Source: compiled by seaQwa's Qnews from reports in Sophia Echo
The billboard that caused a stir in Bulgaria
Photo: news.bgIn Sofia, Bulgaria, 14 billboards with photos of pop artists Azis and his partner Kitaetsa were taken down on Wednesday because they were "scandalous".
Similar billboards were also removed in Plovdiv, Kyustendil and Pernik, Dnevnik daily said.
Kitaetsa is the nick-name of the partner of pop-folk singer Azis. The two have been open about their homosexual relationship.
On the billboard, the two were shown in, what has been said to be a homo-erotic pose.
Removal of the billboards was initiated by the Sofia municipality and personally by Sofia mayor Boiko Borissov, claiming "negative reaction in society" and complaints the municipality received. The billboards were owned by different companies, which had contracts with the municipality and sold the advertisement space to agencies, head of advertisement department at the municipality, Evgeni Radev, said.
According to news.bg, this is the second time Borissov has ordered removal of signs bearing the image of Azis.
In reaction to the removal of the signs, Bulgarian gay organization Gemini sent out in a statement saying that the State should pay attention to real problems of youth in Bulgaria, like poverty, lack of education and violence, and not gay advertisements.
The billboards were part of the launch campaign for a new television station. Azis would be hosting a late-night program on the new television station.
Management of the new station protested that the dismantling of the posters violates their rights.
According to Sophia Echo, Azis was shown on the billboards, naked to the waist, biting the beard of his partner Kitaetsa, but a reporter for Focus News Agency saw something more than what is in the image:
a Bulgarian naked male pop-folk star Azis, with artificial breasts, hugging his male friend.
For three days media in Sophia and elsewhere in Bulgaria have been commenting the case, which has turned out to be good PR for the new television station, mediapool.bg commented.
Focus News Agency quoted Georgi Lozanov, Chairman of the Bulgarian Media Coalition, who said an ethics code might be needed for advertisements.
"This code should implement norms, to be observed by the producers of advertisement pieces and otherwise be subjected to sanctions," Lozanov said.
But Gemini accused Bulgarian society of having different standards for men, women and homosexuals. The gay group said in its statement that society still does not accept diversity.
According to Gemini, what public images were "morally acceptable" was a matter of mentality and Bulgarians' cultural, social tolerance.
"An entire generation likes serial, industrially produced blond pop-folk-barbies, about whom one can argue whether they can sing or think, but it does not accept even the idea that two homosexual men have feelings. It does not accept the fact that happiness of children of "normal" people, could be with someone from the same gender," the Gemini statement said.
Behind the advertisement and the new television station was Bulgarian advertisement mogul Krasimir Gergov.
Full articles: "SCANDALOUS" AZIS BILLBOARDS TAKEN DOWN IN SOFIA - News news
GAY ADVERTISEMENT SHOULD NOT BE MUNICIPAL PRIORITY - GEMINI