- Title: GERMANY-MERKEL/LESBIAN MAGAZINE Germany tickled by fake gay Merkel video
- Date: 23rd July 2015
- Summary: COMPUTER SCREEN SHOWING MAGAZINE WEBSITE
- Embargoed: 7th August 2015 13:00
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- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA7CT2OBZ7H3I5XT3C36PETG5DG
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A new series of adverts starring an Angela Merkel lookalike have caused a stir in Germany and beyond with their depiction of the German chancellor in a relationship with a woman.
Promoting a new lesbian lifestyle magazine, "Straight", which launched in Berlin earlier this week, the short black-and-white videos show Merkel being caressed by a younger woman, while a voiceover states that 62 per cent of Germans are in favour of gay marriage.
The magazine's editor-in-chief said there was a serious message behind the promotional material.
"We decided on Angela Merkel -- she is the most powerful woman in Germany, if not the world, and she says that she is against marriage for same-sex couples. Therefore she was absolutely the right woman for us to make a promo video with," Felicia Mutterer told Reuters TV on Thursday (July 23).
"For us it is satire because we feel that we are drawing attention to a topic that is important to us. Namely we believe marriage should be open to everyone, in Germany too," she added.
The international media attention the videos have drawn came as a surprise to the magazine's founders, who began working on the project last year because they felt that gay women were under represented in the media.
"It is surprising that it has made such a splash but of course we are pleased … Taking the liberty of depicting the chancellor with a woman is a message that implies a lot more and therefore we are really happy that it is being talked about in other countries too and making people chuckle," Mutterer said.
The overwhelming "yes" vote in Ireland for same-sex marriage in May triggered a discussion in Germany about the lingering gap in rights between registered partnerships and marriages.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, of the conservative Christian Democrat party, reiterated only last week her belief that marriage should only be allowed between heterosexual couples.
Polls show 75 percent of Germans are in favour of legalising gay marriage, as are the Social Democrats (SPD) and all opposition parties. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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