A transgender contestant has won Mr Gay Denmark for the first time. Niels Jansen, 44, who had his last surgery in 2014, describes himself as a transgender activist.
Jansen feels particularly passionately about castration no longer being a legal requirement for a gender change, as well as transgender people no longer being classified as having a mental disorder.
Not an obvious winner
Jansen is not an obvious winner of what many might regard as a beauty award.
“A gay man is desirable if he is young, muscular and cisgender, and I am neither of these things,” he wrote before the contest.
“Being a gay man is not easy for me. I find myself at the bottom of a hierarchy that often makes me feel like I have no place in the gay community. I often feel invisible and excluded.”
Evolving award
Fortunately Mr Gay Denmark is so much more than about appearance – this year it got rid of the swimwear category – and Jansen scored the highest marks on the LGBT history test, as well as winning the fan vote from readers of Out & About and Mr Congeniality.
Jansen will now represent Denmark in Mr Gay Europe in Poland from August 4-12.
Nobel Prize winner dies
Jens Christian Skou, the winner of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1997 for his work in understanding the body’s transportation of sodium and potassium, had died. He was 99 years old. Skou will be the first to concede he had a good innings, despite losing his wicket just one short of his century, as he aptly named his autobiography ‘Om heldige valg’ – about lucky choices. The face he only published it five years ago and won his prize in his late 70s demonstrates how sharp his mind remained as he entered old age. The potassium expert only retired at the age of 94.
Oscar winner to head Netflix’s Scandinavian production unit
The Oscar-winning Danish producer Kim Magnusson has been recruited by Netflix to oversee the production of Scandinavian films for the US streaming service. Among the projects currently in the pipeline is a film about Victor Borge, reports DR. It is believed each movie will have a budget of between 12 and 37 million kroner. Magnusson, a co-founder of M&M Productions alongside his father Tivi Magnusson, has personally picked up academy awards for two of its films, Helium (2014) and ‘Valgaften’, with Dad taking home a gong in 2009 for ‘The New Tenants’.
Remembering Natasja ten years on
When the iconic Natasja Saad passed away tragically aged just 32 in 2007, many wondered if her flourishing reggae/dancehall legacy would fizzle out into the narrative of Danish music history, or whether it would continue to live on. Now 11 years on, the sound she pioneered is still very much alive, and this will once again be evident at a memorial concert dedicated to the singer at Den Grå Hal in Christiania on June 22. Presented by Sky Juice Promotions, the evening will feature a number of top drawer Jamaican acts, such as Anthony B and Sister Nancy, as well as home-grown performers such as Bikstok Røgsystem and many more. The doors open to ‘Natasja – 10+ years remembrance 2018’ at 19:00 and tickets cost 190 kroner.
Morrissey and McLean in the house
While the divisive nature of Morrissey, the legendary lead singer of The Smiths, is indisputable, so too is his star appeal. Now 58, the British singer is coming to Denmark this summer to perform at DR Koncerthuset on July 17. Tickets cost 560 kroner via drkoncerthuset.dk. But why settle for ‘this charming man’, when you can have two served with a dollop of ‘American Pie’? Booked in to perform at DR Koncerthuset on October 22 is Don McLean. Tickets cost 380 kroner via livenation.dk and drkoncerthuset.dk. Finally, Prince’s band The Revolution has confirmed a date to play at Vega next year on February 8. Tickets cost 420 kroner via livenation.dk and vega.dk.
New luxury cinema to open in Hellerup
Plans have been announced for a new cinema in Hellerup that intends to turn going to the cinema into an experience akin to a luxury cruise. Located on the top floor of Experimentarium, SkyBio Hellerup is scheduled to open in the autumn. As well pampering its visitors with blankets, pillows and other luxuries, there will be a panoramic view of the Øresund from the foyer. “We want to be the world’s best local cinema,” cinema owner Michael Obel told Berlingske. According to Obel, it will be Hellerup’s first cinema for over 50 years.
