ILGCN CALLING -- April 25, 2017 

TALLINN: 

    At this year's Bearty-Tallinn meeting with Bears coming from Ukraine, Russia, Finland,  Hungary, Britain, USA, Sweden

 and Iceland joining Estonian colleagues.  During the weekend event April 21-23, Bears also joined with local LGBT activists

at a demonstration in front of the Russian Embassy, demanding the end of persecution, imprisonment and murders of gays

in Chechnya.

       The Bearty-Tallinn event this time focused on Bear musicians and DJ's and discussions of Bear culture.  At the event, 

Tupilak's (Nordic rainbow culture workers) "Thor's Hammer" award diploma was handed over to Frosti Jonsson, Icelandic

 activist and organizer of the annual "Bears on Ice" event in Reykjavik. The Bears International's "Bears Art Award" diplomas

 were handed over to Canadian/British Bear artists Mike Wyeld and Charlie Hunter.  

     

       Performing at an enthusiastically-applauded concert during the event, American singer and song writer Matt Alber of Portland,

 Oregon has been appointed the latest ILGCN culture ambassador  -- this time for the United States,  sharing the diplomatic

 position with American artist and film maker, Erica Eaton of New York. 

STOCKHOLM: 

The ILGCN Information Secretariat in the Swedish capital will join with Tupilak, Bears International, Nordic Rainbow

Humanists and others for the Wednesday, May 17 IDAHOT Day ceremonies --  with presentations, art, films, poetry and with 

special salutes to colleagues in the homophobic dictatorships of Chechnya and Belarus.

This will take place at the Old Town Secret Garden pub at 19.00.

WESTPRIDE - GOTHENBURG:

 ILGCN, Tupilak and Bears International seminars are now scheduled for ) Wednesday, June 7 (14.00) on Nordic 

co-operation with Eastern Europe, Thursday, June 8 (12:30) on LGBT culture, Friday June 9 (13:00) on "Bears on 

the Barricades" and on rainbow history (16:00). 

BUDAPEST:

ILGCN's Rainbow Culture Conference 2017 will take place in the Hungarian capital on 3-4 July -- part of Budapest Pride.

Seminars, poetry, art work, films, music and song.  (Detailed program coming.)

TALLINN: 

ILGCN, Tupilak, Bears International  plan to participate in the annual, rotating Baltic Pride  this time taking place in the

 Estonian capital, July 6-9. (Details coming,)

2ND NORDIC HISTORY RAINBOW HISTORY & ART -- October, 2017:

New cities are joining the 12 Nordic cities already making plans for this year's Nordic LGBT history and culture month.  The

 latest are Reykjavik, Iceland and Åbo/Turku, Finland joining colleagues in Stockholm, Södertälje, Umeå, Lund, Tallinn,

Rakvere (Estonia), Vilnius, Helsinki etc.  

(Program details coming.)

Frosti Jonsson

Matt Alber (photo by Vladimir Lysenko)

Mike Weyeld and Charlie Hunter

LGCN secretariats, ambassadors, co-ordinators, supporters and contacts:

ILGCN CALLING -- April, 2017 (Note: ILGCN information now both on facebook and on website www.ilgcn.tupilak.org)

VILNIUS, STOCKHOLM:

Successful meetings in the Lithuanian and Swedish capitals at the end of March discussing preparations for 2nd Nordic Rainbow History & Art Month - October, 2017 -- now planned for 12 Nordic nations on both sides of the Baltic Sea. Agreement that colleagues from Belarus should be included in as many of the sessions as possible.  Calls of support and exchange for the new Bears of Belarus - "Lokys."

TALLINN:

ILGCN-supported Bears International will participate in the Bearty-Tallinn meeting in the Estonian capital April 19-22.
​

STOCKHOLM:

May 17 IDAHOT Day is planned in the Swedish capital with presentations, art, films, poetry -- with secial salutes to colleagues in the dictatorships of Chechnya and Belarus. (Together with Tupilak (Nordic rainbow culture workers), Bears International, Nordic Rainbow Humanists, etc.)

WESTPRIDE - GOTHENBURG:

ILGCN seminars on rainbow history, culture, identity, Bears, together with Tupilak and Bears International will take place at this Pride event in the western Swedish city of Gothenburg June 7-9.

BUDAPEST:

ILGCN Rainbow Culture Conference will take place in the Hungarian capital on 3-4 July. Seminars, poetry, art work, films, music and song. ILGCN cultural ambassadors, co-ordinators, supporters, etc. especially welcome!  (Officially part of Budapest Pride.)

TALLINN:

ILGCN plans to participate in the annual, rotating Baltic Pride this time taking place in the Estonian capital, July 6-9.

STOCKHOLM, UMEÅ, SÖDERTÄLJE, RAKVERE, VILNIUS, ETC.:

The ILGCN's 2nd NORDIC HISTORY & ART MONTH - October, 2017 (together with Tupilak, Bears International, etc.) will take place in 12 Nordic cities on both sides of the Baltic Sea. ILGCN abassadors, co-ordinators, etc. are very welcome!

AWARD SUGGESTION:

That the 2017 Orfeo Imago goes to the photo and video collective, "Atonal" with members from Poland, Sweden, Greece and Norway.

Suggestions for other ILGCN award diplomas welcome!

ERATO:

Material, information, photos, graphics for the next "Erato" welcome at the ILGCN Information Secretariat-Stockholm!

Photo: Vilnius "prologue" meeting at Pavilljonas Café (photo by Giordano Campanelli, Italy)

ILGCN CALLING -- March, 2017

ILGCN CULTURE HAPPENING IN BUDAPEST IN JULY

   Budapest/Stockholm --  ILGCN's next international rainbow conference and culture event will be on July 3-4 as part of the opening days of Budapest Pride-2017.

   "We hope that other ILGCN ambassadors, co-ordinators and supporters will join us for seminars, art and photo exhibitions and film screenings, " says Bill Schiller of the ILGCN Information Secretariat in Stockholm.   "Of course one seminar will be on the importance of LGBT History & Art Months in Budapest, London, Edinburgh and other cities -- and the 2nd Nordic Rainbow Culture Month - October, 2017 -- this time, in 12 Nordic cities on both sides of the Baltic Sea."

    "This is especially important at this time when the dictatorial Hungarian regime is trying to close the liberal-orientated Central European University in Budapest -- the best in the country and the site of earlier ILGCN seminars on Nordic rainbow culture and history at the annual Budapest LGBT History Month in February," adds Schiller.

    "We of course will also have Hungarian and other rainbow music at this July event," says Thomas Lovas, a member of the ILGCN cultural ambassadors of Budapest -- the folk, classic and musical-playing Trio Continuo in Budapest.

    More information:   bill@tupilak.org       continueo1@freemail.hu

BEARS INTERNATIONAL SALUTE NEW BELARUS COLLEAGUES

     Vilnius -- At a international rainbow conference in the Lithuanian capital at the end of March, 2017, a new Belarus Bears organization has been formed to help combat stereotypes from Belarus media, politicians and homophobes that gays are weak, soft, "half men" and undeserving of human rights and respect.

    It's named after the ancient Lithuanian word for "bear" -- "Lokys" - Belarus Bears.

      The inauguration "ceremony" in Vilnius was attended by Belarus Bears and representatives from Bears International and Nordic Bears-Sweden. 

INTERNATIONAL JOURNALIST MEETING CONDEMNS POLICE BRUTALITY IN BELARUS (Vilnius 26th March 2017)

We the delegates to the international journalist conference in Vilnius 24-26th March 2017 strongly protest against the continuing police arrest of Belarussian and foreign journalists in Minsk.

We demand immediate release of those detained and demand judicial investigation of police brutality and other misconduct against those arrested.

We demand that the rule of law is upheld to safeguard freedom of speech and freedom of assembly in Belarus. These police actions damage the already tarnished image of Belarus as a modern democratic nation.

Bill Schiller, editor of "Erato" of the ILGCN (rainbow culture international) and of Tupilak (Nordic rainbow culture workers).