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)
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"
-------------------------------------------------------
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)
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| Gothenberg LGBT Monument |
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| Bill, Carl and Husband |
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| Vanja and Filip Örebro |
