TUPILAK/ILGCN AWARDS, SEMINARS at WESTPRIDE, ÖREBRO

GOTHENBURG/ÖREBRO -- Award presentations took place -- June 11-14 -- by Tupilak (Nordic rainbow culture workers) and the ILGCN (international rainbow culture network) at the seminars taking place at WestPride in the Swedish west coast city of Gothenberg and the June 15 award ceremony in the central Swedish town of Örebro.

The "Golden Tupilak" award went to Vanja Södergren, who launched the first Pride March in Sweden (in Europe? In the world?) back in 1971 in Örebro and marched again this year, along with a street-dance group led by ILGCN's roving ambassador, Filip Kjowski (Poland ) (an earlier Tupilak/ILGCN award winner), who handed over the award diploma.

Vanja's first historic, rainbow-flag waving march was a defiant reaction to a local newspaper refusing to publish the engagement announcment of Vanja and her partner.

"Orfeo Thalia" Award to Carl Ewerth
At a WestPride seminar on rainbow history and culture, Gothenburg resident Carl Ewerth, actor and singer, received his "Orfeo Thalia" award -- named after the ancient Greek musician, Orfheus -- proud of his male lovers -- and the ancient Greek muse of theater and performances. Carl was also praised in the award motivation for bringing to life some of the mega stars of Sweden's past musical history, such as Zarah Leander.

LGBT Monuments, Tourist Ads from Blood on the Rainbows
Tupilak/ILGCN Bill Schiller at another seminar at WestPride covered the Gothenburg launch of the renewed Tupilak/ILGCN campaign for LGBT monuments in the Nordic zone -- pointing out that while many LGBT monuments exist all over the world, the only permanent LGBT monument in the Nordic region -- inaugrated last year -- is in Gothenburg. (see photo)

Schiller at another seminar made the WestPride Gothenburg launch of the Tupilak/ILGCN campaign "Blood on the Rainbow" to write to the BBC, CNN, Sky News, etc. and ask why they keep running tv ads from national tourist offices of countries which discrimante, imprison, torture, banish and execute LGBT people.

Between seminars, Tupilak's Gunilla Bourdette discovered the statue of the well-loved, Swedish lesbian poet and playwrite, Karin Boye, was drapped in a rainbow flag. This was just outside the WestPride Pride House - the city library.

Gunilla was the organizing force for sending a Tupilak/ILGCN team of musicians and singers to Bucharest in a dictator-ruled Romania.

Seminar Films, International Rainbow Culture
Films screened at the seminars included "Unchechen" by Stefan Hornby (UK), "Halleluja" of Mattew Richardson (Canada), "Queer Egypt Under Attack" of Ahmed Shihab-Eldin (US/Palestine), "Why We Fight" UN LGBT series "Free and Equal" and "LGBT Monuments - World Wide" of Willi Reichold (Sweden).

COMING EVENTS:

Tupilak/ILGCN seminars at STOCKHOLM PRIDE.

Monday, January 29 -- "Rainbow Culture/The Real Story of Swedish Singer, Ulla Billquist"

Tuesday, January 30 -- "The Continued Campaign: for LGBT Monuments in the Nordic Zone"

Friday, August 2 (14.00) International Conference: "The Advantages/Disadvangates of Homophobic Legislation"

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Stockholm, Friday, August 9 -- International Day of Rainbow Culture -- birthday of Tove Jansson, Nordic artist, author (Finland).

Salute to Tove and her woman, art historian, Tuulikki Piptilä

Song & music: Tove's "Autumn Song" by Peter Fröberg (Sweden)

Tupilak/ILGCN award diplomas "Thor's Hammer" -- Canadians

Zoom (or film music) from ILGCN Latin American secretariats,

Carpusa Tango (Argentina/Malmö)

"Don't Cry for Me, Chicago!" -- Bill Schiller (Sweden)

Gothenberg LGBT Monument

Bill, Carl and Husband

Vanja and Filip Örebro

Latest TUPILAK/ILGCN Awards - London, Vilnius, Anti-HIV/AIDS Culture

Stockholm – Information has reached the Swedish capital about the handing over of the latest award diplomas from Tupilak and the ILGCN -- the "Sappho in Paradise" (for literature and publications) also supported by the Paradise Press (London) -- to Kathryn Bell, long-time secretary of the Gay Authors' Workshop (UK) and celebrating her 90th birthday! and the "Rainbow Warrior 2024" to the Lithuanian Gay League (LGL) -- now celebrating it's 30th anniversary.

May 17 Report - Awards to "HIV/AIDS" Authors/Salute to IDAHOT Day
Stockholm - A "double" ceremony took place in the Swedish capital on Friday, May 17, 2024 -- one honoring two Swedish authors writing about the situation, the struggle and the long discrimination of people with HIV and AIDS, and a salute to the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia -- finally becoming a official United Nations day.

Kathryn's award also honors her partner, writer and poet, Elsa Bechett, who died in 2015. Creating Kathryn's diploma and handing it over, Peter Scott-Presland, theater man and member of the Gay Auhors' Workshop, has also earlier received a Tupilak/ILGCN award diploma. Another Workshop colleague handing over the diploma to Kathryn was Hastie Salih.

The diploma to the LGL also salutes their annual Baltic Pride co-operation with neighboring colleagues in Riga, Latvia and Tallinn, Estonia. Information about the coming Pride celebrations in Vilnius can be seen on facebook.

The Stockholm event took place at the offices of Sweden's PositHIVa Gruppen, with a warm welcome deliverd by the PG's Ola Ståhle. The award diplomas were given to Bodil Sjöström for her long work with HIV/AIDS cases and for her books, including the latest "Där Kärlek Sker" and Steve Sjöqvist, once close to death himself and for writing a series of books including the latest," "Vägen Valde Dig."

These award diplomas are named "Phanes" -- after the ancient Greek god of birth and creation. Also reading from his book, "A Muskalisk Valp" was Jan Hammarlund, veteran Swedish singer and song writer. Music and song was provided by Swedish singer/musician, Robert Hill.

Salute to IDAHOT Day
The event also paid tribute to the originator of the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia – Caribbean-born Frenchman, Louis-Georges Tin. What started as only local events, IDAHOT has finally become a official United Nations day. Louis-Georges came to Stockholm to receive the Golden Tupilak award in 2005.

At the event, members of Swedish Amnesty's LGBTI group also commented on their work for rainbow rights and identity. Bill Schiller of Tupilak/ILGCN pointed out that the legal situation for LGBT people is getting worse including the growing number of the death penalty in a number of nations, and that even where legislation is o.k., the lack of rainbow cultural workers and events can scare LGBT people into total silence and invisibility.

Bodil, Steve, Jan (by Angelo Strina)

Bodil, Steve, Bill (by Angelo Strina)

Hastie and Kathryn

Peter and Kathryn

Louis-Georges