These last days GAY.CAT has rediscovered the magic of Internet as so many U.S. visitors have dared to virtually cross the Atlantic just to stop short of falling into the Mediterranean Sea. Thanks to these visits GAY.CAT has discovered the existence of an angel, ADAM LAMBERT and has open itself towards a possible wider audience.So now I just want to write this post thinking in the gay community living in New York and who got interested in something called CATALAN DAYS ( http://www.llull.cat/catalandays/ ) I have called this post CATALAN GAYS because I wanted to give a gay companion touch to the CATALAN DAYS. After all Barcelona is the second gay destination in Europe, after Amsterdam, Sitges is a Catalan town and Eivissa (Ibiza in Spanish) is a Balearic Island. And we are in one of the few states were gay marriage is allowed. For that reason, GAY.CAT thought that it would be nice to offer you "CATALAN GAYS". So let me imagine a imaginary program called CATALAN GAYS:
"CATALAN GAYS" New York, May 2009
Jean Genet in Barcelona: LE JOURNAL DU VOLEUR (Jean Genet, the French writer lived in Barcelona and in this book he narrates incredible gay things that happened in Barcelona at the beginning of 20th century)
Garcia Lorca: POETA EN NUEVA YORK (Lorca was from Andalusia but he read POETA EN NUEVA YORK in Barcelona, I think that in Restaurant SET PORTES)
Salvador Dali: The Phantom of Homosexuality. The Catalan genius was always afraid of being homosexual. If you go to http://sitges.gay.cat you will see a image I created to homage Dali.
The repression of homosexuals by Franco. Maybe in the current program you will be able to know that Catalan language was prosecuted by Franco but it was not just that. Homosexuals were also prosecuted.
The First Gay Demonstration. Barcelona was the first place in the State of Spain were a gay demonstration took place at the end of the seventies. This demostratrion was repressed by the police and an American man saw it and influence his life: IN HARVEY MILK THIS DEMONSTRATION IS MENTIONED.
Gay Characters on Catalan TV. There is a series called EL COR DE LA CIUTAT (the city's heart) where you have gay characters ( enric, max, iago) You can see videos of them in YOUTUBE. They are so interesting that the videos have its translations into English as people from abroad love these gay characters.
PINK CORNER. The Fair of Tourism in Barcelona (Salo de Turisme) it had for the second year running the PINK CORNER. It is the bigger space in Europe for gay-friendly tourism. GAY.CAT visited it and found guides such as www.catalunya-lgbt.com
LLUIS MARIA TODO: EL JOC DEL MENTIDER (the game of the lier) In 1993 it was not the winner of PREMI SANT JORDI and I wonder it that was because of its gay content. I wonder if this book is tranlated into English but it should. It is quite nice.
Well, that's the end of the program of CATALAN GAYS. Anyway, in the official program you also have nice events. For example you could go to see ISMA PRADOS as you can read at http://www3.timeoutny.com/newyork/the-feed-blog/restaurants-bars/2009/03/whats-cooking-at-the-catalan-days-festival/ I have gay friends who find this chef very attractive.
