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How musicians, artists urge 76+ nations to end repression

How musicians, artists urge 76+ nations to end repression

Visual artists, musicians and designers are pushing for an end to repression of LGBTI people worldwide by shining a spotlight on the 76 or so countries with anti-homosexuality laws. Some examples from recent months and recent years:

The musical group "Voices of the Revolution" in 2016 consisted entirely of all-female musicians from Ghana, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Colombia, Bangladesh, Rwanda, Venezuela, Egypt and the U.K. (Photo courtesy of InPlaceOfWar.net)
The musical group “Voices of the Revolution” in 2016 consisted entirely of all-female musicians from Ghana, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Colombia, Bangladesh, Rwanda, Venezuela, Egypt and the U.K. (Photo courtesy of InPlaceOfWar.net)

Music

In the United Kingdom, the LGBTQI+ Voices of the Revolution project is organizing a musical program to tour music festivals, music venues and protest sites during summer 2017. A “range of global LGBTQI+ grassroots movements and disapora LGBTQI+  activist movements who have fled homophobic persecution to the UK” are seeking 12 musicians from countries where it is illegal to be LGBTQI+ to perform in the group.

Interested musicians, artists, activists and event coordinators should contact queertoursoflondon@gmail.com by the end of January 2017.  Organizers stated:

“The programme [will bring] together an inspirational line-up of all-LGBTQI+ musicians from countries where it is illegal to be LGBTQI+ to collaborate, create and perform with each other. They will be under the musical direction of leading pioneering LGBTQI+ composers and will perform together collectively as “LGBTQI+ Voices of the Revolution.”

“For this year’s 50th anniversary of partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in England and Wales, “LGBTQI+ Voices of the Revolution” brings life to our struggle for liberation today and highlights the ongoing issues we still face. The focus is the ongoing criminalisation of homosexuality across the world (76+ countries) and Britain’s responsibility in challenging it, which started with the British Empire’s colonial legislation.”

For more information, see:

At EuroPride 2016, trans model Valentijn de Hingh posed in a dress made of flags from 72 countries where homosexuality is illegal. The dress was made by fashion designer Matthijs van Bergen and artist Oeri van Woezik. (Pieter Henket photo courtesy of Gaily Grind)
At EuroPride 2016 in Amsterdam, trans model Valentijn de Hingh posed in a dress made of flags from 72 countries where homosexuality is illegal. The dress was made by fashion designer Matthijs van Bergen and artist Oeri van Woezik. (Pieter Henket photo courtesy of Gaily Grind)

Fashion

“Trans model Valentijn de Hingh is helping to bring attention to the plight of LGBT people around the world with a stunning dress made of flags from the 72 countries where homosexuality is illegal.

“During the opening walk of EuroPride in Amsterdam [in July 2016], 72 flags of 72 different countries where homosexuality is against the law were present, in 12 of these countries you still get the death penalty for being gay,” writes Pieter Henket, the photographer who captured the stunning dress.

“The COC (Dutch organization for LGBT men and women) collected these flags and together with Fashion designer Matthijs van Bergen and artist Oeri van Woezik they decided to make these flags into a giant rainbow dress,” writes the Dutch photographer who currently lives in New York City.

De Hingh, who became the first transgender person ever to have been represented by IMG Models, posed in the dress at the famous Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, which played host to EuroPride this weekend.

Visual arts

See Also

In November 2016 in Spain, during the Pride parade in Maspalomas on Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, "my partner and I ... used [the 76crimes.com] website and details of countries where it is still illegal to be gay in our Parade outfit. We had interest from some wanting to know more. Hope we have helped to educate others," Peter Broadley wrote on Facebook.
In November 2016 in Spain, during the Pride parade in Maspalomas on Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, “my partner and I … used [the 76crimes.com] website and details of countries where it is still illegal to be gay in our Parade outfit. We had interest from some wanting to know more. Hope we have helped to educate others,” Peter Broadley wrote on Facebook. He added, “We decorated two parasols with the names of all the countries where it is illegal to be gay hanging down and the message in Spanish, English and German ‘Countries where it is illegal to be gay’ around the top. On our shirts it said ‘Is it a crime to love?’ “
"Umbrellas of Love" project sends a message to the Commonwealth Games. (Photo courtesy of Vince Laws)
During the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the “Umbrellas of Love” project by British artist Vince Laws protested anti-gay laws in 41 out of the 53 countries in the Commonwealth. (Photo courtesy of Vince Laws)
Vince Laws puts finishing touches on protest against Ukraine's bill to ban "gay propaganda." (Photo courtesy of Norwich Evening News)
In 2013, British poet-activist Vince Laws turned a spotlight on the 76-plus countries where homosexuality is illegal, painting the faces of 85 volunteers with those countries’ names before an audience of about 200. At the time, Ukraine was considering a proposed (and eventually defeated) Russia-style ban on “gay propaganda.” (Photo courtesy of Norwich Evening News)

 

Pride marchers in Brighton, England, on Aug. 2 protested Russia's anti-crackdown along with 76-plus countries' laws against same-sex love. (Photo courtesy of The Brighton Sauna, which sponsored the protest)
Pride marchers in Brighton, England, in August 2014 protested  76-plus countries’ anti-homosexuality laws and Russia’s anti-gay crackdown. (Photo courtesy of The Brighton Sauna, which sponsored the protest)

 

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