Orthodox Calendar Pays Artistic Tribute to LGBT Russians

Orthodox Calendar is flexing its artistic muscles in support of LGBT people in Russia with a second 2014 wall calendar.

A collaboration between Orthodox Calendar's art director and Hungarian artist Tienne, "Bigger, Harder, Better!" was a calendar concept formulated after a trip the two took to Russia.

Featuring artwork in the style of out comic book illustrator and filmmaker Joe Phillips (creator of Joe Boys Comics and director-animator of the films Stonewall & Riot and The House of Morecock), the caledar reimagines iconic imagery and ironically transposes it into gay scenes in an effort to counter the negative influences of Orthodox Christianity on perceptions of LGBT people.

"2013 has been a disaster for LGBT people in many Orthodox countries but the most extreme of all was in Russia, where a recently passed law bans so-called gay propaganda in places where children could witness it," representatives for Orthodox Calendar wrote in a press release. "Behind all the cowardly politicians who treat LGBT people as scapegoats for their countries' economic and political malaise, there is a single, powerful force that is beating the drum of hatred: the Orthodox Church. Whether Russian, Romanian, Georgian, Ukrainian, Serbian or other, certain leaders of the various national Orthodox Churches are actively promoting physical and legislative attacks on the LGBT community."

"Bigger, Harder, Better!" is currently available for 16.99 Euros at Orthodox-Calendar.com, with 10% of every purchase donated to support LGBT causes in Russia.