|
Mr. Gay Europe 2008 Tony Almijez passed on the crown to another Spaniard, Sergio Lara who became Mr. Gay Europe 2009 - now Tony bids farewell.
Mr. Gay Europe did it first! A country won the title two years in a row - so when it happend in Miss Universe August 24, it already happend in Mr. Gay Europe two days before. In Mr. Gay Europe Sergio from Spain took over the title from Antonio fra Spain - and here are Tonys words to the Mr. Gay Europe family as he set off to the future after a year as the title holder.
At this time, the only word I can say is “Thank you”.
First of all, I want to thank the organization of Mr. Gay Europe, all their effort, work, collaboration and support I have received each day this year, being with them. Tore and Morten are two wonderful people, eager to help anyone, and above all, their every thought and deed, are big steps for the entire gay community.
I won the title of Mr. Gay Europe 2008 when I was 19 years, and now that I am 21 years old, I can assure you that I have changed as a person, because with their guidance I have learned about various issues facing our community and how to effectively share these messages with a global audience.
For me, many moments have been genuinely new, unique experiences, meeting with people from different countries, learning different languages, learning how to act and behave in various situations... all of these things have been deeply entrenched into my being which will only make me a better person well after my rein of Mr. Gay Europe.
It is through the tireless efforts of the Mr. Gay Europe organizer that they are able to evoke change of attitude of homophobia throughout Europe. By having this competition and key public events they are slowly chipping away the wall bring dialogue and understanding of gay issues by giving men a platform to foster new friendships, a venue to share stories, and a safe place to find allies and support knowing we are not alone.
Coming together each year not only do we learn about gay issues from other regions of Europe, but we also learn more about each other’s culture creating a much stronger bond between all European countries untied by a common dream.
Now I want to speak to the men who competed for the title of Mr. Gay Europe 2009: Congratulations for having the courage to stand up and represent your nation in this competition. You still have the incredible opportunity to continue to be the spokes person for your nation in championing gay issues.
I encourage you to take your title seriously and help to be a catalyst for change for every grain of sand that you may provide contributes to the mountain we are building together. Take the initiative and share your experience and help promote Mr. Gay Europe in your local communities and help make it even bigger so we can achieve full participation in Europe with an absolute visibility.
This past year with Mr. Gay Europe has been an incredible journey with unforgettable experiences, unique opportunities that has no doubt changed my life opening up options that just a year ago I may not have had.
I remember how nervous and worried I was with each public performance, but over time it became a bit more comfortable as I attempted to improve each time. I hope I showed my interest and was a good delegate to represent Europe. Thank you for your confidence in me and hope I have met your expectations. I have not forgotten a single second the night of July 7, 2008 the flood of emotions I felt when being named Mr. Gay Europe. It is not easy to express in words the happiness I feel after this year representing Europe.
I hope not to forget anyone, so thank you, to each of you who have supported me with any gesture, however insignificant it may have seem, to me meant a great deal.
I wish my successor all the luck in the world, to offer my full support and confidence, encourage him to stay strong, and move forward proud of what he has achieved. It seems like a long time, but it is only a year, which has passed in the blink of an eye.
Without further to say thanks and go!!
The truth is that while I enjoyed watching the finale of MR GAY EUROPE 2009, my eyes lit, and my whole body trembled, and my body remembered gestures happily with all the vivid memories last year while I competed to get the title.
It was a great joy, when Morten finally said that the winner of 2009 is MR GAY EUROPE - SPAIN, my eyes filled with tears and a big smile described my pride and joy of transferring the title to the new delegate that represents Europe, and even more when he was representative of my country, all the pride of Spain. "
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL CANDIDATES FOR MR GAY EUROPE 2009 FOR YOUR GOOD WORK DONE, AND MUCH SUCCESS FOR A GOOD YEAR TO SERGIO LARA, while representing EUROPE.
KISS with much love and a hug to ALL PERSONS EVERYDAY makes it all possible ...
TONY ALMIJEZ
Photo: Beate A. Tecza & Tore Aasheim/MrGayEurope.com
|
