The winner of the World Press Photo of the year was announced this week. It is a poignant work of stunning beauty. Sadly, one did not need much thought to predict what the response was going to be.
Danish photographer Mads Nissen took this photo, entitled "Jon and Alex", depicting two homosexual lovers in Russia in a tender moment after making love.
Nissen, following themes from classical painting and sculpture, from Caravaggio to the Pietà, rendered a poignant statement about the terrible persecution suffered by homosexuals in Russia today, distilled perfectly into a private, intimate moment between two lovers.
Jens E. Kjeldsen, writing at bagnewsnotes, penned a lovely piece exploring the themes represented in the image itself, and in the selection of the image as winner.
Two years ago, an overwhelming majority in the Russian parliament adopted a law banning homosexual propaganda. Anyone – individuals or organizations – who breaks the law by organizing events about homosexuality risk not only imposition of a fine but also imprisonment. In Russia, you cannot even communicate LGBT-subjects to minors. That would be illegal propaganda. We can write about the social preconditions for this law, we can tell about the consequences, and we can talk about what it means to be a homosexual in Russia. However, words cannot give us quite the same sense of the issue – of what it is like to be a homosexual or a homophobic in Russia – that photographs can.
Indeed, it is worth noting that one could likely be imprisoned in Russia for displaying or viewing this photograph. Or worse.
Time interviewed Nissen for its piece:
Nissen started working on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) issues in June 2013 when he covered a gay pride in Russia. “I was standing next to a young guy, and a homophobe came up to him and screamed in his face: ‘Are you a faggot?’ And he quietly answered: ‘Yes I am homosexual.’ And this homophobe started punching him in the face.”
But as we know, nothing beautiful can be allowed to pass without being desecrated by fear and loathing -- in this case of homosexuality. Within minutes, homophobes were lining up to express their displeasure in cryptic and not-so-cryptic forms.
Please jump through the lissajous lily to the twisted dimension.
In some cases, commenters were unable to say "I hate and fear homosexuality" of course. Much preferred were patterns of cryptic and twisted speech that left little doubt about what the authors' true intentions were. I've compiled a few examples here. But it gets much worse as we go, beware.
http://www.pbs.org/...
Curtis A Baker • 3 days ago
PBS has once again disintegrated into a cesspool of non stories. Please stick to fact and non political reporting instead of trying to brainwash Americans into believing this is "news worthy". In fact this is another fabricated and staged story to manipulate our emotions.
One source especially is the mammoth photography gear site Digital Photography Review, owned and operated by Amazon. The site attracts users of all kinds, but seems to have a strange concentration of untalented right wing nuts who like to take pictures of flags.
http://www.dpreview.com/...
By Johannes Zander (21 min ago)
Say gay today and it ups your produce!
This user is "concerned" that the image has nothing to do with something that is irrelevant to it:
By 108 (1 hour ago)
Naturally, the photo of the russian gay couple winning the contest has absolutely nothing to do with the current war in Ukraine and the western sanctions on Russia.
Talk about cryptic:
By Stealthy Ninja (6 hours ago)
Gay photo won... so edgy I cut myself on my own sarcasm.
When pressed for his meaning he goes more cryptic:
By Stealthy Ninja (5 hours ago)
Supporting gay rights. So edgy, goths use it to cut themselves for attention.
Religion is a frequent theme:
By gbirulkin (6 hours ago)
Why are you pushing Anti-Bible subjects?
Thankfully, one user had the right answer for him:
By BartyLobethal (3 hours ago)
Relax, they are also pushing anti-unicorn and anti-leprechaun subjects.
Several comments having to do with (paraphrasing) sin and "whether a mans anus was for excreting or procreating" were removed.
By ogl (3 hours ago)
It's one of the biggest myth of Western propaganda. The sodomy is serious sin, but nobody prohibit to do it. Every human has the freedom of choice - to do sin or not to do it.
But by far, the worst and most toxic were found among the proliferation of yahoos at
Yahoo. I suspect that this group of commenters did not come together by accident.
So Instead of promoting a healthy and normal lifestyle of values, morals, modesty, integrity, self control, self discipline and abstinence and decency,
Society gets this kind of behavior instead!!
As the weak minded and lost souls trip over each other and try to out do each other, to see who can destroy our culture and social fabric the fastest.
We are a very quickly becoming a soulless, Godless, empty shell of what we were as a nation.
We no longer have any credibility in the world, we no longer have any morals, decency or respect. Our culture is being ripped apart by the minions of satan.
As perversion runs amuck and unchecked in our streets, in our media and in our schools. Our culture is crumbling into dust.
As the people just sit and smile at how tolerant they are.. And say "oooh look at me, see how tolerant I am.."
We have brought this destruction upon ourselves. All in the name of tolerance and PC BS.. We will as a nation, reap what we sow..
But yet we are the bigots and haters? Haters of what? The filth, the sexual deviancy and vile behaviors pushed as normal, As society tears down God and the Church, so they can do as they will without guilt and conscience?
As in the days of Noah..
So be it.. I will wear the name with pride then!!
May the Lord have mercy on us..
When is this silliness going to end? Not anytime soon. Next up for indoctrinations are those that dare think that transgender's are a little on the odd side. The sod indoctrination in the West has largely been successful, so the playbook will be the same. Just waiting for the transgender Brokeback Mountain to come out. That will be the first salvo.
I have to wonder whether some of these responses at Yahoo weren't the result of anti-gay groups in Russia itself passing the link around.
They are absolutely obssessed with homosexuality in the West and they've chosen Russia in this case because Russia has laws against promoting homosexuality to children. The perverts in the West can't stand for that. This is all a part of Western propaganda against Russia. The Ukraine situation is a part of it also. These vile degenerates in the West willl not be satisfied until Vladimir Putin is removed from power and they get someone more pervert and bankster friendly into his place which is exactly what they are attempting to do. The West in general and America specifically is falling apart and we're being robbed financially by these venal banksters, endless wars for the Zionists who are ALSO connected to same said banksters, endless race baiting and stirring up trouble from similar influential quarters, growing Surveillance State and spying on virtually everything we do. Thee list goes on. Yet we just must presssure Russia into giving in to Western perversion so we can break up families there as well and pervert their children. The West is destroying itself with its immorality and low vallue on human life and it desiress, by force if necessary, to impose the same sort of raaw, brute materialistic view of life on virtually every nation on Earth.
This story and the press are so gay - So you want to drink your life away, smoke dope, get high etc. and then of course, don't promote Family and honorable relationships between a Man and a Woman (Not two girls or two boys who never grew up).
Ah, look they are pushing their agenda again! How nice that 3% of the population is trying to be the Majority
Don't you people at YAHOO ever get tired of supporting and promoting the homosexual movement? Use of the term GAY just serves to gloss over the truth of what is being discussed. "Deviant Couple" would have been a more appropriate headline
That was voted way up apparently, and elicited this reply from someone who sounds like the person sitting in the same seat, going under the ironic name "The ROD":
Deviant couple? No. Not descriptive enough. How about perverted couple, who don't understand the proper use of their genitals? After all, they can deny it all they like; but their sexuality has a definite DESIGN purpose. And it's not simply to feel good.
This is one reason why I think Yahoo unlocked a closet full of Russian homophobes:
Subversive social engineering and anti-Putin propaganda in one master stroke! Well done, you wonderfully decadent lords!
And this one:
THAT IS THE PROOF NEEDED TO BE
THROWN IN JAIL. RUSSIAN LAW WILL NOT TOLERATE THIS
They really are androgynous in appearance and that is the goal so that it's all the same.This is not about equality it is about sameness. This is another in your face societal reengineering and your'll accept it and you will be silent and it will be forced on you. First they take your words and then they take your voice.
glad to see this "poor excuse for art" published as NOW Mr. Putin will track them down and re-educate both parties as well as the photographer.
Really sick to think people would THINK this deviant behaviour is normal.
In the end, these comments convinced me that this was the picture that needed to be chosen, and its power is undeniable. I admire Mads Nissen for having the courage to make and publish this picture, and the willingness to withstand what may come from it. I admire especially Jon and Alex though, who risked much, much more, just by being in love.