RUSSIA/USA
Russian Gay Activist Honoured at International Mr. Gay in Hollywood
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Russian will compete in next year’s competition, Alexeyev pledges |
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LOS ANGELES, January 23, 2008 (GayRussia.ru) – Next year’s International Mr. Gay will have a contestant from Russia. That was the pledge given at the weekend by Nikolai Alexeyev in Los Angeles. Mr Alexeyev, the lead organiser of Moscow Gay Pride, was in Los Angeles to receive the “Hero” award which was presented during the International Mr. Gay competition. “This is not just my award, it is an award of all those who courageously fight for LGBT rights in Russia, risking to loose their jobs, to be dismissed from studies, to be harassed, beaten and even killed,” he said when accepting the award at the Music Box at the Henry Ford Theater. “Despite all that, they continue to go on the streets of Moscow to fight for equality. They are the heroes who move this world forward.” “For me to be in Los Angeles, in Hollywood, is dream come true. But to receive an award here is beyond explanations.” The Moscow gay activist then promised that there would be a Russian participant next year. Winner of this year’s competition was Mr. Gay Argentina, Carlos Fabian Maelius. “I hope that we can one day come together in this world and fight a different cause and leave homophobia behind us,” he told the more than 500 attending the event. In second place in the event, which was dominated by central and south America, was Mr. Gay Venezuela, Juan Bracho. Third place was taken by British policeman Mark Carter from Yorkshire. “I’m very happy with the result. All 20 competitors were great ambassadors for their countries,” Mr. Carter told the Bradford Telegraph & Argus. “I want to continue the work I started after winning Mr Gay UK by changing the public’s time-worn perception of the gay man.” Contestants in the competition came from 19 different countries.
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