Quarter of a century

This weekend me and my sister turned 25. It remains hard to explain that a boy and a girl can be a twin together, people often think that I have two sisters when I start talking about my twin-sister. Also people think that, because we are twin, me and my sister would have a very strong emotional link. That I would have a headache when she has, or that she would cry if I would be emotional, even if she is in Amersfoort and I in Amsterdam.

Well, this is not the case. Even though we have a good relation, we don't have links different from other brother and sister relations, for so far as I know them. My parents decided to let us go to different secondary schools, just to make sure that we would be able to develop independently. Contrary, sometimes my mother did dress me and my sister in the same clothes.

Preparing birthday parties is always a bit complicated, because my sister likes other music, has different friends, lives in a different place. So this year we had two birthday parties :)

Social Exclusion

After a period of hard and intensive working it is always nice to see a result! This week IGLYO and ILGA-Europe launched their social exclusion report, a project on which I started thinking early last year. Together with Judit Takács and Evelyne Paradis I worked monhts and months on this project. The credits especially go to Judit and Evelyne, whom spent days and nights on writing and revising the report.
Personally I like the report most because of the every-day life of LGBT young people in Europe is included in the report.

Dentist

Since I was young I've spent a considerable amount of time at the dentist, mainly because the dentist gave me all sort of braces. Only since a while I really start to dislike these visits... Two weeks ago the dentist told me I had several cavities, since I apparently haven't been taken care well enough of my teeth lately. Flossing is not my favourite waste of time.. but now I promised myself to start actively engaging in it...

Anyhow, consequently I spent this morning one hour at the dentist with my mouth wide open.. I really hate this drilling in my mouth!

Go Poland, go!

This weekend Polish authorities have given a great example on how they should treath there citizens. The gay pride was protected very well by thousands of police officers (they looked like robocops), whom even smiled and waved to the marchers every now and then. I was touched by grannies whom were waving to the marchers whilst they were hanging out of their windows on the Warsaw streets. Thousands of people celebrated on this beautiful day their democratic rights, which is a huge victory for the Polish gay movement. Let's now hope that the Polish government will keep on improving their attitude and treatment towards LGBT people, even though I have little hope...

After the Pride we celebrated the good ending in I don't remember how many bars and disco's until late morning... Including a cool performance of Jimmy Sommerville. Those Polish people know how to party!

Istanbul

I agree with those who told me in advance: Istanbul is cool! Unfortunately I was there only for one day, so I had to hurry a bit through the city. In addition the Polish Minister of Education decided to say something stupid exactly on my only free day in between quite some working days... so I spent a large amount of time in my afternoon on making phone calls. But I will come back, that's for sure!

In the army

I'm in a super-hot Ankara! It is more than thirty degrees here, many people are complaining, but I love it! Even though my mind works a bit slower then usual...

What really stucks me here are the stories about the Turkish army. Due to the army being very patriarchal and heterosexual-oriented most gay guys don't feel anything for spending 8 - 18 months in the army. The only way to escape from your army-duty is to get a psychological report saying that due to your sexual orientation you disqualify for the army. (Consciousness objection is punishable with long-term imprisonment...)

Most psychologists require for this testimony pictures proving your sexual orientation. Qualifying photo's have to demonstrate that the concerning boy is anally penetrated by another man. If you are penetrating then you're not gay. Even single guys have to come-up with such pictures. Once you have your disqualification papers for the army this also means that you are disqualified to work for other state institutions. The latter is an interesting case for the European Court of Human Rights, I think.

Oh and don't think that you can keep the pictures afterwards: they are going to be archived! Thus I was informed that the Turkish army actually has the biggest archive of gay porn in the world!