DENMARK: Political Gadfly Runs For Prime Minister With Nude Campaign Poster

Via the Local Denmark:

John Erik Wagner wants voters to know two things: 1) he is running for prime minister and 2) he is proud of his penis. He doesn’t stand a chance of winning, but say this for John Erik Wagner: the man’s got balls. Although to be fair, they aren’t on full display along with his penis in election posters that can be spotted all throughout Copenhagen. Wagner is running for prime minister as an independent and has a history of displaying a shall we say unconventional approach to politics. The 52-year-old from the Copenhagen district of Amager has been running in parliamentary, local and regional elections since 2005. Most of that was with little attention but that changed in 2013 when he burst onto the stage in his customary cowboy get-up during a live televised municipal election debate to protest the exclusion of smaller parties.

The uncensored campaign poster is here.

Greenland Approves Same-Sex Marriage

Google Translate has a bit of difficulty with Danish, but our resident international expert, JMG reader Luis, advises us that Greenland's Parliament has just voted unanimously to adopt Danish laws legalizing same-sex marriage and gay adoption. Greenland is an autonomous country within the kingdom of Denmark and is not a member of the United Nations. More than three times the size of Texas, Greenland has a population of about 57,000.

Kadie Elder - First Time He Kissed A Boy

This wonderful track from Danish pop trio Kadie Elder first hit YouTube back in October but has popped up in my social media feeds several times in the last few days. The song and its clip are far too good not to post even though it's "old" by blogging standards. There's a definite 80s feel here, but I can't put my finger on any specific band.

Denmark: We Own the North Pole

Via the BBC:

Denmark has presented a claim to the UN, arguing that the area surrounding the North Pole is connected to the continental shelf of Greenland, a Danish autonomous territory. Foreign Minister Martin Lidegaard said it was a "historic and important milestone" for Denmark. Canada and Russia have already asserted their own sovereignty over the energy-rich Arctic territory. Arctic nations have agreed that a UN panel will settle the dispute. The focus of the dispute is the Lomonosov Ridge, a 1,800km-long (1,120 miles) underwater mountain range that splits the Arctic in two. Back in 2008, a US Geological Survey report estimated that as much as 22% of the world's undiscovered and recoverable resources lay north of the Arctic Circle, but the North Pole itself is unlikely to have much oil or gas beneath its deep waters.

A panel of UN scientists will evaluate Denmark's claim.

An American Pastor In Scandinavia

Via Addicting Info:

Pastor Marty McLain, who describes his religious belief as deriving from a literal interpretation of the Bible, was given the opportunity to see how secular Scandinavia is by a documentary series called The Norden. The concept is simple: find narrow-minded Americans and throw them into countries like Norway, Sweden and Denmark and watch them have panic attacks. It actually sounds like a lot of fun. McLain wanted to use his time in the north to explore how Scandinavians worship God. Unfortunately, he soon discovers that most of them don’t.

(Tipped by JMG reader Jerry)

25 Years Ago Today In Denmark

#01_October on 1989 Denmark introduces the world's first legal modern same-sex civil union called "registered partnership".
— This Day In History (@Wiki_History) October 1, 2014

Photo by Rex Wockner.

UPDATE: There's a great write-up on Wilson Quarterly. It begins:

On October 1st 1989, An event unlike any before in history took place at the Copenhagen town hall in Denmark. That Sunday, a national law went into effect that allowed same-sex couples to be joined in a civil union, and 11 gay male couples did just that — a school psychologist, a Lutheran minister, and a high school teacher among them. One of the grooms, Eigil Axgil (née Eskildsen), then 67 years old, told Rex Wockner, an American journalist who was there covering it, “We just never could have dreamed that we would get this far.” They had plenty of reason for doubt. Four decades earlier, Eigil’s partner, Axel Axgil (née Lundahl-Madsen), launched Denmark’s first gay rights organization, the League of 1948 (whose name was later changed to the less-discreet Danish National Organization for Gays and Lesbians, or LBL for short.) Out of the closet, Axel was fired from his bookkeeping job and evicted by his landlord, but forged ahead. It was his group’s tireless lobbying over the years that eventually laid the groundwork that led to that historic day in 1989.

Definitely hit that link. Lots of wonderful photos.

COPENHAGEN: Austria's Conchita Wurst Advances To Eurovision Final Round

Despite boycott campaigns and anti-gay petitions out of Russia and Belarus, Austrian gender-fuck artist Conchita Wurst tonight advanced to the Eurovision finals in Copenhagen.

With the Second Semi-Final of the Eurovision Song Contest over, the line up for Saturday's Grand Finale is now certain, and will include Austrian singer Conchita Wurst, who has faced a transphobic backlash from some conservative countries. Before the show, Ms Wurst hit back at critics, including Russian politician Vitaly Milonov, who called her a “pervert.” “I can only say ‘Thank you for your attention!’” she told the Associated Press. “If this is only about me and my person, I can live with it. I'm just a singer in a fabulous dress, with great hair and a beard," she added. The reception that Russia will receive at the final is likely to be a concern for the show's organisers, in light of the country's anti-gay laws, as well as its encroachment into Ukrainian territory in recent weeks. Russian twins Anastasia and Maria Tolmachevy were booed during the first semi-final, while Ukraine’s Mariya Yaremchuk was cheered by the crowd.

Besides Austria, also advancing tonight were Switzerland, Slovenia, Poland, Romania, Norway, Greece, Malta, Belarus and Finland. Eliminated tonight: Israel, Georgia, Lithuania, FYR Macedonia, and Ireland. Twenty-six nations will compete in Saturday's finals. The online gambling site Paddy Power is currently ranking Conchita as the favorite at 5/2 odds to win. Sweden's chances are rated at 3/1. Russia's odds are 100/1. Heh.

The first clip below is tonight's performance. In the second clip, Eurovision host Lise Rønne kibitzes with Conchita between acts. (Watch for a fleeting shot of beefy Conchita fanboys in the audience.) In the bottom clip, the audience goes wild as Austria is the last of tonight's finalists to be revealed, prompting the announcer to declare Conchita to be "the queen of Austria." Twitter wags are accusing Eurovision officials of deliberately naming crowd favorite Conchita last in order to heighten the dramatic effect.

Eurovision 2014 Begins Tonight

The first Eurovision semi-finals take place tonight in Copenhagen and Austria is promoting gender-fuck artist Conchita Wurst with the above props. Ten of tonight's 16 nations will advance to the finals. Wurst will compete in the second semi-final round on Thursday, but tonight all eyes will be on the rivalry between Russia and Ukraine.

The Eurovision song contest insists it is strictly nonpolitical, however there is speculation that Russia will face a backlash and fail to qualify in the semi-final round tonight in Copenhagen, due to the country's aggression towards Ukraine and president Putin’s outspoken homophobia. Russia's act, 17-year-old twin sisters Anastasia and Maria Tolmachevy who are former winners of Junior Eurovision, and Ukraine's performer, 21-year-old Maria Yaremchuk, are set to compete virtually back-to-back - with Azerbaijan in between - tonight in the first of the semi-finals.

Below are yesterday's rehearsals from both nations. For those unaware, Eurovision is wildly popular among gay Europeans and every year many travel to the host cities to attend in person.

DENMARK: Copenhagen To Celebrate Eurovision By Marrying Russian Gays

The Eurovision finals take place in Copenhagen next month and city officials will stick a finger in Putin's eye by marrying several Russian gay couples before the visiting international press.

"We have already scheduled 20-30 couples in our calendar -both Danish and foreigners. On the first of the three days, we start with three Russian gay marriages," office manager Flemming Otto, who is in charge of the event, told Reuters. This year is the 25th anniversary for same-sex civil partnerships in Denmark, which was the first country in the world to allow such marriages. "It's no secret that the Eurovision Song Contest will attract many people from the gay community to Copenhagen, and last year Denmark had new legislation that made it easier for us to marry foreigners of the same sex," Otto said. This is the third time Denmark will be hosting the contest, which has a large following in the gay community and whose motto this year is "join us".

NOTE: Veteran journalist Rex Wockner clarifies via email that Denmark legalized same-sex marriage in 2012. Wockner was in Copenhagen 25 years ago when Denmark became the first country in the world to legalize civil partnerships and he sends us the below photo of a happy couple on that day.

Danes Protest Uganda's Anti-Gay Law

Danish LGBT activists and allies protested outside the Ugandan embassy in the Copenhagen suburb of Hellerup this weekend:

Hundreds of protesters marched together to the front of the Ugandan embassy to protest against the anti-gay legislation in Uganda after the Ugandan president signed The Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Act also known as the “Kill the gays bill." The Ugandan woman Nakiganda Hasifah organized the demonstration and wish to send a clear signal to the Ugandan authorities that need follow international conventions. Last year Nakiganda Hasifah was granted asylum in Denmark after being a victim discrimination and persecution in Uganda. She went to prison twice in Uganda where she was raped because of her sexuality and gave birth the child of her rapist. The protesters demonstrate in sympathy with the Ugandan LGBT-community and raise concerns about legislative anti-gay laws in Uganda. Western politicians and human rights groups around the world criticize the law.

Hasifah's speech is in English. Many photos at the link.

DENMARK: 10,000 March In Copenhagen In Protest Against Russia's Anti-Gay Laws

Via the Copenhagen Post:

Ten thousand people got an early start on Copenhagen Pride festivities on Tuesday with a demonstration against Russia’s recently passed anti-gay law. Protestors taking part in the ‘To Russia with Love’ demonstration gathered in front of Christiansborg, the house of parliament, and then proceeded to march to the Russian Embassy, where they submitted signatures of people opposing the law. The demonstration’s organisers had hoped 2,000 people would participate, but media reports put the turnout at upwards of 10,000 demonstrators.

(Via Towleroad)

Updated Global Marriage Map

After last week's first gay wedding in France, the Agency France-Presse posted the above map.

Denmark Wins Eurovision 2013

Denmark won tonight's Eurovision 2013 finals in Malmo, Sweden. The top ten is above, the full list of where each nation finished is here.

Emmelie de Forest had been the overwhelming favourite among the 26 entries, with her song Only Teardrops. The UK's Bonnie Tyler came 19th, an improvement on last year when Engelbert Humperdinck came second from bottom. There was disappointment for Ireland's Ryan Dolan as he finished in last place with just five points. Second in the vote was Azerbaijan's Farid Mammadov, who was 47 points behind the winner, followed by Ukraine in third and Norway in fourth. Denmark, which will have the job of hosting the contest next year, had previously won the contest in 1963 and 2000.

Romania's Cezar, the operatic Klaus Nomi clone who was my pick to win this year, finished a "respectable" 13th place. Below is Denmark's entirely forgettable winning entry. At least the Azerbaijan cutie and his eyebrows got second place. He had an interesting performance gimmick, too.

AIDS Group Slams Danish "Cure" Report

Treatment Action Group has a lot of problems with yesterday's story about a possible HIV cure presently under research in Denmark.

Sadly, it seems that one of the authors of the Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics review, Dr. Ole Søgaard, has rather shot himself in the foot by contributing to a wildly irresponsible article in the UK newspaper the Daily Telegraph regarding his group's ongoing research. The article misstates the mechanism of action of HDAC inhibitors (stating that they "strip" HIV DNA from latently infected cells when, at best, they prompt the HIV DNA into transcribing proteins) and uncritically reports Dr. Søgaard's apparent confidence in the ability of panobinostat to reactivate latent HIV; as noted in the Nature Medicine news article linked to above, there are many outstanding questions regarding the ability of HDAC inhibitors to accomplish this task.

The Telegraph also mentions the use of immune-based therapies to prompt the killing of latently infected cells (assuming the cells are successfully induced to express HIV); my best guess is that, in the case of Dr. Søgaard's group, this is a reference to their data on the TLR9 agonist CPG 7909, although the article is unconscionably vague on this point. Also cited, again vaguely, are plans by Lucy Dorrell's research group in the UK to conduct a trial in which HDAC inhibition is combined with therapeutic vaccination.

This research is undoubtedly very important but for the article to suggest that it means that scientists are on the brink of an HIV cure is shockingly erroneous and misleading. The promise of these approaches can only be evaluated when the results of the studies become available. Since the trials combining HDAC inhibitors and immune-based therapies (whether TLR agonists or therapeutic vaccines) have yet to start it is extremely unlikely that the data will be available in "months" as the subhead of the article claims.

The full reaction is at the bottom of this post.

DENMARK: Possible HIV Cure Soon?

Danish researchers say they are on the brink of curing HIV via a treatment that seeks out the elusive reservoirs of the virus unreachable by traditional anti-retroviral medications.  Via Britain's Telegraph:

Danish scientists are expecting results that will show that “finding a mass-distributable and affordable cure to HIV is possible.” They are conducting clinical trials to test a “novel strategy” in which the HIV virus is stripped from human DNA and destroyed permanently by the immune system.

The move would represent a dramatic step forward in the attempt to find a cure for the virus, which causes AIDS. The scientists are currently conducting human trials using their treatment, in the hope of proving that it is effective. It has already been found to work in laboratory tests.

The technique involves releasing the HIV virus from “reservoirs” it forms in DNA cells, and bringing it to the surface of the cells. Once it comes to the surface, the body’s natural immune system can kill the virus through being boosted by a “vaccine.”

Only fifteen patients are currently being tested with the new method. Should they be considered to have been cured, the study will widen. The above-linked article notes that research is proceeding faster in Denmark because they have "streamlined the process of putting the latest basic science discoveries into clinical testing."

Marriage Equality Nations

(Via JMG reader Thomas)

Oh Land - Perfection

Danish artist Oh Land performed this concert with the Danish National Chamber Orchestra last spring and it was posted to her YouTube channel this week. She now lives in Brooklyn and I met her backstage a couple of years ago after she opened for Deluka at Rockbar, the erstwhile bear bar in the West Village. (And by "backstage" I mean in the club's grungy little basement.) I think you'll agree that she's somebody to watch.

(Tipped by JMG reader Brian)

How Denmark Promotes Bus Riding

DENMARK: Copenhagen Pride Activists Wear Nooses To Symbolize 78 Nations That Criminalize Homosexuality

Source. Source. (Tipped by JMG reader DeAnne)

DENMARK: Gay Marriage Vote Today

Denmark's legislature is expected to approve same-sex marriage today.

Members of the sole house of the Danish parliament are expected to approve the legislation today after an amendment creating a separate system of marriages for gay couples was rejected yesterday. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark, to which 80 percent of the Danish population belongs, will be able to perform marriage ceremonies under the new laws. New rites were written up by ten of the Church’s eleven bishops in a spirit of “good cooperation”, Bishop Kjeld Holm said.

UPDATE:The bill has passed.

Lawmakers voted 85-24 on Thursday to change Denmark's marriage laws. The law takes effect June 15 and will put Denmark on par with countries such as Iceland and Sweden that allow full wedding ceremonies for gay and lesbian couples. In 1989, Denmark became the first country to allow the registration of gay partnerships. Since 1997 gay couples in Denmark can be wed in special blessing ceremonies at the end of regular church service.