"Not Russia"/"Russia"...

I have a Ukrainian cleaner, Irina. Lovely woman. Always laughing. Often bleaching. Sometimes polishing. I was at home last Friday so we had a chat over a Jacob's Lemon Puff.

She told me her boyfriend's friend was killed last week near the border of "Not Russia"/"Russia". She says, "it is a war in my country. Why does no one help us fight our war with Putin?"

I didn't really know what to say so I mumbled something about her having a good go at the kitchen cupboards next week.

Sochi Fail...

In 18 shorts months I've gone from loving the Olympics to hating it. Homophobia isn't cool. #SochiFail

The Pride...

Last night Stu and I went to see gay play The Pride at the Trafalgar Studios in London's glitzy Whitehall.

The play tells two stories using the same three actors. The first set in 1958 tells of a husband and wife on the surface happily married but things go somewhat awry with the appearance of the wife's rather "mannered" friend. What follows is a painful and destructive path where the violence turns from gentle and emotional to painfully and physical. The shame in their actions force all the characters to regret their past decisions and indeed their very nature.

The second story set in 2008(?) tells the story of a gay couple and how one of them suffers from sex addiction. Actually his partner probably suffers just as much. He's had enough and is leaving him. The sex addiction seems to be born out of a self-loathing and the inability to explain himself to his partner has led to the disintegration of their long-them relationship.  It reflects the gay shame that destroyed the relationship of the earlier piece.

Now if all that sounds rather depressing and worthy it is - a bit. And it isn't. There is much brevity in the piece not least by Matthew Horne's various stylised appearances as a sex Nazi, an aversion therapist and most successfully as a lad's mag editor with a story to tell.

The wife in 1958 also playing the straight best friend in 2008 talks the most sense and has many of the funniest lines. She is in many ways the voice of the writer. Counselling and scolding, explaining and supporting.

It's an excellent piece, we really enjoyed it and it's well worth seeing. Not least for the brilliant cast and the "to Russia, with love" signs that they bringing out when they take a bow.

Demo Today to Support LGBT People In Russia...

• Russia is rated most difficult country in Europe which to be gay by watchdog Ilga-Europe.
• Legislation passed in June imposes fines for "propagandising of non-traditional sexual relations among minors."
• Gay Pride events effectively banned for 100 years by a court order.

In 1936 Hitler saw the Olympic Games as an opportunity to promote his government and ideals of racial supremacy, and the official Nazi party paper, the Völkischer Beobachter wrote in the strongest terms that Jews and Black people should not be allowed to participate in the Games. However, when threatened with a boycott of the Games by other nations, he relented and allowed Black people and Jews to participate, and added one token participant to the German team - a German woman, Helene Mayer, who had a Jewish father. At the same time, the party removed signs stating "Jews not wanted" and similar slogans from the city's main tourist attractions.

Boycotts work. Demos work. Good luck today everyone.

STOP the LGBT violations in Russia NOW...

STOP the LGBT violations in Russia NOW.

In 2012 The Russian government banned all gay pride events throughout the country for the next 100 years.

In 2013, The Russian government adopted a trifecta of anti LGBT bills basically criminalizing homosexuality. One bans the distribution of "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations" to minors. This law imposes heavy fines for using the media or internet to promote "non-traditional relations."

Secondly, the government made it illegal for the adoption of Russian children by gay couples or any single person who comes from a country that recognizes marriage equality.

Thirdly, a bill has just been passed giving authorities the rights to arrest foreign nationals whom they suspect being LGBT or pro gay and detain them for up to 14 days.

There is talk in the media of the next step being the removal of children from Russian homes, natural or adoptive, from parents who are, or are suspected of being LGBT.

We are witnessing imagery in the media showing unspeakable violence towards LGBT people. We see evidence that the new laws are being broadly interpreted by the Russian public and by the legal system to unfairly and violently persecute, intimidate and vilify LGBT people. This violence must stop, and the laws must be repealed.

We are organizing a peaceful static protest for our Russian LGBT family, with whom we show solidarity. We want our Russian brothers and sisters to be free from persecution and to have the freedom to love without fear.

We call on David Cameron, the UK Parliament and the G20 to urge the Russian government to repeal these laws and to provide the same level of human rights protection to all of its citizens regardless of their sexuality and gender.

Protest Details:
Static protest and signing of register of protest:  Date: August 10, 2013
Location: Richmond Terrace, Westminster SW1A 2JL
Time: 1.00pm to 4.00pm

Olympics Basketball...

On Sunday night Stu and I went to our final event of the weekend - to watch Russia take on Team GB in the Basketball Arena. OK, Team GB lost but with dancing girls, impossibly tall men and at times cryptic scoring it was a fun night.