Some great Gay quotes

If gay and lesbian people are given civil rights, then everyone will want them!

If Michelangelo had been straight, the Sistine Chapel would have been wallpapered.

Living and working in Greece - gay jobs?

Tired of the cold north of Europe or the endless British winter and you dream of a warm country where you can make enough to get by - a white-washed stone cottage with vines growing on the walls a few steps from a deserted beach. Perhaps something like this?

 

As I said just a few sandy steps from the aquamarine waters of the Mediterranean on an island where the post boat calls once a day, where you have a grocery shop, vegetables and fruit for next ot nothing and fish straight out of the sea. What else do you need ot live on? Wonderful.

Well wake up because that dream is not going to happen - at least in this life. Renting what you are looking at here would cost you more than you woudl want to know. There are no jobs and the cost of living in Greece is soaring.

Get out of this one ......

Bit of a change of colour and design to Gay-Thessaloniki

No - it's not what you and google think it is - honest.........


Time to change things here. The red template was getting me down as well as the fact that my clever idea to go searching for in-bound links to this blog resulted in it disappearing off the search engines. How did this happen?

Well, I was really quite chuffed over the past year that my blog was doing so well on the gogole search engine. Not that there was much to be chuffed about come to think of it as this blog has one competitor with a very similar name. Anyway if someone put in a query like "gay thessaloniki" I was sure to be on the first page - admittedly towwards the bottom. Then I had the - not so clever idea - of really helping my visibility. Inbound links is the thing and recips. So off I goes and get the reciprical links - Boy was that a bad idea. Cam back after Christas to discover G00gle had banished me to the back pages. No matter what keywords I had used in the past, this dead blog was nowhere to be seen. Why?

I suspect the answer is simply google does not like gay blogs that link to porno content and that mistake I made. It is OK to speak of the gay rights movement and to provide tips on where to go in Thessaloniki but do nto link to porno - the boys don't like it, apparently. S, now I have taken down the "nasty" links I had guys and we'll see what happens. Mind you old Google God is slow to forgive so it will probably be a while - if ever - before I'm uip with the big boys.

What can a boy do .......sigh

Some pictures of Thessaloniki

Although I would not describe the city as one of the most beautiful I have ever seen, it does have its charms, its hidden squares, old shops and market which give the impression they have not changed in 100 years. Here are just a few images I picked you give you a flavour of this city.

Gay Men

Happy New Year

This is the first turn of the year hich my blog has seen so I regard it as a blog birthday. A big thank you to all of you out there who have supported the gay thessaloniki blog in 2009. This year I hope to continue to keep you up to day on all gay related issued in Thessaloniki and in Greece.

Special Discount from Modus Vivendi Design

A few days ago I wrote about a local company fast getting an international name for its swimwear and underwear design. It is based in Thessaloniki and as well as having shops in Athens and Thessaloniki it also has an online store at modusvivendi - design.com .

For the Christmas period (the next two weeks), if you buy anything from the online store, you receive a 10% reduction provided you use the following coupon at check-out. The coupon is MVblog. Check it out!

Just announced - Athens Pride 2010 - 5 June 2010

It has just been announced by the organising committee that Athens Pride 2010 will take place on 5th June 2010. It's a Saturday, of course, and I hope that many foreign pride seekers will support us next year. I have already read that the Greek section of German Gay Pride is coming along to lend us their support.
We need all the help we can get in what is still a very homophobic country - no equal rights for couples unmarried and homosexual but equality for heterosexual unmarried couples - The only country in Europ who manages to pass such a law. I will keep you updated on details of Athens Pride 2010 - the organising committee is holding an event this week - so more details when I havde them.
Think about joining us for a great week-end in June, the weather will be fantatsic and now with so many cheap airlines like easyjet flying directly to Athens from London, Berlin etc, it will not cost you the earth and Boy can you expect a party!

Sexy designer underwear from Greece at half the price from modus vivendi

If sexy male underwear is your thing, then have a look at what we've got beneath the belt. Modus vivendi is not just clothes, it's more a way of life. Inspired by a Greek fashion designer, his underwear has become sought after in Greece and internationally. Now with the on-line underwear store from modusvivendi we offer high quality designer goods at a fraction of the price. Below just a few samples from the winter 2009 collection. The Fetish Range is available as jockstrap, slip or boxer - Click the images to enlarge.

CLICK HERE & VISIT OUR ONLINE STORE - ALL ITEMS DESPATCHED WITHIN 24HOURS

2009 report on homophobia in Greece

The Institute for Rights, Equality and Diversity in Greece has publised its annual report on homophobia in Greece. Needless to say the report in general draws a very negative picture of the Greek situation, researching showing it is probably the most homophobic country in Europe - more so than Turkey or Cyprus.

The rights of the GBLT community do not figure on the political agenda, there is no platform for the community in public life. Homosexuals are excluded from the Greek armed forces as they are termed psychiatrically "ill". There are no social rights for couples, no possibility of civil union, inheritance or social support. Indeed, even Gay Pride Athens is ignored annually by all public television and radio stations!

You  can read the full report on homophobia in Greece here. In conclusion it is no surprise the number of young sexual emigrants from the country to other European countries.

Insider fashion tip - modus vivendi underwear and swimwear

Though I do not consider this blog is a way of advertising anything, I have just discovered a Greek designer undwear brand called modus vivendi design. The designer has a shop in Thessaloniki and one in Athens as well as an online store  for modusvivendi underwear and swimwear. For quality underwear which I find pretty unique the prices are not Dolce Gabbana or Calvin Klein prices. The brand is getting a big following in Greece from the gay community and although the brand is not specifically gay, it does seem to have a certain gay appeal.  Below I have posted some samples from their website. The motto of the range is "Not just clothes - more a way of life". And the name modusvivendi means "a way of life or a lifestyle". Anyway if you want to find their stores in Thessaloniki or Athens leave a comment after this posting and I will reply with the details if anyone is interested but as I said you can also buy online. I have ordered online and the service I can only describe as excellent. I had what I ordered in a couple of days. As I said, below I have posted a few samples of their current underwear range. Let me know what you think.

So if you are into fashion, and they also have Tee shirts and what they call homewear, you can find their online store at www.modusvivendi-design.com

Francois Sagat live in Athens - 18 December 2009

Live in Athens, Greece on 18 December 2009, French pornstar, Francois Sagat will be appearing at fcuk, Kelliou 3, in Gazi for an all night party 9:00 pm until 6 a.m. Entrance costs 15 Euro.

Born in 1979 in France to parents of Middle-Eastern origin, Francois Sagat has appeared in gay porno films for giants such as Titanmen and Raging Stallion studios. Although originally attracted by the fashion industry he eventually gay up this career to work in gay porn. His is known for his origial scalp tatooo - see below. He stated in a recent interview that a few years ago his hair was beginning to thin and he had the impression that his face was too long. To make his appearance more symmetrical he had  tatoo made to give the impression of a hairy scalp.

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You can read the most recent interview with Francois Sagat on his work and life here.

Correction - change of venue for Pet Shop Boys Concert in Thessaloniki

IMPORTANT FOR PET SHOP BOY FANS

There has been a change of venue - possibly on account of the interest in attending the concert. The Pet Shop Boys venue is now at the PAOK (Football Club) arena in Thessalonki. Time and date remain the same.

Remember the Pet Shop Boys - Live in Thessaloniki 21 November 2009

The Pet Shop Boys are appearing at the Velidion Expo Center on Friday 21 November 2009. You can get tickets online at www.ticketservices.gr. The band has had no less than 42 top 30 singles in the British charts since 1986.

They have come a long way since they met up by chance in a shop on the King's Road in London in 1981 and have sold over 100 million albums. In 2009 they received an award for their outstandin contribution to musics at the BRIT awars in 2009 and in March of this year have just rleased another album entitled "Yes".Neil Tennant is on vocals and keyboards and occasionally guitar while partner, Chris Lowe is on keywords. Chris also occasionally does vocals.

On November 4 Pet Shop Boys celebrated the Brazilian leg of their 2009 Pandemonium tour by releasing an album entitled Party which includes both past hits and some newer material. Party will be released in Brazil only through TV Globo´s record label. They also have an Ep due for release towards the end of the year, surprisingly enough called Christmas. Anyway, a night not to be missed in Thessaloniki.

Thessaloniki Hip Hop Festival December 19/20 2009

Preparations are already underway for the annual THHF (Thessaloniki Hip Hop Festival) which has become one of the largest festivals of its kind in Greece. For more information on artists go to www.zoltantribe.com in the coming weeks. Last year's artists included RA The Rugged Man (USA), DJ Vadim & Yarah Bravo (UK), Snowgoons Soundsystem (DE), Freestyle (The Arsonists), Lerroy of the Saian Supa Crew (France), Wax Tailor (France), DJ Flip (ITF world), Zion I (USA), Zontanoi Nekroi, FF.C, Razastarr, Eisvoleas, Sifu VERSUS, Sugahspank!, Professional Sinnerz, Rodes and many more.

At the moment their website is still under construction but I will keep you poste when more information becomes available.

Love on Fridays, Kazarma Club, September 16

Starting Friday 16.10 2009 at the Kazarma Club, Konstantinoupoleos 84, 1st Floor, Gazi, Paul Sofianos creations presently a weekly event in Athens. The action kicks off at 11.30 p.m. and continues to 5:00 a.m.

DJs on set include:

Paul Heron, Olivier M., Danny Verde, Agent Greg, Mattias, Mister Mola, Steve Pitron, Steven Artis, Tommy Marcus, Pier Morrocco, Phil Romano, Danny Tuval. Onstage dancer is Oscar Bustos from Barcelona. Entrance is Euro 9 and you can fin dmore information from the KAZARMA CLUB, Gazi under  6957 222 083. Or you will find more information at www.kazarmaclub.gr.

Gay Serbia - "in our city infidels and Satanists will not pass"

Fine words from a country and the city of Belgrade which should feel shame rather than triumph. Today organisers of a Gay Pride in Serbia agreed to call off the demonstration after renewed threats of violence. Great news form a country which one wold have deemed  "democratic"? This all seems par for the course when one recalls even the first gay pride march in 2001 which ended in violence.
The organisers were asked to move the march from the center of Belgrade to a "field" outside the city and faced with the choice of this humiliation or calling off the march they made the wisest choice under the circumstances and called off the demonstration.
Is seems somewhat overambitious that Serbia a country where both nationalists and religious leaders are for sexual discrimation, that they should have ambitions to become a member of the European Union. Equally the case for a country where many applauded freed war crimes perpetators at The Hague. I think that Serbia has a little further to go in human rights issues before even thinking about joining a European Union where at least the fundamental rights of citizens are secured by law.
The choice to call off the march has propeled the country again to world headlines and not for any reasons to be proud of. Courage to the gay acivists!  As they said The Republic of Serbia has capitulated. We have not.

Crippled Black Phoenix in Thessaloniki in September

This is how the Boston Phoenix (newspaper) describes the group: Ostensibly centering on former Electric Wizard drummer Justin Greaves, CBP are a loose congregation of various musicians who can shade the often lengthy compositions with waltzy Tom Waitsy sea shanties one minute and delve into "One of These Days"-y Pink Floydian bass throb the next, with occasional tracks into Alan Parsons–esque retro-synth fugues of inspired madness.
They will be appearing at the Principle Club which is about 20 minutes form Thessaloniki on the main motorway to Nea Moudania and Halkidiki. As I am unsure about how to book tickets all I can offer is the telephone number of the Principle Club ( 2310)  428 088.

Julia Migenes in Thessaloniki 20 September

One of the world’s leading opera singers, who has also had a successful career in musicals, Julia Migenes, will introduce her audience to the world of one of the greatest classical composers, Franz Schubert. Grammy-winning Migenes gave a historic performance in Francesco Rossi’s Carmen, has performed with Placido Domingo and Ruggero Raimondi and was an inspiration to Leonard Bernstein.
The concert is one night only at the Royal (Vassiliki) Theater.

She has recorded more than 20 albums and won a Grammy AwardCarmen. She was also nominated for the César Awards as best actress. Her one woman show, Diva on the Verge (2000), is available on DVD from Kultur Video. Her fame has spread worldwide and in other performance media and genres. She appeared in an episode of the Emmanuel Lewis vehicle, Webster. She guest starred in the TV series The New Twilight Zone episode "Grace Note". Director Peter Medak asked her to appear in his opera film La voix humaine
for the soundtrack to (1990). 

In 2004, she was in the opera version of Angels in America which premiered at the Théâtre du Châtelet: a TV broadcast version is expected to be released on DVD.^{[citation needed]}

^{She is no stranger to Greece and, in fact, is of Greek origin as her father was a US immigrant from the Greek island of Chios.}