6th NORDIC RAINBOW HISTORY & CULTURE MONTH -- OCTOBER, 2021 -- last Stockholm stage events!

Stockholm -- Some of the last few events of the Swedish capital stage of the 6th Nordic Rainbow History & Culture Month - 2021 have taken place at the Hjorthagen Culture Center with presentations, film screenings, music, poetry, art work and award ceremonies. Presentations included a description of the on-going Belarus-Swedish Rainbow Co-operation project -- financed by the Swedish Insititute -- with LGBT Belarus journalists coming to Sweden to interview cultural workers here for thier website. Two journalists participated in WestPride-Gothenburg events -- with the October 1st opening of the Nordic Month, and later in Stockholm for more interviews. Two more Belarus journalists are coming to visit the Swedish capital in December for more interviews. The Stockholm event also included an exhibition of rainbow art and photography from LGBT Belarus male and female artists -- included in the Tupilak/ILGCN International Rainbow Art & Photography Travelling Exhibition. Also, art from beyond the Nordic region -- such as of Serge Hildago of Mexico! The event also included the birth of two new film initiatives: the "Elli's Rainbow Film Festival" -- honoring the elderly in the LGBT movement and those focusing on the elderly's contributions (Elli was the Viking goddess of the Aged!) and the "Loke's Rainbow Film Festival" focusing on the trans contribution to LGBT culture and identity. AWARDS HANDED OVER AT THE EVENTS The "2021 Thor's Hammer" was presented to Swedish gay soprano sexophone player, Anders Paulsson, for his enormous contribition to music and to the efforts to save the coral reefs and ocean environments of several nations. The "2021 Loke's Rainbow" awards were presented to Sweden's Zafire Vrba Woodski, whose powerful film "Death is My Pronoun" was also screened at the event, and to Swedish writer and lecturer, Emil Åkerö. Another film screened at the event was "If I Could Tell" by SETA-Finland, with the moving and often humorous documentary of both elderly gays and lesbians and couragous trans persons. This film has also been awarded the "2021 Elli's Rainbow" diploma. Powerful music provided at the event came from Elise Streetway, Jan Hammarlund and Robert Hill. Poetry was provided by Tommy Åberg, Tupilak's "house poet." LAST 2 NORDIC RAINBOW MONTH EVENTS IN STOCKHOLM Still to come, the Tuesday, October 19th event (note: new time! 19.00-21.00) at the Posithiva Grupp offices (Östermalsgatan 5). Discussions are to cover both the list of historic VIP's -- many unknown -- of the Nordic region and a future Rainbow HIV/AIDS Film Festival (with works from Sweden, USA, UK, Germany, Canada, Denmark, France, South Africa, India, etc). Films to be screened on the 19th at the PG offices are "Global Struggle for Survival" of Willi Reichhold and Sam Hultin's documentary, "Our Hopes UP" (Segern i Förskott). The session is also to discuss the need for LGBT monuments in the Nordic zone -- not only in the rest of the world. RAINBOWS IN EXILE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL? The very last event for the Swedish capital will be on Thursday, October 21 (19.00-21.00) (Götgatan 30 - T-ban Slussen) with a discussion of Amnesty's support for LGBT questions and news, LGBT Bears contribution to rainbow culture. Also, the suggestion of future plans for a Swedish-Danish initiative for an annual "Rainbows in Exile International Film Festival" focusing on the trauma and struggle of LGBT people seeking refuse and asylum in other countries. Limited space so early registration is necessary (0700 15 66 95). MIX - LGBT FILM FESTIVAL IN COPENHAGEN The Nordic Rainbow Month finishes with the 10-day event, MIX, LGBT Film Festival in Copenhagen -- the biggest and the oldest rainbow film festival in the Nordic region, from the 22nd to the 31st of October. Information about the program is on the website: https://mixcopenhagen.dk/ and on MIX COPENHAGEN. MIX is also to receive the ILGCN (international rainbow culture network) award, the "2021 Wings" for the outstanding promotion of LGBT films. It's named after the world's first gay film, the 1916 "Vingarna" by gay Swedish film maker, Maurice Stiller. More information: bill@tupilak.org

Anders Paulsson

Anders diploma

"Death" film logo

Elise

Viking goddess Elli

Jan Hammarlund

Robert Hill

art from Serge Hildago of Mexico

Belarus art "red,"

Zafira and diploma

Coming Events

 SOME TUPILAK (Nordic rainbow culture workers) and ILGCN (international rainbow culture network) INFORMATION SECRETARIAT-Stockholm COMING EVENTS:

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The ILGCN/Tupilak-initiated INTERNATIONAL DAY for RAINBOW CULTURE -- AUGUST 9 (also the birthday of Finnish-Swedish author and artist and creater of Mumintroll, Tove Jansson -- and member of Tupilak!).

Join us with a poem, quotes from Tove Jansson, a song, a short film, an art/photo display, a discussion of rainbow culture or a "skål" (a Swedish toast!) to your own rainbow culture workers!

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The inauguration of the NORDIC CAMPAIGN for LGBT MONUMENTS in the NORDIC ZONE -- not mere monuments for local recognition but for a salute to the LGBT struggle everywhere and every when over the millennium!

Launch at WorldPride Copenhagen-Malmö, August 12- 22, 2021.

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Launch of ILGCN/Tupilak: 6th NORDIC RAINBOW HISTORY & CULTURE MONTH -- October, 2021 on October 1 at WestPride- Gothenburg.

The rest of the month at Stockholm, Estonian and other Nordic cities with presentations, poetry, films, music, song, art and photography:

Heartfest LGBT Film Festival in Tartu and Rakvere

Elli’s Rainbow Festival – honoring the elderly LGBT

Loke’s Rainbow – honoring trans culture .

Nordic Culture Co-operation with Eastern Europe

Nordic VIPS in history

Nordic LGBT Monuments Campaign – a progress report

Rainbow culture salute to Greenland and Estonia

 "ORFEO IRIS" ON RESEARCH INTO NAZI, NEO-NAZI ATROCITIES

Stockholm -- The ILGCN (international rainbow culture network) announces its 2021 "Orfeo Iris" award diplomas for outstanding information work regarding the Nazi persecution, arrest and murder of LGBT prisoners and other categories of concentration camp inmates as well as homophobic neo-Nazi violence after WWII.

The winners this year include Dr. Joanna Ostrowska of Poland, who has written a series of highly-praised books about LGBT and others in the Nazi concentration camps, and activist Barbara Ludmilla Froelich of Austria and her Anti-Fascist Committee of HOSI-Wien, who help organize the yearly rainbow participation in Austria's Mauthausen concentration camp.

Earler Orfeo Iris winners include researchers, writers, museums and organizations in the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Sweden and Poland.

It's hoped that the 2021 award winners will be able to come to Stockohlm in the future to receive their award diplomas.

The award is named after "iris" -- the rainbow -- and Orpheus, the ancient Greek musician whose music could calm even the demons of the Underworld and who was proud of his male lovers, including Calais -- a fellow sailor on that famous ship, the Argo.

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Photos/logos: Dr. Joanna Ostrowska, Barbara Ludmilla Frölich, drawing of Orpheus and Calais, rainbow and entrance to Auschwitz.

 TUPILAK & ILGCN 5th NORDIC RAINBOW MONTH 

 

    Stockholm -- The 5th Nordic Rainbow History & Culture Month - October, 2020 started at the Hanninge Culture House in a suburb of the Swedish capital with Swedish performer, Louise Blad exhibition of pioneering UK lesbian Jackie Forster, followed by the Heartfest LGBT Film Festival in Estonia, in Rakvere and Tartu. (cont. on page 3)

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ILGCN “Wings” to Melinka Film Festival – Serbia

    

   Belgrade – The ILGCN award for LGBT film production and distribution has gone to the Serbian  Melinka International Queer Film Festival – named after a murdered Serbian trans activist – and its festival director, Predrag Azdejkovic.

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ILGCN AWARD to Norwegian Archive

 

         Bergen -- The "Sappho in Paradise 2020" Award -- from the ILGCN (international rainbow culture network) and the Paradise Press-London -- has been handed over the to the University of Bergen's Skeivt[p1]  Arkiv (The Norwegian Queer Archive) in this Norwegian city for collecting rainbow historical information, publications and items in Norway, elsewhere in the Nordic region and beyond.   (Continued on page 2)

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BRITISH-SWEDISH ZOOM ON QUEER HISTORY IN HOLOCAUST,

 

"ORFEO IRIS 2020" AWARD to Czech Researcher   

Stockholm -- Representatives of Tupilak (Nordic rainbow culture workers) and the ILGCN (international rainbow culture network) Information Secretariat-Stockholm joined with Dr. Anna Hájková, Czech/UK from her home in England with a Zoom connection, presenting some of her research into "Queer History in the Holocaust" -- describing the challenges and the difficulties in finding materials and working in areas not always supported by universities and other institutions. (continued on page 2)

 

 

 

ILGCN AWARD to Norwegian Archive….

 

   (continued from page 1) Presenting the diploma to members of the archive staff and reading the motivation, John Earhart, head of the Norwegian Bamse Bear organization and long-time ally of the ILGCN, he said the award honors the archive " for understanding that without the painstaking archiving efforts of today, many of the accomplishments and the pioneers of today and yesterday may soon be forgotten."

 

" .......and for confirming that the past is never only the past, but is a bridge to the peoples and happenings of today and the events and peoples of tomorrow."

Academic director Hanna Gillow-Kloster said "On behalf of the entire team at Skeivt arkiv, we are of course thrilled and proud to accept this award. We thank the ILGCN and Paradise Press for the consideration, it is always very nice to be recognized for our work in the LGBT culture sector. This award is the first time anyone is giving us a salute for the work we are doing here!" 

 

                                     Paradise Press Donation to the Sapho Award 

 

    The award is named after the ancient Greek poetess, Sappho and the LGBT-run Paradise Press in London -- publishing novels, biographies, short stories and poetry by lesbians and gays.

 

     The ILGCN awards include no monetary contribution but are given with golden appreciation for work well done. However the "Sappho" includes a literary donation from the publications by Paradise Press and this time includes Central African-born, UK resident, Elsa Wallace's collection of short stories, "Kissy face and Others." 

 

    The award has over the years honored authors, publishers, libraries and archives collecting, preserving and displaying crucial information of the rainbow rights struggle and culture. The 2020 award diploma contains an image of a painting of Sappho and the Greek poetess, Erinna by Simeon Solomon, UK, 1864.

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TUPILAK & ILGCN NORDIC RAINBOW MONTH…

 

   (continued from page 1) At Stockholm meetings filled with presentations, poetry, film screenings and art work from Tupilak's (Nordic rainbow culture workers) and ILGCN's (international rainbow culture network) 70-nation rainbow art and photography exhibition, a number of Tupilak and ILGCN awards were presented.  

 

       ILGCN's "Arco Nordica" (the blue rainbow) awards for 2020 were handed out to Petter Wallenberg and Vincent Ferrigan and his Sidetrack bar staff for starting and helping fund the first LGBT Rainbow Riot community center in Kampala, Uganda. The ceremony took place at Sidetrack bar.

 

        Tupilak's awards for men "Thor's Hammer" were handed out to Swedish poet/performer/artist Leif Holmstrand, Sweden's Peter Rothfor songs/lectures on HIV, addiction life and death, Jan Göransson of the Swedish Film Institute for supporting LGBT films, film screenings and film makers.

 

    Tupilak's Sowelu award winners for women cultural workers, Kaisa Färlin and Moa Lingnell, Swedish singers and Catarina Harline, Swedish photographer, are to receive their awards later on.

 

        One of the most impressive presentations by Ida Måwe of Ottar, publication of RFSU -- internationally pioneering Swedish organization promoting sexual education and often focusing on LGBT questions. 

 

          Other remarkable presentations came with Sweden's Christine Zawall playing the piano and journalist Kirsti Kajanne of Finland, singing the text of Finnish writer, Tove Jansson. Swedish artist Kennet Lindquist provided live painting actions at several events during the Month.

                                                        Solidarity salutes to Polish, Belarus Colleagues

 

    Also discussed future Polish-Swedish LGBT co-operation and exchange hopefully with support from the Polish Institute in Stockholm, and Belarus-Swedish exchange -- hopefully with support from the Swedish Institute.

 

    One meeting during the month took place at the Stockholm City Hall with Tupilak graphic artists and Torun Boucher, (Left Party), vice chair of Stockholm Cultural Council about her highly praised plans to paint the thousands of dull grey, electricity boxes in the city.

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ILGCN “Orfeo Imago” to USA, Germany, UK-New Zealand

Awards to Sarah Jane Moon of UK-New Zealand, Victor Adeniran – USA, Patrick Mc Donald-Germany.  Diplomas to be sent or handed out later when travel permits.

        

 

ILGCN AWARD to Norwegian Archive….

 

(continued from page 1)  Presenting the diploma to members of the archive staff and reading the motivation, John Earhart, head of the Norwegian Bamse Bear organization and long-time ally of the ILGCN, he said the award honors the archive " for understanding that without the painstaking archiving efforts of today, many of the accomplishments and the pioneers of today and yesterday may soon be forgotten."

 

  " .......and for confirming that the past is never only the past, but is a bridge to the peoples and happenings of today and the events and peoples of tomorrow."

 

    Academic director Hanna Gillow-Kloster said "On behalf of the entire team at Skeivt Arkiv, we are of course thrilled and proud to accept this award. We thank the ILGCN and Paradise Press for the consideration, it is always very nice to be recognized for our work in the LGBT culture sector. This award is the first time anyone is giving us a salute for the work we are doing here!" 

 

                             Paradise Press Donation to the Sapho Award 

 

    The award is named after the ancient Greek poetess, Sappho and the LGBT-run Paradise Press in London -- publishing novels, biographies, short stories and LGBT poetry.   The ILGCN awards include no monetary contribution but are given with golden appreciation for work well done. However the "Sappho" includes a literary donation from the publications by Paradise Press and this time includes Central African-born, UK resident, Elsa Wallace'scollection of short stories, "Kissy face and Others."

 

     The award has over the years honored authors, publishers, libraries and archives collecting, preserving and displaying crucial information of the rainbow rights struggle and culture. The 2020 award diploma contains an image of a painting of Sappho and the Greek poetess, Erinna by Simeon Solomon, UK, 1864.

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"ORFEO IRIS 2020"AWARD -- Czech Researcher…   

 

(continued from page 1) The September 15, 2020 event also included the award to Dr. Hájková of the ILGCN's "Orfeo Iris 2020" award honoring "outstanding contributions to research on LGBT people in Nazi and neo Nazi times."

 

     The motivation reads: "for the crucial, often ignored research -- also with books and numberous articles -- on the fate of LGBT people in the Nazi death camps." The award is named after "iris" -- the rainbow, and the ancient Greek musician, Orpheus, whose powerful music could calm elven the demons of the underworld and who was proud of his male lovers, including Calais -- a fellow sailor on the Argos. 

 

     Earlier Orfeo Iris Winners include the U.S. Holocaust Museum which had a gay researcher stationed in Europe to carry out work on homosexuals in the Holocaust, the Malmö City Museum in southern Sweden -- for arranging an exhibition on neo Nazi attacks and murders of homosexuals and immigrants, a controversial German ex-priest and author - revealing discrimination of LGBT people in the Catholic Church, German and Austrian university students carrying out research on homophobic atrocities by the Nazis – and the Museum of Auschwitz in Poland -- for including homosexuals in the list of those imprisoned and murdered there -- unlike many other museums and exhibits.

TUPILAK & ILGCN SALUTE IDAHO DAY IN STOCKHOLM

 TUPILAK & ILGCN SALUTE IDAHO DAY IN STOCKHOLM

  

 Stockholm --  Representatives of Tupilak (Nordic rainbow culture workers) and ILGCN (international rainbow culture network) Information Secretariat- Stockholm will salute May 17 as IDAHO DAY -- the international day against homophobia and transphobia.

           The theme for this year is "Together, Resisting, Supporting and Healing." The day is honored by LGBT organizations all over the world in more than 70 nations, and was chosen as the date the World Health Organization removed the "sickness" label for homosexuality. 

                                  "

Skål" to IDAHO Creator

       The Stockholm event will include a salute to the Martinique-born, French citizen, Louis-George Tin, the initiator of IDAHO Day and the  author of the "Dictionary of Homophobia"-- a man who received the Golden Tupilak 2005 at a Tupilak ceremony in Stockholm in that year.

        The event will include some international rainbow poetry and the display of some works from the Tupilak & ILGCN International Rainbow Art & Photography Exhibition -- with works from over 70 nations.

Also, both Tupilak and theILGCN Information Secretariat will announce some of their award diplomas for this year for outstanding work with LGBT culture and human rights in the Nordic region and beyond.

More information:  bill@tupilak.org