NORDIC BALTIC WINTER GATHERING… www.tupilak.se

TUPILAK MEMBERS & FRIENDS -- on both sides of the Baltic!

We're pleased to invite you to a winter Nordic/Baltic rainbow human rights &
cultural happening in Stockholm on:

November 30, 2008 Musik Valvet
(Svartmangatan 27 Gamla Stan) 17.00-22.00

...to meet some of our visiting colleagues from the region (thanks to funding from the Swedish International Development Assistance Baltic Unit in Visby on the island of Gotland) and a few representatives from other organizations working with us to discuss international co-operation and coming projects:

Krakow -- The Turbulent Battle of Flowers -- at the tomb of the homosexual 15th Century King

Helsinki -- The 10th Tribade Day & Night Festival: September 2009 -- with a special focus on Tallinn, St. Petersburg.

Minsk -- Where rainbows are still in chains.

Vilnius -- Where the rainbow flag is still banned.

Visby -- A Nordic/Baltic rainbow human rights & culture festival, July 2009?

Photo/ ill: Willi Reichhold

St. Petersburg -- Russian Co-operation with Sweden and Finland 2009.

Stockholm -- Nordic Focus on LGBT Nigeria (via the Nordic Rainbow Humanists).

Kristall Nacht -- An international November salute to victims of Nazis/ neo Nazis.

Nordic Rainbow Memorials -- an initiative of ILGCN, Nordic Rainbow Council, Nordic Rainbow Humanists.

Music, Poetry, Art …. Wine and beer at low cost.

No entrance fees for Tupilak members and invited friends.

-- Bill Schiller, Tupilak international secretary and secretary general of the International Lesbian & Gay Cultural Network: Information Secretariat - Stockholm



ILGCN www.tupilak.ilgcn.org

ILGCN Information Secretariat - Stockholm (International Lesbian & Gay Cultural Network)
Press Release September 30, 2008

Including Salutes to Uganda, Iran, LGBT Exiles Around the World:
2008 World Cultural Conferences:
Finland, USA

Helsinki/Minneapolis-St. Paul/Stockholm—Art, photos, exhibitions, films, musical performances, seminars and discussions characterized the 1st stage of the 2008 ILGCN world rainbow cultural conference in the Finnish capital – November 14-16, part of the annual Tribade Day & Night Festival.

“We hope that the ILGCN input will also be part of our 10th jubilee festival next year,” says Anne Jaaskelainen, festival director and singer/song-writer, who also received the 2008 “Sowelu” award (for outstanding contributions from women in the Nordic sphere) from the Nordic rainbow cultural workers’ organization, Tupilak -- especially honoring her solidarity performances in Eastern Europe.

“We are really pleased to have our new Russian organization participating in the ILGCN conference, says Polina Savchenko from “Coming Out” –
St. Petersburg, and we hope that a future stage of the ILGCN conference can come to our city.”

The conference also approved a project linking the near-by cities of Stockholm-Helsinki-St- Petersburg for future rainbow cultural events, providing mutual co-operation and solidarity.

Also at the conference, the special ILGCN Nordic award “Arco Nordica” was presented to thenational Finnish LGBT organization, SETA for its support for Tribade festivals and ILGCN activities.

Willi Reichhold, Austria-Sweden

1st ILGCN World Cultural Conference in North America

The 2nd stage of this year’s ILGCN world conference took place at University of Minnesota venues in Minneapolis/St. Paul – September 19-21, the first ILGCN event ever in the United States. “We are also pleased to put a brighter spotlight on LGBT history and show the first work of our brand new travelling exhibition on this theme,” says Jean Tretter, secretary general of the ILGCN History Secretariat in Minneapolis/St.Paul.

“We are also proud of the conference’s well-attended, special performance of the LGBT Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra—which also gives great emphasis to playing the works of lesbian and gay classical composers,” Tretter adds.

“Our valuable discussions with the leading organizers of Minneapolis Pride and other activists here convince me that there is a real desire to increase American involvement in our battles on the rainbow barricaded in Eastern Europe and the possibilities that more American Prides will invite some of the courageous representatives from Belarus and other nations where the rainbow is still in chains or under siege,” says Bill Schiller, secretary general of the ILGCN Information Secretariat - Stockholm.

Salute to gay researcher and educator, Magnus Hirschfeldt

“We are proud to announce that this year’s ILGCN “Orfeo Iris” award for essential information work about Nazi and neo Nazi persecution of homosexuals goes jointly to the Minnesota Libraries and the Magnus Hirschfeldt Society in Berlin for their outstanding exhibitions marking the 75th birthday of the pioneering Hirschfeldt’s Sexual Institute in Berlin which was destroyed by the Nazis,” adds Tretter.

“Speaking of history, we are pleased to send a salute to the coming October 31 ILGCN event in Krakow lifting a 15th century Swedish-Polish-Hungarian-Russian ruler into the rainbow spotlight – a ceremony organized by Lukasz Palucki, the secretaray general of the ILGCN Eastern European Secretariat -Warsaw, (luke.santi@eranet.pl) -- also to be attended by our ILGCN Hungarian cultural ambassadors,” says Schiller

“We are also proud to announce that the 2008 “Sappho in Paradise” award goes to Ugandan editor in exile, Kizza Musinguzi and his website gayrightsuganda.org -- crucial to an African LGBT community facing violent homophobia,” Schiller adds. “We hope the award diploma will be handed out in London where the Ugandan has found asylum.”

The award honors outstanding contributions to LGBT information, books, libraries and publications – and is co-ordinated both by the ILGCN Information Secretariat and the Paradise Press in London. This is the second time the award goes to Africa – earlier going to the Library Project of Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe. At both world conference stages, examples from the Tupilak/ILGCN Travelling Art & Photo Exhibition were displayed -- including works from Norway to Latvia, Russia to Denmark, Sweden to Spain, Finland to Germany, and photos of the ILGCN delegation to Bucharest Pride this year.

LBGT’s in Exile & Violence in Iran Focal Points in Canada

The 3rd stage of this year’s ILGCN world conference will take place in Toronto, Canada November 14-16 – giving special attention to LGBT’s in exile and the brutal situation for homosexuals in Iran. This is the first time an ILGCN event is taking place in Canada.

“We are offering a great program of art work, seminars, films and musical performances,” says Michael Gfroerer, secretary general of the ILGCN North American Secretariat – Toronto (he is also an ILGCN “Orfeo Musica” prize winner). “And of course we welcome other ILGCN cultural ambassadors, co-ordinators as well as other rainbow cultural workers to the gathering.” michaelgfroerer@gmail.com

The Canadian conference also hopes to follow tradition by confirming new ILGCN ambassadors and co-ordinators as well as next year’s world conference sites. Proposals so far have come from Bucharest, Budapest, St. Petersburg and Istanbul. ILGCN world conferences are traditionally shared by different cities to make it easier for those unable to afford travelling long distances, since the ILGCN has no travel funds for participants.

******************************
Supporting the ILGCN Information Secretariat:

Nordic rainbow cultural workerswww.ilgcn.tupilak.org info@tupilak.org www.tupilak.org

ILGCN (International Lesbian & Gay Cultural Network) CALLING*
September 2, 2008

.. to ILGCN ambassadors, co-ordinators, supporters and international press.

Attached are the programs for the ILGCN world cultural conference stages no. 1 in Helsinki (September 13-14), stage 2 in Minneapolis (September 19-21) and stage no. 3 in Toronto (November 14 and November 16, 2008.

11th WCC Minneapolis program

11TH ILGCN WCC program Helsinki

11th WCC Toronto program


Any additional ILGCN people are very welcome in person - contacts are listed in the ILGCN conference press release (see website
www.ilgcn.tupilak.org )

Suggestions for 2009 ILGCN conference stages are welcome at all the above stages, The same for new ambassadors, co-ordinators, etc. and ILGCN awards.

Proposal: That the ILGCN *Arco Nordica* 2008 go to the national Finnish LGBT organization, SETA, for its emphasis on rainbow culture, assistance to the annual Tribade Day & Night Festival and assistance to the ILGCN world conference stage.

Bill Schiller, secretary general of the ILGCN Information
Secretariat - Stockholm

__________________________________

11TH ILGCN (International Lesbian & Gay Cultural Network)
WORLD CULTURAL CONFERENCE HELSINKI (stage 1)
September 13-14, 2008

(stage 2: Minneapolis -- September 19-21. stage 3: Toronto --November 13-14, 2008)

Friday, September 12 (21.00): Tribade Party (Restaurant Botta, Museokatu 10)

Bill Schiller - greetings from the ILGCN Information Secretariat Jenny Gabrielsson - songs, music (present Swedish ILGCN cultural
ambassador)

At the SETA Office (Mannerheimintie 170 A 5th floor) :

Saturday, September 13 18.00-21:00 Seminars, film, art performances:

*Rainbow Culture in Finland* - Anne Jaaskelainen, Tribade festival


*ILGCN: stretching rainbows over borders* -- Bill Schiller, ILGCN-Stockholm

*Rainbow Culture in St. Petersburg* -- Representative of *Coming Out*

Film: *They Still Smile* - Irina Sislova, Belarus

Jenny Gabrielsson - songs, music (present Swedish ILGCN cultural ambassador)

Peter Fröberg -- songs, music (former Swedish ILGCN cultural ambassador)

Sunday, September 14 13.00-16:00 Seminars, film, art:

*Rainbows in Chains: Lithuania, Belarus* - ILGCN

*Nordic Rainbow Cultural Co-operation with Eastern Europe* - Bill

Schiller, ILGCN-Stockholm, Tupilak (Nordic rainbow cultural workers)

Films: *Tolerancja* (The Battle of Krakow) - Diana Voxerbrant,Swedish-Polish

2008 ILGCN awards, Approval of 2009 ILGCN world conference stages,

Exhibitions Saturday and Sunday:

Tupilak & ILGCN Travelling Art/Photo Exhibition

Samples from ILGCN History Collection - Minneapolis



ILGCN in Romania -- Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian participation along with 200
colleagues and 1,200 police at Bucharest Pride 2008) - Jussi Jaaskelainen

anne.jaaskelainen@nokia.com
info@tupilak.org
______________________________________________________________

11th ILGCN World Rainbow Culture Conference program
- stage 2 MINNEAPOLIS/St. PAUL, USA.
September 19-21, 2008

Friday, September 19, 2008 - registration all day, opening reception
and welcome from 5 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. (free to all registered conference attendees.)

Note: The opening reception will also feature the unveiling of the newly redesigned
GLBT World History Exhibit.

Saturday, September 20, 2008 - 7 p.m.

The Minnesota Philharmonic Orchestra (the local GLBT symphony orchestra) will present a full symphony concert as part of the
conference. (free to all registered conference attendees).

Special presentations:

*Rainbows in Chains in Belarus - the last dictatorship in Eastern Europe* - Slava Bortnik,

LGBT Amnesty group -- Minsk/Gomel.
Modern Chinese Gay Poetry

Rainbow Music -- Michael Gfroerer- Canadian composer/musician,

*Nordic Rainbow Co-operation with Eastern Europe - rainbows under siege* Bill Schiller,
Tupilak (Nordic rainbow culture workers), Nordic Rainbow Council

Panel Discussion:

*What is the International Lesbian & Gay Cultural Network?*
Stretching rainbows over borders, working on local rainbow barricades,
co-operating with other international LGBT organizations such as the
ILGA, GALHA (humanists) etc. Nick Tretter -- ILGCN History
Secretariat - Minneapolis, Bill Schiller -- ILGCN Information
Secretariat - Stockholm

Workshops:

Setting up LGBT libraries in Eastern Europe. Making contributions to
these libraries -- ilgcn hISTORY sECRETARIAT.

Art & Photography - The Tupilak (Nordic rainbow cultural workers) &
ILGCN Travelling Art & Photo Exhibition - works from Estonia, Lithuania,
Latvia, Poland, Belarus, Romania, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden,
Russia, Germany, Spain.

Short films:

*Tolerancja - the rainbow battle of Krakow* (Sweden/Poland) (30
min. English subtitles
*Precious Moments* (Norway) (15 min. English subtitles)
*The Muscle Academy -- Tom of Finland* (Finland) (60 min.
English subtitles)
*They Still Smile* - (Belarus) (30 min. English subtitles)

Press Accreditation, assistance with interviews, photos, etc.

Note: all journalists attending the conference should contact:

Marlo Welshons
Communications Director
University of Minnesota Libraries
499 Wilson Library
309 19th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55455

(612) 625-9148; fax: (612) 626-9353
welsh066@umn.edu


Conference co-ordinator: Nick Tretter, ILGCN secretary general of the
ILGCN History Secretariat, University of Minnesota

trett007@umn.edu

____________________________________________________________

International Lesbian & Gay Cultural Network
CULTURAL CONFERENCE, 3rd stage -- TORONTO
Friday Nov. 14, Sun. Nov. 16, University of Toronto

The International Lesbian & Gay Cultural Network was created at the
ILGA world conference in Paris in 1992 to promote international rainbow
culture and exchange across borders. The ILGCN is not a booking agency,
has no membership fee and no funds of its own * but tries to
facilitate contact between organizations and individuals * convinced
that both cultural workers and political activists belong together on
the rainbow barricades * using homo culture as a powerful weapon
against homophobia and silence. Special support is given to those facing
dictatorial regimes, oppressive religious leaders, intolerant media and
gangs of neo-Nazis and other homophobes attacking rainbow events.

The Toronto Cultural Conference will attempt to deal with multi-plus
cultures of Toronto's lesbian and gay communities. Particular attention
will be focused on immigration issues.

Conference Speakers (proposed and confirmed)

Iranians in Exile (confirmed)
Arsham Parsi, Executive Director, Iranian Queer Organization IRQO and
ILGCN ambassador/coordinator for Iran "This is Arsham Parsi, board
member of IRanian Queer Organization. I should thank you Bibi for
supporting us for San Francisco event. The IRanian Queer Organization
(IRQO) takes full responsibility for the accuracy and credibility of
this information. Today, IRQO is the only active NGO that works on
behalf of the Iranian queer (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender)
population around the world." "It documents human rights violations,
provides letters of support for Iranian queer asylum seekers and
refugees, and supports anti-homophobia efforts. Its documentation is
widely respected for its accuracy and credibility. IRQO is registered in
Ontario, Canada and is an official member of the following
organizations: The Brussels-based International Lesbian and Gay
Association (ILGA), the Stockholm-based International Lesbian and Gay
Cultural Network (ILGCN), the Toronto-based Rainbow Railroad group, and
the Berlin-based Advisory Committee of the Hirschfeld-Eddy Foundation
for LGBT Human Rights. IRQO is an international, non-profit, queer human
rights organization based in Toronto, Canada with key workers in Europe
and Iran. They help Iranian gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered
refugees all over the world. They help when Iranian lesbians or gay men
are threatened with deportation back to Iran. They also help


EXPRESS (confirmed)
Express is a safe and supportive space where newcomers to Canada and/or
immigrant queer youth find a place gather, share ideas, questions, and
have fun!

EXPRESS targets and provides support for youth between16 and 29 who are
immigrants, newcomers to Canada, refugees, refugee claimants and
non-status queer and trans youth. Most of the participants are young
people coming from countries and/or cultures where it's not safe, legal
or easy to be queer or trans.

EXPRESS includes a weekly meeting on Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. The project
had a number of newcomer/immigrant queer youth involved from more than
20 different nationalities and/or ethnicities since May of 2002.

Some of the youth participating in EXPRESS can not - due to work
commitment or school schedule - attend all the weekly meetings, and some
other newcomer/immigrant queer youth have not been able to participate
in any of the meetings because of family or cultural pressures over
their sexuality. An internet based group and mailing list has been
created to maintain some level of connection between the youth and
provide some of the support they need outside the regular meeting hours.
Please contact Suhail by email soynewcomer(at)sherbourne(dot)on(dot)ca
or at 416 - 324 5080 to be added to the mailing list

Some of the youth participating in EXPRESS are refugee claimants on the
basis of their sexual orientation. The project provides significant
direct support to these youth in this process as well as the personal
and emotional support they receive at the drop-in meetings. Since the
launch of the project a significant number of youth participants have
gained their legal status in Canada with support from EXPRESS.

Facilitator's Bio:
Suhail Abualsameed is a community worker and a public speaker who*s
concerned with issues of multiculturalism, diversity, identity and the
social determinants of health among many others.

Suhail has been running SOY's newcomer/immigrant queer youth program
since 2002. He has also coordinated community based research of TeenNet
(a research project based at the department of Public Health Sciences at
the University of Toronto) in the Middle east since 2004. He recently
initiated and started coordinating a Community Based Research project
addressing HIV/AIDS issues among the Muslim communities in the GTA.

Peter Bernier (confirmed)
I have been helping gay couples with immigration to Canada since 1994
when we got my partner his permanent residence. He has now become a
Canadian citizen and we recently celebrated our 15th anniversary. I am
one of Canada's most experienced experts on Canadian immigration for
gays. I am a member of the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants
(CSIC) as required to represent you, a member of the Canadian
Association of Immigration Professionals (CAPIC), Co-Chair of CAPIC's
Ontario Education Committee, and a High Honours Graduate of the
Immigration Practitioner's Certificate Program. I have volunteered with
LEGIT in Toronto since 1994 when I founded LEGIT-Toronto

Nick Tretter from the ILGCN HistorySecretriat

Khush: South Asian Gay Men, P.O. Box 6172, Station A, Toronto, Ontario
M5W 1P6, Canada. Nelson (416) 461-4105, Deep (416) 922-3848.

South Asian AIDS Coalition of Toronto, Attn: Kaushalya Bannerji
c/o TCCLG, 517 College Street, Suite 308, Toronto, Canada. (416)
962-9023.

Black Coalition For AIDS Prevention (Black CAP) 416/977-9955

2 Spirited People Of The 1st Nations 416/944-9300
2-Spirited People Of The 1st Nations 416/944-9300 Ext. 226

Performance/Arts Presenters

Iranian Queer Poems (translated into English)
Saghi Ghahraman, Editor-in-Chief of Cheraq magazine


Evolutionary Girls Club: Art and Activism for Social Change
Erica Eaton, ILGCN cultural ambassador, USA

Rainbow Music on the Barricades
Michael Gfroerer, Canadian composer, ILGCN *Orfeo musica* award

Louis Laberge-Côté, dancer/choreographer, originally from: Québec
City,based in Toronto, Canada "one of Toronto Dance Theatre's most
admired company members" (The Globe and Mail), Louis Laberge-C?is known
for his "outstanding interpretation[s]" (CHYZ 94,3), his "masterful
physical control" (Paula Citron), his "wit and elegance" (NOW Magazine),
his "refreshing spontaneity" (National Post), and "his ability to infuse
even ordinary movements with drama" (Toronto Star).

Robert Quance, visual artist.

Joe Calleja, visual artist.

Tupilak/ILGCN travelling art and photo exhibit

Paul Lee, Toronto film-maker

11th Year in 2008: First ILGCN conference stages in North America


World Rainbow Culture:
Helsinki, Minneapolis, Toronto


Stockholm – Rainbow Culture from China to Belarus, North America to Iran to the Nordic region, LGBT refugees and global LGBT history – will be some of the topics of seminars, music, photo, art, exhibitions and performances at the three stages of this year’s world cultural conferences of the ILGCN (International Lesbian & Gay Cultural Network).


“We are proud to include the ILGCN conference stage in Helsinki in the annual Tribade Day & Night Festival,” says Anne Jaaskelainen anne.jaasklelainen@nokia.com , festival co-ordinator. This event has also been extended to September 13 and 14th.

“We are pleased to have the first ILGCN conference in North America – September 19-21, 2008,” explains Nick Tretter, secretary general of the ILGCN History Secretariat trett007@umn.edu . “We’ll have seminars on Chinese gay poetry, LGBT life in the United States and battles on the Eastern European barricades -- as well as exhibitions looking at LGBT history around the globe.”


The event will be held at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis/St. Paul and will include a performance of the symphony orchestra – a first in ILGCN conferences.


“At the Toronto stage in November, we want to give a special focus on LGBT refugees around the world and the situation of the rainbow struggle in Iran and on LGBT Iranians forced to flee from that country,” says Michael Gfroerer, secretary general of the ILGCN North America Secretariat michaelgfroerer@yahoo.ca . This will be carried out together with the LGBT group at the University of Toronto.

Free Entrance, No Travel Grants


As usual, all three conference stages are free of charge, although some cultural events requiring the rental of locales may make entrance fees necessary. ILGCN world conferences are often divided between different cities to make accessibility more possible even for those without much travel funds, since the network survives only through donations and has no possibility of providing travel scholarships.


“At these stages, we’ll also announce this year’s ILGCN awards honoring special contributions to the LGBT world of culture – and also approve next year’s and future conference sites – which we hope will be in Budapest, Bucharest and Istanbul,” says Bill Schiller, secretary general of the ILGCN Information Secretariat in Stockholm info@tupilak.org . “We welcome any future candidates as well in this global effort to promote the international use of LGBT culture to combate homophobia, silence, provincialism and pink dollar commercialism that puts profit higher than solidarity.”


Interested ILGCN cultural ambassadors and national co-ordinators – and other rainbow cultural workers -- are especially welcome to participate in the conference stages. The ILGCN is supported by Tupilak (Nordic rainbow cultural workers), the Nordic Rainbow Council and the Nordic Rainbow Humanists.

NORDIC/BALTIC RAINBOW FLAGS in VISBY, 

Gotland  -- 6-12 July, 2008

    Tupilak, Nordic Rainbow Council and the ILLGCN Information Secretariat are joining forces to present rainbow culture and Nordic co-operation with colleagues in the Eastern Baltic region.
 
 At the "Baltic Square"  international solidarity venue in the harborof the island capital

of the of Gotland during "Almedal Week"  --the biggest political and human rights event of the Swedish summer.

       LGBT participation from Iceland to the East and Latvia to the west has been made possible by a grant from SIDA, the Swedish International Development Authority's Baltic Unit in Visby.    More information:  bill@tupilak.se 

_____________________________________________________________
 

STOCKHOLM JULY 19 – SOLIDARITY FOCUS ON EUROPE

Tupilak, the Nordic Rainbow Council, ILGCN-Information Secretariat together with– PositHIVa Gruppen - Stockholm

 

At the PositHIVa Gruppen Lokal

 Tjurbergsgatan  29  (T-bana Skanstull  exit: Allhelgongatan)    tel. 720 1960

No entrance fee       14.00- 20.00

 

14.00 Video Art "Black &  White – Veronicka Larenko, Sweden-Ukraine

14.05  Swedish Helsinki Human Rights Committee 

– on the LGBT barriers in Eastern Europe 

– Robert Hård, chairman

15.00  Hallongrotan TV – Bitte Andersson, HG president

15.45  Reading from work by the APU HIV Positive Theater,  Amsterdam

16.00  Film: "Toleranzja" (the Battle of Krakow)  -- Polish/Swedish

17.30  Tribade Day and Night Festival, Helsinki – Anne Jaaaskelainen,  chairperson

18.00  ART-L -- movement, music, text.   Anna of Sweden, Timo of Finland

18.30  Film: "They Still Smile" (1st Belarus LGBT documentary), Irina Sislova

19:00   ILGCN – coming world cultural conferences: Helsinki, Minneapolis St. Paul, Toronto, 

Bucharest, Budapest – Bill Schiller, secretary general information secretariat - Stockholm

19.30  Music and song – Anne Jaaskelainen, Finland

 

_____________________________________________________________

 

Tupilak/ILGCN/Nordic Rainbow Council Art Exhibition 

and European Cultural Festival

 

Galleri Kocks   Kocksgatan 18  ( Söder) Southern Island  Stockholm

 

12.00 – 18.00   July 24-30, 2008

 

No entrance fees.  No dog tags.  (on the sidelines of Europride)

 

ART  & PHOTOS  (including Tupilak/ILGCN Travelling Art Exhibit)

 

Eka Papinashvili  -- Georgia/Sweden

Yvonne Gerner --  Denmark

Gun Nordström – Sweden

Timo Sarelmaa – Finland

Oyvind Rauset -- Norway

Willi Reichhold -- Austria/Sweden

Colin de La Motte-Sherman – Britain/Germany

Michele Tancredi  – Italy

Isias Fanlo – Spain

Harma – Bosnia/Herzogovina

Vlad Vlad – Belarus

Pawel Leszkowicz  – Poland

George P. – Georgia/Sweden

Lukas' Daughter – Sweden

Robin of London – UK

Celsius Junior – Portugal/Brazil

Tarletzky – Belarus

Veronkia Lazerenko – Ukraine/Sweden

Jussi J. – Romania

Francis Faneli – France

Ron Paul  -- Netherlands

Ismao Hyrväninen – Finland

Ástá – Iceland/Faroes

Simon – Macedonia

 
Special guest: Paulina de Habana  – Cuba

 

SEMINARS at Galleri Kocks

 

Friday, July 25  

 

16.00 Tennesee Williams in Sweden --  Dick Gindt  (Benelux/Sweden)

17.00  Rainbow Culture & HIV/AIDS – ILGCN Information Secretariat

18.00  Rainbow Culture vs. Homophobia, Neo Nazis, Pink Dollar fanatics – Tupilak

 

Sunday, July 27

16.00  Hungarian Rainbows – Tamás Lovas, Rudolf Balázs (Budapest)

17.00  Nordic Baltic Cultural Co-operation  -- Tupiak/ILGCN Info Secretariat

18.00  Multi Media Presentation of ILGCN Eastern European Secretariat work in Poland, 

Belarus, Ukraine, etc. – secretary general Lukasz Palucki, Warsaw  

Monday, July 28

16.00   Humanists on the LGBT barricades – Rolf Solheim, Oslo – Nordic Rainbow Humanists

17.00   NORDIC ordic Rainbow Council session 1 (2nd session in Helsinki. Sept. 14)

18.00   Rainbow Films and Film Festivals 

– Andrejs Visockis, secretary general of the ILGCN Film Secretariat – Riga

Tuesday, July 29

16.00  Rainbow barricades in Riga – Andrejs Visockis – Mozaika- Latvia

17.00  Nazi & neo Nazi Persecution of Homosexuals 

– Colin de la Motte - Sherman, ILGCN-Berlin, ILGCN Info Secretariat

18.00 Rainbow Culture vs. Nazis and neo Nazis Persecution: 

art, films, drama, music, literature, homo monuments – ILGCN Info Secretariat

PERFORMANCES  at Galleri Kocks

Continuo Trio  – renaissance music from Budapest 

                    – Tamás Lovas, Eszter Sztrákos, Rudolf Baláza

 

Thursday   July 24  20.00  (at art exhibition vernissage)

Sunday      July 27  20.00

Monday     July 28, 20.00.

Songs on Monday, July 28:

Melina of Athens, Marlene of Berlin, Lola of Paris -- 19.00

Polish songs – Lukasz Palucki, Warsaw   --            19.30 

ILGCN CALLING -- JUNE, 2008

ILGCN Secretariats, ambassadors, co-ordinators  & supporters:

ERATO (June 2008)

Successful participation of Nordic ILGCN representatives in Bucharest Pride. More information coming in the next Erato (under preparation).

Also, more information on the long-postponed Toronto stage of an ILGCN world cultural conference coming soon. To be arranged together with the LGBT group at the University of Toronto.

Photo by Colin de la Motte-Sherman, ILGCN-Berlin

ILGCN AWARDS

2008 Grizzly Bear awards have been awarded to couragous activists in Bucharest and Chisenau -- the later where homophobes violently attacked colleagues in a bus and at the activists' center in the Moldav capital.

Proposals for other 2008 ILGCN awards are very welcome.

HELSINKI

The stage of this year's ILGCN World Cultural Conference will be extended over 2 days instead of 1 -- September 13-14, 2008  --  as part of the annual Tribade Day & Night Festival in the Finnish capital (September 10-16, 2008).

The Information Secretariat is planing to provide multi-media seminars such as:

"Nordic Rainbow Culture"
"Rainbows under Seige, Rainbows in Chains -- Estonia, Latvia,
Lithuania, Poland & Belarus"
"Rainbow Culture -- a spotlight on Nazi & neo nazi persecution of
Homosexuals."
"Nordic Rainbow Humunists -- fighting the homophobic dragons of
religions"
"Music on the Rainbow Barricades"
"Films on the Rainbow Barricades."
"Rainbow Culture vs. HIV/AIDS  -- Swedish Co-operation with Baltic
Colleagues"

The secretariat will also display work from the Tupilak (Nordic rainbow cultural workers) /ILGCN Travelling Art & Photo Exhibition.

Input from other ILGCN secretariats, ambassadors, co-ordinators and supporters very welcome!!!

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL

More information about the Minneapolis stage of this year's ILGCN World Cultural Conference September  19-21, 2008 is coming in the next Erato.

Participation from ILGCN contacts and supporters is very welcome!

WORLD CONFERENCE STAGES 2009

Proposals for ILGCN world conference stages for next year are welcome and have to be approved at the Helsinki and Minneapolis/St. Paul stages.

Please submit them as soon as possible.

Keep in touch,

Bill Schiller of the ILGCN Information Secretariat

ILGCN CALLING*   www.ilgcn.tupilak.org

May 17 - IDAHO (International Day Against Homophobia) DAY. You are cordially invited to join us when we include an ILGCN seminar at a Stockholm event called *Rainbow Culture & HIV/ AIDS. If you can*t attend in person, any relevant material is very welcome.(As usual, we have no travel grants but will find private accommodation to avoid hotel costs!)

Bucharest --  May 19-25. We plan to include a seminar on the ILGCN and display works from our Tupilak (Nordic lesbian & Gay Cultural workers) and ILGCN art and photography.   Any one able to join us and describe about work in your area is very welcome!

 NEW ERATO under preparation.  Any contributions..? Art work..?  Please send it as soon as possible. The January 2008 ERATO is one the web!

2008 ILGCN AWARD nominations welcome!

ILGCN WORLD CULTURAL CONFERENCE STAGES 2008 - Plans are rolling for the stages in Helsinki (part of the Tribade Night & Day Festival) on September 14 and in Minneapolis/St. Paul (arranged by the ILGCN History Secretariat) September 19-21. Contributions from ILGCN cultural ambassadors and co-ordinators are very welcome!).

NEW ADDITIONS:

Our new ILGCN co-ordinator for Uganda is Kiyimba Brown of IDAHO Uganda. We hope to have an ILGCN event in Kampala in the future.

Our ILGCN cultural ambassador for Romania is Florintina, ILGCN co-ordinator is Octav Popescu.

URGENT! The ILGCN Algerian "ambassador in exile*  can ONLY be reached through the ILGCN Information Secretariat because of security reasons.

Bill Schiller, secretary general of the ILGCN Information Secretariat - Stockholm

bill@tupilak.org
_____________________________________

Supporting the ILGCN Information Secretariat:

  TUPILAK -- Nordic rainbow cultural workers  www.tupilak.org

 NORDIC RAINBOW COUNCIL

 NORDIC RAINBOW HUMANISTS

TUPILAK LAUNCHES 2008 with NORDIC/BALTIC EMPHASIS, SPOTLIGHT on AIDS & CULTURE

PRESS RELEASE               January 3, 2008

 

 

"Blue Baltic" Festival to Link Swedish Capital with Cities in Nordic/Baltic Neighbors

 

TUPILAK LAUNCHES 2008 with NORDIC/BALTIC EMPHASIS, SPOTLIGHT on AIDS & CULTURE

 

   Stockholm --  Tupilak, the Nordic organization of LGBT cultural workers in the Nordic area, is launching this year with special emphasis on co-operation projects in Sweden and in our Nordic and Baltic neighbors -- promoting the use of rainbow culture as a powerful weapon against homophobia, provincially and silence.

 

    "We're adopting the excellent Polish idea of concrete East-West co-operation by launching the "Blue Baltic" happening " -- in Stockholm on July 19 at Södra Teatern (a week before EuroPride here) together with two cities in countries on the eastern shores of the Baltic -- pledging to increase mutual participation in each other's events.  It had been hoped in vain that Europride organizers would adopt this concept to share the spotlight with Eastern European colleagues -- and maybe this may one day happen," says Tupilak chairman Bill Schiller, also general secretary of the ILGCN (International Lesbian & Gay Cultural Network) Information Secretariat - Stockholm. "We have nothing against launching the idea on a smaller, less prestigious  scale."

 

AIDS in Rainbow Culture: Baltic Spotlights and Shadows

 

    Tupilak, the ILGCN, the Nordic Rainbow Council and the Nordic Rainbow Humanists are also planning a special cultural festival in connection with this year's  May 17 IDAHO (The International Day Against Homophobia) in Stockholm -- with seminars, drama, poetry, photography, music, song and dance. The aim is to help   illustrate how HIV and AIDS have been reflected -- or ignored -- in cultural life of the Nordic and Baltic region, and how rainbow culture can be better used to promote safer sex and responsibility -- especially where HIV has reached epidemic proportions in some of Sweden's eastern neighbors across the Baltic Sea.

 

Swedish and Polish participants at Equality Days In Poznan

     Tupilak is also planning to send delegates, the travelling Tupilak/ILGCN art exhibit and films to Prides and other events in the region -- especially in the East,  as well as with other "partners" in Eastern Europe such as Romania, with a Nordic-Romanian rainbow festival in Stockholm and in Bucharest during the year.  The special relationship with colleagues in Belarus -- the homophobic and last East European dictatorship.    

 

     "We are attending the Nordic-Baltic conference in Warsaw February 7-10 hoping to check out what progress has been made int eh many recommendations made at the meeting in Gothenburg last September  for increasing co-operation,"  Schiller adds.  "We'll also try to attend the ILGCN world cultural conference stages in Helsinki  on September 14 (part of the Tribade Days & Nights Festival) and Minneapolis/St. Paul September 19-21.

 

     Tupilak's November 9 "Kristal Nacht" event  -- held in Stockholm earlier and in other Baltic cities  -- focusing on Nazi and neo Nazi persecution of homosexuals is searching for a new host city, while Tupilak's annual  Moonbow art exhibit and the winter solstice festival are again booked for the Swedish capital.

 

     "Of course, we'll be handing out our annual Tupilak, ILGCN, and other awards during the year to honor outstanding achievements in the world of rainbow culture and international human rights, "Schiller concludes.  "We hope we also see a boost in new members among cultural workers and those who support rainbow culture -- since the 100 kronor membership fee and the moral support really helps a small organization like ours cross international and psychological barriers."

 

www.tupilak.org       www.ilgcn.tupilak.org