Alexander Petrov, Mr Gay Europe 2019, has because of the cancellation of Mr Gay Europe 2020 been asked by the MGE team to stay on as the titleholder for another year. Here is his response to that and also his thoughts about the challenging times we all are facing right now.
Hello my fellow brothers and sisters in fate,
As you already may have heard, this year’s edition of Mr Gay Europe will be postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a silver lining this means we will have more time to prepare and deliver an awesome competition next year, as well as have the opportunity to receive more delegates from all over Europe.
I have been asked to continue acting as the current Mr Gay Europe for another year, until a new title-holder is elected, to which I readily agreed.
As we are all in the same boat during this epidemic and kind of cooped up in our houses with limited personal and physical contact with each other, we need to make some extra effort to support our brothers and sisters in these trying times.
Make that call
Check upon your friends as well as LGBT people in your local community that are sick or have health issues, living with HIV, elderly, recovering from addictions, transitioning, and other people that already are facing some sort of isolation and mental stress in their lives, and offer them words of solace and a willingness to help if need be.
Humanity is facing a trial right now, but make no mistake – we will get through this, and it’s our job to make sure we don’t lose anyone along our way forward. I know we are living in a post-phoning-only-texting world, but I hope this pandemic would make us revert back a bit and forces us to make the time and effort to actually talk to each other, albeit on the phone.
Pick up the phone and start calling friends and acquaintances, to see how they are faring in the situation. One considerate phone call can take your mind off any dark thoughts you might be having, and completely refocus you on to something productive, by realizing that you are not alone in this plight.
Stay safe
Furthermore, I know many of you, especially the younger ones, are very sexually active, and staying and feeling isolated will not help tame the hormones, making you consider a fast hook up, thinking that the risk is low. Which statistically, for you, probably it is. You will most likely live through getting ill.
But think of all of the people around you, all the people you or your partner will be in contact with. Are you willing to roll the dice on their health as well?
Every pandemic starts with one person not being careful. And if we all decide that we should wing it and indulge in carnal activities, we’re just playing Russian roulette with humanity.
So, I urge you, at least temporarily, try your best to suppress your need for casual encounters and make due with whatever is at home (porn, toys, camera, etc.). Whatever can help you soldier through this period. It will be just for the time being, and soon we will be able to resume having good ol’ consensual protected sex again.
Stay strong, responsible and make sure the people around you are okay.
See you all soon,
Alex
Photo: Alexander with his new “best friend” during his self-inflicted quarantine, working from home. (Selfie)
