STOCKHOLM SALUTUE TO INTERNATIONAL ANTI-FASCIST  DAY

Stockholm -- Members of Tupilak (Nordic rainbow culture workers), ILGCN (rainbow culture international) and Bears International and others saluted the victims of fascism and neo-facism at a November 9th ceremony in the Swedish capital marking Kristallnacht -- the Ínternational Day against Fascism -- with presentations, discussions, poetry, art and photography.

Swedish Tupilak member, Tomas Åberg read his moving poem entitled "Kristalnacht" and other poems, and artist Bo Bergstrand read the poem of famous Swedish lesbian poet, Karin Boje, "Nattjar" -- about a darkly feathered bird searching in the night for the blue dawn's light -- a poem read in the Auschwitz museum during the historic, first-ever LGBT official visit to the Nazi death camp in Poland.

The ILGCN Information Secretariat's Bill Schiller read a statement honoring the Amsterdam-based human right group, "United," for inspiring November 9 events all over the world, stating that the anniversary not only signaled the smashing of Jewish shop windows in Germany in 1938 but also launching the mass deportation of Jews, Roma, dissidents, LGBT people and others to Nazi concentration camps all over Europe.

The statment also paid tribute to Irishman Roger Casement, hung by the British exactly 100 years ago after his "Black Diaries" of his same-sex contacts were spread by a homophobic press destroying his appeal for clemency, Vadim Kozin -- homosexual Russian singer arrested by the KGB in 1945 and sent to Siberia, gay Belarus culture worker Misha murded by a homophobic hooligan in Minsk as well as Faroes activist Rasmus Rasmussen and Hungarian gay activist, Milan Rozsa-- both driven to despair into taking their own lives.

November 9 anti-fascist exhibition (photo by Joakim of Sweden) 

November 9 participants, Stockholm (photo by Joakihm of Sweden)

Discussion of Evaluation of the Nordic Rainbow Month 

Some discussion took focused on the planned evaluation sessions this December 10-13 of the 1st Nordic Rainbow History & Art Month -- October 2016 which took place in the northern Swedish city of Umeå, Stockholm and the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius.  

The Stockholm session included presentations about Nazi and neo Nazi persecution of LGBT people presented by Colin de la Motte-Sherman of Berlin, the ILGCN History Secretariat.   Plans were also discussed about next year's Nordic History Month with hopes of including more Nordic cities.

More information:  bill@tupilak.org     www.tupilak.org    www.ilgcn.tupilak.org 

1st Nordic Rainbow Month in Lithuania

    Vilnius -- The third and last stage of the ILGCN's (rainbow culture international) /Tupilak’s  & Bears International's 1st Nordic Rainbow History & Arts Month 2016 has ended in the Lithuanian capital October 29-31 with presentations, discussions, poetry, films, art and photography. This followed three weeks of events in the Swedish capital and the opening, first two days of October in Umeå in the far north of Sweden.

    Lithuanian artists and curators Karolina Rimkuté, Gabriéle Gervickaité and Laima Kreivyté presented the often dramatic history and present the sensitive situation of Lithuanian rainbow art and photography as a powerful part of the struggle against discrimination and homophobia.

    Former Lithuanian parliamentarian, Marija Pavilioniené, who finally received in person the ILGCN's "Bifrost 2014" award diploma -- for bridge-building between the heterosexual and LGBT communities -- also praised the importance of LGBT culture, confirmed the role of the Baltic nations as part of the Nordic family and immediately became a member of Tupilak (Nordic rainbow culture workers) which has been supporting the month-long event. 

    Ingrida Kaulinyte, working with the Lithuanian Gay League, made a thorough, photo-filled presentation of the history of the LGL -- including videos banned by the authorities for "spreading" LGBT propaganda."   She and other LGL colleagues received the ILGCN "Arco Nordica 2016" diploma honoring the organizers of the highly-praised Baltic Pride-Vilnius of June, 2016.   The award is given in honor of the late, pioneering gay activist, Rasmus Rasmmusen, of the Faroe Islands.

                                                     Bifrost Award to Swedish Embassy

    At the History Month's final day -- October 31 -- which took place at the Swedish Embassy, first secretary Susanna Hughes re-newed the embassy's support for the Lithuanian LGBT struggle against discrimination and for human rights. On behalf of the embassy, she also received the ILGCN "Bifrost 2016" award -- named after the Viking word for the "rainbow."  She also confirmed that the brand new Swedish ambassador to Lithuania will continue the strong and public support given to the LGBT community by the last Swedish envoy to Vilnius.

     "Discussions included pledges to make joint Swedish-Lithuanian efforts to include LGBT colleagues from neighboring Belarus -- the last dictatorship in Eastern Europe -- in the next Nordic History Month and other events in both countries.  Another pledge aimed at attempting to link Swedish and Lithuanian trans persons for mutual contact and support and another to seek still-hidden LGBT Bears in Lithuania -- as stereotype-breaking personalities needed on the rainbow barricades and future members of Bears International," said Bill Schiller of the ILGCN, Tupilak and Bears International.

     "Other pledges were made to work together to encourage more Nordic cities to join in the events of the 2nd Nordic Rainbow History & Art Month - 2017," concluded Schiller.  

      The 0-budget event in Vilnius was made possible by the rent-free provision of space at the Paviljonas café -- which functioned as the Baltic Pride 2016 information center -- and the Swedish Embassy situated in the historic Old Town of Vilnius.