Mr Gay Europe 2016 to take place in Sweden and Norway

The 10th Mr Gay Europe finale will take place in the Scandinavian countries of Norway and Sweden this July and August.

The main theme, as it has been since 2005, is Unity through Diversity. This year, the competition also takes a new turn; with a focus on environmental issues, self-development and networking.

The event will further focus on an area that many LGBTI youth will identify with, which Mr Gay Europe describes as “attributes over abs”.

“We all know that our Mr Gays can capture the lens of a camera, but we want to know if they can capture your imagination with their words, their brains and their focus on LGBTI rights,” said the producers.

“We are looking for an ambassador that will connect with our entire LGBTI European Community and someone who will connect with and inspire our European youth,” explained co-founder and owner Mr Tore Aasheim.

The 10th Mr Gay Europe kicks off in Stockholm, Sweden where all the delegates arrive on the morning of Friday 29 July.

They will take part in Stockholm Pride, meet politicians, professionals, youth and opinion makers and take a tour through northern Scandinavia. The finale is on Friday 5 August with a special TV show broadcast from a venue shaped like a UFO.

Coenie Kukkuk, best known as the former co-owner of Mr Gay South Africa and former Africa Director for Mr Gay World, has been invited to be one of this year’s judges.

“There are still countries in Europe, like Russia, Lithuania, Ukraine and many others where it is not safe for LGBTs to live openly as such without fear,” Kukkuk told Mambaonline.

“The emphasis of this competition on finding not only an ambassador, but also a role model for young LGBT who might be contemplating suicide or are caught up in substance abuse or just to give hope to the broader scope of all LGBTs who are not as fortunate as others, is what appeals to me.

“Where other competitions of this nature only emphasise the outer body, what we will be looking for is what is inside. All the finalists will be good-looking, that is a given – but that is not enough,” he said.

For more information go to mrgayeurope.com.