Telenovela star Eva Longoria and a few other celebs recently teamed up to pose as gay couples to show the universality of love.
French photographer Olivier Ciappa created the Imaginary Couples series as a response to homophobic attitudes around the world. Eva Longoria posed with singer Lara Fabian to rep the ladies, and Sicario director Dennis Villenueve and Dallas Buyers Club director Jean-Marc Vallee (above) posed as a gay male couple.
Ciappa told The Huffington Post that it was important for the exhibition to show that love is love. Aside from the celebrities, it also includes real couples of various genders, religions, sexual orientations, and races:
“The celebrities that I shot are heterosexual, but it was essential to me that you would believe these imaginary couples and families they portray were real. If you couldn’t identify with their love and feel it was real, then I would have failed.”
The warm and winning photos definitely didn’t fail, but for our money it’s the non-celeb photos that have the biggest “wow” factor (especially the one above). The series is set to make its U.S. debut in Los Angeles later this year, but until then check out more of the photos here.
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Ariel Hans Christian
Ok turning me on thank you
Martin Steele
It’s an interesting approach to a significant sociological dilemma
Grant Mealey
Ok…..cool â?ºï¸
Ty Good
Couldn’t find enough legit gay couples to make “real families”
This disgusts me. It mocks the LGBT community by saying “look, we can ‘play’ gay couples”
Why not celebrate the first Valentines of legalized marriage in the US by portraying real couples. Disgusting.
Anthony Malone
Lmfao- yeah “pose” too funny
Mark Reimer
A most attractive, appealing “couple” they make. (y)
Nathaniel McManus
It’s not that gay!
Hans Versluys
Wearing pants in the shower is not a very gay thing.
Bryguyf69
Oh my god, Lara Fabian! I had such a crush on her growing up. It’s a shame that she got eclipsed by Celine Dion in the US because we only have room for one French-language singer (even though Fabian spoke much better English than Dion). Both are considered divas in Europe and Canada (where both are from). And both can belt out a song and hold a note, but I prefer Fabian’s warm tones to Dion’s steely cold voice.
Fabian is a certified gay icon because of her landmark 1997 song, La Différence. It is arguably the first popular mainstream song by a non-gay artist to explicitly celebrate gay love. There are no euphemisms or interpretive ambiguity; It’s about gay love. In fact, I don’t think there was another such song until Same Love by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. Admittedly, I’m not familiar with Dutch or Scandinavia music, where similar songs may exist. The song was released on her 1997 album, Pure, which won the Felix award for Best Popular Album. The song isn’t a B-side throwaway either. I’ve heard it used in singing competitions like Idol, and Fabian sung it in a Miami concert last year.
Enjoy the video, with English translations. I’ve seen better, more poetic translations but you’ll get the gist here. See what I mean about explicitly gay? Again, keep in mind that this was 1997, before gay marriage was even a possibility anywhere.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTFUXIjJbYQ
MikeE
Lara Fabian isn’t “from” Canada. She holds dual citizenship, but she was born in Europe and spent mot of her childhood there. She’s Belgian.
Martin D Rodriguez
This is so stupid. Do they think they’re so great that the LGBT community is gonna feel honored? Bunch of idiots.
Bryguyf69
re: La Difference … I forgot to mention that Fabian co-wrote the song, so when she sings it, she’s expressing her personal views. In other words, she celebrates gay love. The above photo shoot proves it again. Love love love her. Here are the lyrics from:
http://lyricstranslate.com/en/la-difference-difference.html
The Difference
The difference
The one that bothers
A preference, a mood, a circumstance
Two bodies close to each other
Disagreeing
With those who think too much, morals over everything else
Their skin will never marvel at the differences
They look alike
Touch, like those two dancing men
Without ever speaking
Without ever screaming
They love each other in silence
Without ever lying or turning back
They trust each other
If only you knew how much they don’t care about those insults
They prefer love, especially true love
To our whispers
They often talk
Of other people
Who love each other so much
Who love each other, as we say, “normally”
Of this child
So absent
Of this blood disease that runs
And kills so freely
Their eyes will never stray by carelessness
They recognize each other, tame each other
Like these two dancing women
From Verlaine to Rimbaud, when you think about it
We tolerate exceptional difference
====
“La Différence”
La différence
Celle qui dérange
Une préférence, un état d’âme
Une circonstance
Un corps à corps
En désaccord
Avec les gens trop bien pensant
Les moeurs d’abord
Leur peau ne s’étonnera jamais des différences
Elles se ressemblent, se touchent
Comme ces deux hommes qui dansent
Sans jamais parler
Sans jamais crier
Ils s’aiment en silence
Sans jamais mentir, ni se retourner
Ils se font confiance
Si vous saviez comme ils se foutent
De nos injures
Ils préfèrent l’amour, surtout le vrai
À nos murmures
lls parlent souvent
Des autres gens
Qui s’aiment si fort
Qui s’aiment comme on dit normalement
De cet enfant
Tellement absent
De ce mal du sang qui court
Et tue si librement
Leurs yeux ne s’éloigneront jamais par négligence
Ils se reconnaissent, s’apprivoisent
Comme ces deux femmes qui dansent
Sans jamais parler
Sans jamais crier
Elles s’aiment en silence
Sans jamais mentir, ni se retourner
Elles se font confiance
Si vous saviez comme ils se foutent
De nos injures
Ils préfèrent l’amour, surtout le vrai
À nos murmures
De Verlaine à Rimbaud
Quand on y pense
On tolère l’exceptionnelle différence
La difference
Quand on y pense
Mais quelle difference
Michael Miller
Well that was nice of them.
Wait… was I supposed to post a dramatic catty comment here?
Bryguyf69
Here’s Lara Fabian’s only US hit, I Will Love Again, from 1999. Had a major crush on her as a kid … such a kind, yet sexy, face — and killer bod. As you can hear, her English was considerably better than Celine Dion’s at the time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxC8MZ1RS-c
footwork61
I’m a gold star gay, but Eva Longoria is so beautiful it astounds me.
ingyaom
I guess gays have been playing straight forever… now straights are pretending to be gay… and wearing shorts in the shower.
kernowcraig
@Ty Good: Your comments disgust me! They’re offering their support to the LGBT community and I for one am thankful! The more people that see affection between same sexes is actually normal, the more acceptable it will become and I won’t have to feel like a freak if I want to hold my husbands hand in public! so get back in your straigthaphobe box!
nonnocere
@Ty Good: I totally don’t understand your disgust for straight people who obviously support the gay community. It may not be artistic for your tastes, it may not come across as gay enough or genuine, but you’re missing the message. You’ve lost sight of the past it seems. In anonymity, you guys are too quick to turn into assholes with your comments.
Tom'nRichard Wilhein
Before his death, my husband of 34 years and I on any day could have presented a believable image of the universality of love – without posing. I appreciate the thought and the support; but, we are here!
The Tower of Power
@Ty Good: Well I totally agree with it. It shows the world that homophobia is a choice. And it totally rubs it in their faces.
And it also is great for young people to feel famous people have solidarity with them.
Ron Dreyer
I don’t understand this campaign. As if the gay community needs straight “celebs” to pretend to be gay…and as a result, we are acceptable…and it helps “battle homophobia”? I just don’t get it.
Bryguyf69
@Ron Dreyer: Er, think of it in purely practical terms. What is the MAIN objective when you make a statement, political or otherwise? Answer: TO BE HEARD. Do you think this would garner as much publicity if it featured “real” non-celeb gay couples? Heck, it wouldn’t get as much attention even if it had gay celebrities. In terms of the female couple, both Lara Fabian and Eva Longoria have a solid fanbase in France. Fabian is a legendary diva known for her anti-homophobia song, La Difference (see video above), and Langoria got a lot of French press when she dated French basketball player, Tony Parker. One of the first rules in advertising is viewer identification. Do you think the majority of viewers will identify more with straight or gay celebrities? Keep in mind that this is aimed at the general population, and not merely to gays. Do you “get it” now?
The Tower of Power
@Ron Dreyer: The ads show heteros that homophobia is a choice and you do not need to be grossed out or offended by same-sex affection just because you are hetero.
These ads show heteros they can also be accepting while still being heterosexual.
Sherry Irene Shaw
I think more cocksucking or or pussy eating is need in this photos stupid idea making people think gay people look any different then anyone else.
Bryguyf69
@Martin D Rodriguez wrote: “this is so stupid. Do they think they’re so great that the LGBT community is gonna feel honored? Bunch of idiots.”
=====
Before you go around calling people “idiots,” do a little research on the history of Civil Rights and coalition building. Look at universal suffrage, the Black protests of the 60’s, the gay movement of the 80’s to now, etc. See where the turning point was. It was where the movements were no longer considered fringe, and other groups “mainstream” groups showed their support. Whites, and particularly, Jews, played a significant role in the Black movement (look up “NAACP”). And do some research on gays in San Francisco. Learn how they worked with Blacks, Latinos and Asians to build coalitions. The fact that you think that this is about “honor” really shows your ignorance to history, activism and advertising.
Brian
Why are the male couples such obscure individuals?
Brian
I’d also like to know where the male stars of Hollywood are in relation to this. Still hiding behind their carefully constructed facades of heterosexuality, ably aided and abetted by their agents?
Sylvain Leroux
Give me a break !
Phillip Bernal
So two same sex people embracing is GAY? how fucked up is that?
Ryan Field
@Bryguyf69: @Ty Good: So you’re saying that white actors dressed up in blackface and pretended to be black for the sake of honor during the civil rights movement? I really don’t know. All I know is that these actors are playing gayface and I think there are other ways to show support. Again, I’m seriously curious. Did whites play blackface during the civil rights movement?
Ryan Field
@Ty Good: Thank you. I agree.
Captain Obvious
@Ryan Field: You realize white people do this stuff to black people all the time right? There’s a reason the phrase “white savior” exists.
There are movies, books, and a host of other nonsense about white people saving black people “from themsevles”.
No need to ask a what if about white people doing this to black people because it’s an everyday thing and not a one off photo shoot.
martinbakman
Straight people display the most homophobia and so perhaps it wouldn’t be surprising that an artist chose straight people to achieve such an artistic effort as this.
I understand how many aren’t comfortable with his Imaginary Couples, but that’s art!
Ryan Field
@Captain Obvious: So you’re saying that people coming from places of huge privilege like those in this article would put on blackface and pretend to be black as a show of support? You’re saying that the people in this article would do that to blacks, too? We’re talking about this particular article and I’m sticking to this particular topic. If you want to take it somewhere else, you’re going there alone.
Weldon Grant Lilwatdude Dan
Jeremiah Oleman
paulbear30
Hmm well at least they are implicitly admitting that it’s same sex LOVE and not same sex FUCKING that the world (including some self proclaimed “out and proud” gay people) has a problem with.
Bryguyf69
@Bryguyf69: Someone made a video comparing the two divas, Celine Dion vs Lara Fabian. There are several comparison videos out there but this one is special because they sing in English. The song is Calling You. You can see what critics (and I) mean when they say that Fabian’s voice is warm while Dion is “steely cold” (a phrase used by critic Jon Parales), although both are technically perfect. You’ll see the same sentiment in the Youtube comments, many from gay users.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnoujgR4NXs
akira_gmeafght
I THINK WHAT THEY TRIED TO DO IS NICE BUT WHAT THEY HAVE MASTAKENLY SAID WAS LOOK WE CAN PLAY AT BEING GAY TOO IT BOTH IMPRESSES ME AND ANGERS ME
Kevin Wotipka
I don’t do catty comments when our allies show us some love, so all I have to say is “Well done. Thank you.”
I’ll bet Sirs Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen wouldn’t get the same kind of slap I’ve seen in some cases here.