Stockholm -- Nordic rainbow art, music, film, seminars and performances will characterize the “Nordic Rainbow Lights in Moscow -- A cultural & Human Rights Festival” on May 25 -- helping launch the year’s first stage of the ILGCN world cultural conference and the first world IDAHO conference for the International Day Against Homophobia – as well as the first Moscow Pride – banned by the mayor and condemned by homophobic religious leaders encouraging violent attacks against homosexuals.
“We are very pleased that the Nordic Council’s Cultural Fund has given us support and made it possible to have a region-wide Nordic participation – from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania,” says Bill Schiller of Tupilak, the Nordic Homo Council, the ILGCN and the Nordic Rainbow Humanists.
“We’re very proud of our Russian colleagues who are defying the mayor’s office and the religious fanatics whipping up dangerous homophobia – as some human rights groups join in to protest while others remain embarassingly silent,” Schiller adds, “And we’re proud to join those who have made IDAHO an outstanding global event.”
Nordic Co-operation with Eastern Europe
“Of course part of our festival will focus on Nordic co-operation with colleagues on other Eastern European rainbow barricades – such as in Poland facing a new wave of homophobic politicians and churchmen and especially in the dictatorship of Belarus. These will be our special guests at the ILGCN event in Moscow.” Schiller concludes.
The 2nd stage of this year’s ILGCN world cultural conference is scheduled in Jerusalem as part of World Pride.
This year’s session of the Nordic Homo Council will take place in the western Swedish city of Gothenberg in September -- on the sidelines of the giant Gothenberg Book Fair – with a special focus on Nordic co-operation with Russia, Belarus, Poland and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
