwerp to object to their sponsorship.

US State Department criticizes Belgium for human rights abuses

According to an article in the Belgian EUobserver, the US State Dept found it necessary to state in its 2008 US government report on worldwide human rights (issued Feb 25, 2009) that “the Belgian government “generally respected the human rights of its citizens,” (oh, really? I hadn’t noticed) but found several human rights ‘problems’, such as overcrowded prisons, lengthy pre-trial detention, poor detention conditions prior to expulsion and “ethnic discrimination in the job market.“

Local Belgian sources acknowledged Belgium experienced, like most EU countries, ongoing social issues, but ever so kindly suggested that the US State Dept would consider buying full-sized mirrors and a free trip down memory lane to take a long, careful look at the abysmal human rights track record of the USA.  “We don’t kill our prisoners”, “nor do we deny our gay citizens basic human rights” one Belgian source noted with rising indignation. Do you personally feel the US has regained its “moral authority” to start pointing fingers at the world regarding “human rights abuses” in other countries?

Gay equals $0, straight equals $400,000

It’s a sunny day in Antwerp, Belgium, but I’m outraged. Like you may or may not know: I’m gay, living in a committed relationship with my male partner (who I only wish I’d see more often these days: he has a place of his own and his life has become hectic). Belgium is one of those rare countries offering its gay citizens full equal rights: gay marriage, gay adoption, legal protection against bigotry, along with a tolerant, liberal population without the classic overwhelming “it’s a sin” Christian religious attitude. Sure, we have right-wing bigotry and migrant Muslim intolerance towards gay citizens, but in general, most people adhere to the live and let live attitude.

Unfortunately, my parents broke that “in general” rule. While long having accepted my male partner, they recently decided that my late grandfather’s 300,000 euro ($400,000) house, a part of my expected future inheritance and originally for sale, “could serve best” as the home of my straight brother, since they totally adored watching his ever growing family live near their suburban home. To make it all legal, they came up with a waterproof  “he’s renting it” construction, but let’s face it: my granddad’s house won’t be sold anytime soon. Upon confronting my folks with this unequal treatment, my father smiled and claimed he was convinced I felt just fine in my (rented) historic downtown home, totally ignoring reality: I’ve had it with downtown living and long to return to green suburbia. I didn’t push to get to the bottom of it all, my parents had made a very clear, not to be discussed choice.

So here I am, still somewhat stunned, wondering how to react when being invited by my charming ’straight’ brother to check out his new home and enjoy the company of his (quite adorable) family, as if nothing had changed.  You know, this hurts, watching how my parents made clear they prefer having their grandchildren close, even if it means basically ignoring the needs of their gay son.

Like a gay friend of mine used to say: “no matter how many laws, no matter how much tolerance, we will often remain second class citizens”.  This “second class citizen” was last visited by his parents 8y ago, although I do visit them every month at their place.

[Update: I got a message from a fellow blogger urging me to post more upbeat, more 'positively entertaining' write-ups.  With countless great summer pictures/memories I'm quite able to follow that road, but when reality bites I feel the need to blog about that reality. Upbeat,  'positively entertaining' write-up coming up.  But I grew up in the green suburbia and had intended to return there now that I'm 'all grown up'. The incident above will make that virtually impossible.  Update 2: "what made you happiest all these years", my partner asked me, "the houses you lived in or the people who cared about you?".  Guess I'm OK now."]

Antwerp prostitute offers “banking crisis discount”

Belgians have long been known for their entrepreneurial spirit, but I’m convinced Antwerp ’star’ prostitute “Hot Marijke” has beaten them all with her latest endeavor. As of this week, Marijke (23, an Antwerp native and legal prostitute) is offering all her customers who own stocks in the “hard hit” (pardon the pun) Belgian banks Fortis, Dexia and KBC a “banking crisis discount” when they buy her sexual services.

“It’s time to restore trust” claimed a glowing Marijke, who is currently campaigning to convince her fellow, eh, “sisters” worldwide to follow her widely appreciated example. [images: courtesy hotmarijke]

Prostitutes near the Valhalla of free enterprise (Wall Street) reacted with dismay: “hey, we can’t even work legally” one was overheard saying. Anyway, if you’re visiting Antwerp, Belgium, check out this somewhat unusual temple of free enterprise at hotmarijke.be I’m not linking, given this is a non-commercial blog

Wasilla, Alaska flashes a nipple

Look what some citizens of Wasilla are looking for at my blog: indeed, nipples. Given the very poor
performance by “that angry old dude” vs Obama last night, they could sure use some entertainment.
Coming up real soon: the meaning of life revealed, in ten confused words or less, Palin style.
[Vanity note: triple that counter number. Sitemeter was introduced recently at this blog]
Free traffic advice: blog about empty, tabloid no-brainers like nipples. Even Wasilla will find you

FOX-tv: the lies, the filth, the disgrace

No wonder many Americans are still voting for the GOP: deceptive, right wing aggression on FOX-tv, pure lies,  propaganda. “The economy is in great shape”, “the Bush years were a blessing”. Enjoy the brainwashing, America  [this kind of junk would never be aired in Belgium]

Quote (Hillary Clinton at the Dem convention in Denver): “I haven’t spent the past 35 years in the trenches advocating for children, campaigning for universal healthcare, helping parents balance work and family and fighting for women’s rights at home and around the world, to see another Republican in the White House squander the promise of our country and the hopes of our people.”

Related: “Once Elected, Palin Hired Friends and Lashed Foes” (NY Times, Sat Sept 13 2008, page 1]

McCain: Palin is not qualified as vice-president

Watch McCain (link to full text), say exactly what the whole world knows by now: Palin is not qualified to be a US Vice President. Quote (dated October 21, 2007):

“I have had a strong and a long relationship on national security, I’ve been involved in every national crisis that this nation has faced since Beirut, I understand the issues, I understand and appreciate the enormity of the challenge we face from radical Islamic extremism.”  “I am prepared. I am prepared. I need no on-the-job training. I wasn’t a mayor for a short period of time. I wasn’t a governor for a short period of time.”

I rest my case.  If there is a god, may he be there to save America from the walking disaster called McCain(72)-Palin. I’m no US citizen, but I’m gay: if this cute couple were to win the 2008 elections, I’d emigrate to Canada. Time to reclaim your country, America.

Wikipedia quote: (“Questions have been raised by some in the media regarding Palin’s views on the separation of church and state, given her support for the inclusion of creationism into public education and an address to graduating ministry students at her former church where she urged them to pray “that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending [U.S. soldiers] out on a task that is from God”,[181] and in the same remarks, her assertion that “God’s will” was responsible for the Alaskan national gas pipeline project. Bloggers have characterized her remarks as having “painted the current war in Iraq as a messianic affair” or reported that she told the students “that the United States sent troops to fight in the Iraq war on a ‘task that is from God“)

After electing a lying, war-mongering, virtually certified nutcase twice, there must be something profoundly wrong with a significant part of the US electorate, wouldn’t you think so?

Extreme sexual parody: where do you draw the line?

This fake ad for “The black box” (Dutch: “de zwarte doos”), a non-provocative “local news” format produced by Belgian TV network www.vtm.be appeared on page 108 of todays Belgian Humo tv-guide. Humo is well known for its sarcastic humor, often balancing on the edge of basic decency, notwithstanding their 16-30yo mainstream target audience, located in the Dutch speaking northern part of Belgium. Families with children buy this magazine. According to the urbandictionary, “box” should be read as slang for (quote) “Female Genitalia, usually used in a derogatory manner”. So the nice male copywriters/graphic artists over at Belgian TV guide Humo photoshopped a scene depicting a group of white middle-aged men, looking at a, well, obese “black box”.

OK, let’s get real here. Would your local TV guide ever publish a composition like the one above? And if they did, would they get away with it? Would anybody laugh about this ‘great caricature”? [Personal note: my sister-in-law is black. "This is gross", she told me on the phone, "I felt like hiding this page from your brother. Maybe I should just ignore it or have a laugh, but why is there never a "fat white box" when Belgians are 'poking fun'?"] Food for thought in this troubled nation

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