PRESS RELEASE
Stockholm 20/9/2004
Stockholm Meetings to Focus on
"Honour Violence" against Lesbians & Gays
Stockholm - Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish and immigrant
researchers, parliamentarians, journalists, human rights activists and
culture workers will gather in Stockholm October 15-16 to discuss
"honour" violence against lesbian and gay immigrants and refugees in the
Nordic nations.
"We chose the theme 'Honoured to Silence, Honoured to Death' after
seeing this spring's many demonstrations and appeals condemning the
honour killings of immigrant women here in Sweden - but the almost total
silence over the oppression of young lesbians and gays in the immigrant
communities," says Bill Schiller, of the Nordic Homo Council and
Tupilak
- the Nordic organization of lesbian and gay cultural workers.
"We are convinced that a Nordic interchange of experience,
research and ideas can be extremely beneficial," says Stefan
Vilbergsson, an Icelander working with the Nordic Council's information
office in Stockholm, Norden i Fokus -- co-organizer of the conference.
"And we hope that this can be the beginning of a series of Nordic
discussions in other Nordic cities as well."
"Verbal and physical violence against homosexuals occurs all
over the world - from neo Nazis, politicians, church leaders and even
family members in all cultures and religions," Schiller adds. "We want
to use this conference to focus special attention on those young
homosexuals living both in a new Nordic culture and in the traditions
of another culture. And we want to see how homo culture can help put a
spotlight on an often-hidden reality for many -- and help change minds
and attitudes in the Nordic region."
The Stockholm conference will take place at the downtown
Mediterranean Museum on October 15 and at Rinkeby Folkets Hus in the
immigrant-rich city suburb of Rinkeby on October 16. A follow-up
meeting will take place in the Swedish west coast city of Gothenburg on
November 6.
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Information available at nordenifokus@norden.se
