fredag 28 december 2012

Stockholm Press Release December 15





Stockholm Press Release Dec 15, 2012






Stockholm presentations, art and photography, films, performances
Press Release December 15, 2012 


LIVING RAINBOW HISTORY MUSEUM INAUGURATED

Stockholm — A "rainbow Lucia" on December 13 helped inaugurate Sweden's first Living Rainbow History Museum, a provisional monthly event at the Café Mannekäng with historical study circles, art, films and performances until a permanent LGBT museum can be established in the Swedish capital. "It has long been a dream to see the creation of a LGBT history museum in Sweden to make sure that we become more aware of our own history," says Elinore Lindén Strand who also exhibited art work at the café during the inauguration.


Barbro Westerholm (center)
Izzy Young








Elinore Strand
Jan Hammarlund (left)








"I am proud to be here at the inauguration and am very pleased to be invited to the Polish Parliament to speak about LGBT rights and culture and the need for parliamentarians to support this everywhere," says Barbro Westerholm, Swedish Liberal parliamentarian, who has earlier received a Tupilak award for her support of LGBT issues and who attended both ceremonies at the LGBT monument in Visby -- the first in the Nordic zone.

Swedish and International Guests at the Museum,
Visits to Swedish Prides


"The aim of the museum is to invite guest speakers from LGBT organizations and individuals from all over Sweden and from abroad," says Bill Schiller of Tupilak (Nordic rainbow cultural workers) and the ILGCN (international rainbow cultural network) "And to come with workshops and presentations to Swedish and other Prides interested in the museum's work and the rich, dramatic, courageous and often humorous LGBT struggle for identity and visibility over the centuries."

"This is an excellent place to discuss LGBT history," says Rolf Solheim, ILGCN co-ordinator from Oslo and member of the Nordic Rainbow Humanists, who presented a history of the global humanist movement's support of LGBT rights and his work as ceremony master of the Norwegian humanist organization's christenings, weddings and partnerships and funerals fulfilling the desires for formal ceremonies without religious input. Adding to the humanist message with a short monolgue by "The Mad Monk" with the "humanist bible" look at historical relgious figures.

"We are always pleased to be part of Tupilak and ILGCN events -- and feel that the question of HIV and AIDS should always be part of LGBT human rights and cultural events since this is important for our entire community," says Anders Björnum of Sweden's PositHIVagruppen for men having sex with men.

Other presentations came from Pia-Kristina Garde, talking about her book about the family and friends of one of Sweden's finest poets and authors, the bisexual Karin Boye who died in 1941, Willi Reichhold talking about his participation in the United-arranged conference in Finland about new creative ways to combat discrimination on all levels, Chilean-born Christian Mendez about running a rainbow-minded café in Stockholm and Malga Kubiak, actress and film maker about her work with LGBT films about historic lesbian and gay personalities, and Izzy Young, American-born folk lore expert reading erotic poetry of gay icons Allen Ginsberg and Auden.

Rolf Solheim
Bill Schiller








Robert Hill
Veliki Velickovic








Anders Björnum








Songs and music were provided by Swedish singers Jan Hammarlund, a veteran of the Swedish LGBT scene, and young trubador Robert Hill with anti-war and solidarity songs.

Short film screenings by Willi Reichhold included "LGBT Monuments" with music by the renown Swedish soprano saxophonist Anders Paulsson, "The Tupilak Visit to Kiev" and the "Global Survival."

Both film projections and art photography on the wall were presented by Serbian-born Stockholm resident Veliki Velickovic, who also described his work and earlier exhibitions in Serbia, Croatia, Sweden and elsewhere. Other art work came from Tupilak & ILGCN Art & Photo Travelling Exhibition with special focus on Vlladik of Minsk and Alice of Tallinn.

Keller of Chile, costume designer and performer and co-manager of Café Mannekäng, presented his own version of the St. Lucia figure brought from Sicily to Sweden over a century ago to lighten up the dark December nights by wearing a wreath of candles.

ILGCN awards announced during the event included the "Clio's Silver Cup" for outstanding work promoting LGBT history to Swedish photographer Elisabeth Olson Wallin and a brand new "Rasmus" for LGBT work in remote and isolated areas far from big city anonimity -- named after the late, pioneering Faroese journalist and LGBT activist Rasmus Rasmussen who died in October this year. The first Rasmus has gone to the organizers of the first Nuuk Prides on Greenland.

Greetings to the event came from Belarus, Ukrainian, Sudanse and Montenegro delegates to the ongoing ILGA world conference taking place in Stockholm.

"We are very happy to report that in the next session of the Living Rainbow Museum on January 26, the new ILGCN cultural co-ordinators and ambassadors from Latvia-- Yolanta Cihanovica psychologist and actress and artist-doll maker Olga Helly will be coming to the Café Mannikäng for presentations, performances and art exhibitions," concludes Bill Schiller.

The museum project is supported also by Tupilak, Nordic Rainbow Humanists, 3rd Age International-Sweden, Nordic-Baltic-Polish-Russian-Belarus Network and ROHS (Swedish national organization for LGBT solidarity). ILGCN Information Secretariat-Stockholm.

More information:    www.tupilak.org    www.ilgcn.tupilak.org    bill@tupilak.org   



Next session at the LIVING RAINBOW HISTORY MUSEUM
at Cafe Mannekäng:
Saturday, January 26, 2013 — 18.00-22.00


PRESENTATIONS:

Yolanta Cihanovica, actress,
ILGCN coordinator, Latvia
Olga Helly, artist/doll maker,
ILGCN cultural ambassador, Latvia









ART EXHIBITS:

"Dolls": Olga Helly, Latvia
"Copulating beetles, erotic flowers and other adventures"

söndag 16 december 2012






From Sweden with Love to Latvia and Belarus
Press Release November 29, 2012 


Riga: Swedish & Latvian Rainbow Meeting

Riga – Visiting Swedish activists and culture workers met with Latvian colleagues in Riga on November 29 to discuss rainbow cultural co-operation which also includes colleagues in neighboring Estonia, Lithuania and Belarus in a mini-festival organized by Tupilak (Nordic rainbow cultural workers), the ILGCN (international rainbow cultural network) Information Secretariat-Stockholm, the national Latvian LGBT organization Mozaika and the Golden Bar in the Latvian capital.



At the Golden Bar: Yolanta & Olga no. 1
Sabine & Olga no. 2 (photos by Peter Fröberg)








This "mini-festival included Nordic and Polish rainbow music, and art work from the Tupilak & ILGCN International Art & Photo Exhibtion with special spotlights on work from Vladik and Lily Mossan of Belarusand Alice T. of Estonia.

"We are happy to have this meeting and plan on future co-operation," says Sabine Tropa of Mozaika.

"This meeting has been very valauble and part of very imporant work" says Jolanta Cihanovica, psychologist/ actress/performer -- new ILGCN co-ordinator for Latvia and Olga Sidorenko -- artist/doll maker and new ILGCN cultural ambassador for Latvia. "We are also planning rainbow cultural events for coming international events such as the ILGA European conference -- and hope that Tupilak and the ILGCN will work together with us."

"We are pleased to give support to the Latvian LGBT community and are happy to extend this to visiting foreign delegations and visitors and international LGBT co-operation," says Anatolijs Skangalis, manager of the Golden Bar.

Pioneer Latvian Trans, Youngsters,
and the Need for Co-operation with Belarus


"Great to meet new LGBT activists and cultural workers in Riga," says Swedish singer/musican Peter Fröberg who has participated in a number of rainbow events in Riga and an earlier ILGA European conference in the Latvian capital. "Especially impressive was the meeting with Olga -- a pioneering trans person struggling for her rights in a hostile environment during the Soviet occupation. We hope she will also join us in Stockholm to meet colleagues to share dramatic experiences and history."

"I had great pleasure showing the Swedish delegates the Old Town of Riga and discussing future co-operation and exchanges -- and a visit to Stockholm which I have so far never seen," says Latvian translator Janis M., who works with Mozaika-supported web site for young LGBTs -- a web group which has meetings at the Mozaika office and joins in monthly non-alcohol rainbow youth meetings at the Golden Bar.

At the Golden Bar: Latvian participants
Czech participant (photos by Peter Fröberg)








"We noted also the hard work colleagues are doing in Estonia to the north and to the south, Lithuanian's efforts to arrange the next Baltic Pride in Vilnius, and with the importance of having mutual co-operation and exchange with our colleagues in Belarus -- facing severe homohoiba in this last dictatorship in Eastern Europe which may seem so far away but which in fact borders the Nordic region," says Bill Schiller of Tupilak and the ILGCN.

"We are also pleased that Olga Sidorenko and Jolanta Cihanovica will visit Sweden in the near future," Schiller concludes.


More information:    www.tupilak.org    www.ilgcn.tupilak.org    info@tupilak.org    sabinetropa@gmail.com

lördag 1 december 2012

MOONBOW CRUISE TO RIGA:


"With Love From Sweden to Belarus!" November 29, 2012
Noon: Presenting books and magazines to the Mozaika library.
(K. Valdemara 18-1a)
Golden Club (33/35 Gertrudes iela tel. 25505050) 17.00 - 22.00


Presentations:

  • Games and Latvian LGBT Short Story -- Mozaika
  • Rainbow Cultural Life in Belarus -- Maksim Kavaliou , LGBT Belarus Journalist Network
  • Rainbow Cultural Life in Sweden -- Bill Schiller, Tupilak/ILGCN Information Secretariat-Stockholm
  • Running the Golden Club in Riga -- Anatolijs Skangalis 
  • Written words from Estonian LGBT Association
  • Latest information from Baltic Pride 2013 - Vilnius -- Lithuanian Gay League

Art:
  • Works from the Tupilak & ILGCN International Travelling Exhibit 
  • Photo Exhibit: Elinore Lindén Strand - Sweden
  • Photo Exhibit: Veliki Velickovic - Serbia 









Films:
  • "LGBT Monuments" "Tupilak in Kiev" "Survival" by Willi Reichhold - Austria/Sweden
  • "Garcia Lorca" -- Malga Kubiak - Poland/Sweden
  • "Cum Pane" -- Anne Hallin - Sweden 

Music & Song:
  • Peter "Sexodus" Fröberg 
  • Swedish & other Nordic rainbow CD music 

Monologue:
  • The Mad Monk with the "Humanist Bible" 

Info: tupilak.org bill@tupilak.org

International Day Against Facism / Kristallnacht Candlelight Ceremony

Honouring all victims of the nazi death camps -- homosexuals, Jews, Roma, dissidents, war prisoners, resistance fighters, disabled and intellectuals (as potential troublemakers) from occupied countries. At Side Track (Wollmar Yxkullsgatan 7 T-ban Mariatorget) Friday, November 9, 2012 18:00 

  • Voices from the Shadows of the Rainbow -- Bill Schiller, Tupilak/ILGCN
  • Words from Savine Tropa, Mozaika - Latvia
  • Erotica: Ginsberg and Huges: -- folklore expert, Izzy Young
  • Poesi -- Tommy Öberg
  • Film: "LGBT Monuments from Visby to Mauthausen to Barcelona" -- by Willi Reichhold 
  • CD music "Niemals Vergessen" -- songs from the anti-facist resistance. 
  • Art from Auschwitz by Marian Ruzamski, gay Polish prisoner nr. 122 843.
  • ILGCN & Tupilak Awards: "Orfeo Iris" (research on LGBT persecution) "Loke's Rainbow"(poineering trans culture)
  • No entrance fee but alas, no free drinks!
Tupilak music in Auschwitz

LGBT monument in Visby

Organized by: Tupilak (Nordic rainbow cultural workers), ILGCN (international rainbow cultural network) Information Secretariat-Stockholm, Nordic Rainbow Humanists, Nordic-Baltic-Polish-Russian-Belarus Rainbow Network, 3rd Age Rainbows International - Sweden, Homosexuella Socialister, ROHS (Swedish national organization for LGBT solidarity)

fredag 19 oktober 2012


Meeting Tupilak, ILGCN and other activists in Stockholm
and at the Gothenburg Book Fair

Rainbow Belarus Journalists Visit Sweden 

Stockholm/Gothenburg --  Joining Tupilak(Nordic rainbow cultural workers)  and ILGCN (international rainbow cultural network) representatives at Gothenburg's annual International Book and Library Fair (September 27-30, 2012) were Belarus journalist Aleh Hrubich of the newly-created Belarus LGBT Journal Network and  Darya Hushtyn, one of the few heterosexual journalists in her nation willing to support the network publically and helping with its legal battles against homophobia and discrimination in the Belarus media.

The two also participated in the Tupilak/ ILGCN presentation "Belarus -- Rainbows in Chains" from the main stage of the book fair's International Square -- which unites some 50 Swedish human rights organizations presenting their work at book tables, meeting the public and making stage presentations. 

"We were very happy to see groups at the International Square working for human rights in Belarus and we have made very valuable contacts at meetings in both Swedish cities," says Aleh Hrubich.  "The visit to this giant book fair was fascinating and we are already preparing reports on the fair, its support of Belarus human rights, language and culture -- and the many meetings with Swedish LGBT and other activists," adds Darya Hushtyn.






MEETINGS WITH NGO'S, STATE INSTITUTIONS, LGBT TRANS/HIV/MEDIA
& HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS

In the west coast port of Gothenburg and in the east coast capital of Stockholm,  the Belarus journalists interviewed and met with representatives from the International Square,  Sensus (the umbrella human rights organization), SIDA (Swedish International Development Authority),  LO-Bistånd  (Swedish labor union's foreign assistance organization), Civil Rights Defenders, the Swedish Institute, the president of RFSL-Sweden (the national LGBT rights organization), the head of RFSL-Gothenburg,  the  chairman of the Swedish PositHIVa gruppen, journalists and the publisher of the Swedish LGBT monthly pubication QX,  FRES (Swedish national trans organization), the IT's Swedish-Belarus solidarity stand, Östgruppen (Swedish-Eastern Europe solidarity group) and cultural workers of Tupilak and the ILGCN Information Secretariat -Stockholm.

"We have had several meeting with members of the very courageous Belarus LGBT Journalist Network before -- including at a "conference in exile" in Vilnius last year -- and the visit this time has enabled us to continue with these crucial solidarity contacts," adds Bill Schiller of Tupilak and the ILGCN.

At the IT's special "travelling Swedish-Belarus literary journeys in Belarus" which provides presentations by journalists, writers, translators, human rights activists and others, the ILGCN presented former Swedish Ambassador to Minsk, Stefan Eriksson, with its annual "Rainbow Iceberg" award for the support he and his embassy dipomats have given over the years to the LGBT community in Belarus and Swedish-Belarus LGBT co-operation.  (The Swedish Embassy in Minsk has been closed by the Lukashenko regime for its contacts with opposition activists.)

The Belarus journalists' visit to Stockholm and to the Gothenburg Book Fair --the biggest yearly cultural event in the entire Nordic region-- was made possible thanks to the Swedish Institute's fund for journalistic exchange. 

1st Gotland Pride on this Baltic Sea Island off the Swedish East Coast

First Nordic Rainbow Island
Festival in Visby

Visby/Stockholm -- The first Nordic Rainbow Island festival took place as part of the discussions, song, music and film-filled 1st Gotland Pride in Visby and elsewhere on this Baltic island  October 4-7, 2012. Festival seminars tackled the questions of how to boost LGBT contacts and co-operation between the Nordic islands as well as how to stop the rainbow "brain-drain" from the islands by combating homophobia and discrimination and creating such events as Prides and other LGBT happenings to enrichen rainbow life and culture on the islands often loosing residents to the bigger cities on the mainlands.

"We and others have long been thinking of the idea of creating a Nordic island network, were very pleased to attend this event and offer Mariahamn as the site of the next Nordic Rainbow Island Festival in 2013, " says Lina Atman of the Regnbågsfyr (Rainbow Light House) on Finland's Swedish-speaking Åland islands in the middle of the Baltic Sea.
           
ILGCN "Arco Nordic 2012" award presented to organizers of
1st Gotland Pride (photo by Peter Fröberg)
Polish film maker Malga Kubiak at 1st Nordic Rainbow
Island Festival on Visby


Inna Bukshtynovich of Belarus and of  the Civil Rights
Defenders office in Stockholm, visiting the 1st Nordic Rainbow
Island festival in Visby. (photo by Malga Kubiak)





































ART EXHIBITS, LGBT MONUMENT CEREMONY 

Festival events also included the display of works from the Tupilak/ILGCN Travelling International Rainbow Art & Photo Exhibition at the main Pride venue -- Visby's glass-walled library near the sea --  and the library of the inland town of Roma,  as well as film screenings by Polish film maker, Malga Kubiak.  She also filmed the festival's torch-lite, after-dusk ceremony at the stone-mound, LGBT monument on the Visby shore line -- the first such monument in the Nordic zone.

"We will continue to look for Nordic Council and other international and national supporters as well as private doners so that we can bring in LGBT colleagues and cultural workers from the Faroes, Greenland, Iceland, Bornholm, Svalbard and the Estonian islands to future island festivals in this vast region stretching from off the coast of North America in the west to the Russian and Belarus borders on the east, "says Bill Schiller of the festival organizers Tupilak (Nordic rainbow cultural workers) and the ILGCN (international rainbow cultural network) .   "We were also pleased this year to have foreign guests from Poland, Belarus and Russia -- adding their voices to the seminar on "Nordic Islands in the World" underlining the importance of  island contacts also with LGBT colleagues beyond the Nordic region."
      
During the festival, Tupilak handed over its annual "Sowelu" award for outstanding LGBT work by women to  Ulrika Westerlund, the president of the RFSL, (Sweden's national LGBT rights organization) and the ILGCN handed its "Arco Nordica" for pioneering LGBT work to RFSL-Gotland and all the other organizers of the 1st Gotland Pride -- an award which included art work donated by Swedish Tupilak member, photographer Elinore Lindén Strand.    

The festival received economic support from ROHS (the Swedish LGBT solidarity organization) as well as assistance with reduced priced tickets from the Destination Gotland ferry service between the island and the mainland.


PRE-ISLAND FESTIVAL SEND-OFF IN STOCKHOLM

As a  pre-festival ceremony at the prize-winning Stockholm gay bar Side Track, delegates on their way to Visy described the ambitions to create an LGBT island network.  In addition, Tupilak's "Polar Bear" award diploma for the promotion of LGBT film work was handed over to Swedish Radio film journalist Roger Wilson and the ILGCN's "Sapho in Paradise" award  for outstanding contrbutions to LGBT publishing, libraries and archives was handed over to the non-commercial collective producing the Swedish arts and debate magazine, "Mums."

Note: More information, full award motivations and photos are available from the ILGCN Information Secretariat.

fredag 21 september 2012

måndag 3 september 2012

TUPILAK CALLING
September, 2012

Swedes, Belarus, Ukrainians in the Crimea in June

JUST COMPLETED:
Tupilak and the ILGCN (international rainbow cultural network) together with colleagues from Sweden, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia and Norway at the Swedish-Belarus-Ukrainian follow-up conference in Semeiz, Crima in June, 2012  (following meetings in Kiev and Minsk 2011 also supported by the Swedish Institute) and at the ILGCN culture conference in this harbor town. Including a "spray can paint attack" on a homophobic wall graffiti turning this into a pro-peace and prof LGBT illustration.



Tupilak at 1st Luleå Pride – June 15-17
Presentation of ILGCN "Arco Nordica" award to organizers.

Tupilak at LGBT Belarus journalists meeting in Vilnius – June 15-17
Competition for anti-discrimination Belarus journalism (see press release below). 

Tupilak at the International Square – July 2-6
In Visby on the Swedish Baltic island of Gotland during politician’s and human rights week at Almedalen Week. This included the one-year anniversary ceremony at 1st Nordic LGBT Monument at the shoreline.

Tupilak & ILGCN Travelling Art & Photo Exhibition at
Teater Tribunal  in Stockholm – July 31
Homosexuella Socialists Event. Guest artist: Vladik of Minsk.    

Tribunal Exhibit (photo by Vladik)



                                                                                           


















Tupilak at ILGCN seminar at Stockholm Pride House – August 1
on Solidarity with Eastern Europe.

Tupilak at ILGCN seminar at Stockholm Pride House – August 2
On Nordic LGBT Solidarity.

Tupilak at 1st Nordic LGBT Work Place Forum – August 3
At Stockholm Exhibition Fair with presentation on Nordic-Baltic-Eastern Europe co-operation and Tupilak/ILGCN Belarus & Nordic art and photography exhibition.
Exhibit at Stockholm International Fair (photo by Vladik)














STILL COMING UP in 2012:

Tupilak & ILGCN at Belgrade Pride September/October

                                         Visby LGBT Monument
                                         (photo by Willi Reichhold)










1st Nordic Rainbow Islands Festival – October 4-7  
Part of the 1st Gotland Pride, Visby Gotland. Seminars, panel discussions, films, art & photography, music, song, performances.

Discussions:
  • A review of rainbow life in the 13 Nordic islands: Gotland, Öland, Stockholm and Gothenberg archipelagoes (Sweden); Bornholm, Faroe Islands, Greenland (Denmark); Åland, Åbo archipelago (Finland); Svalbard (Norway); Hiiumaa and Saaremaa (Estonia); Iceland. 
  • Stopping the rainbow brain-drain from the Nordic islands.
  • Boosting rainbow co-operation between the Nordic islands.
  • Increasing mainland support of rainbow organizations, business, tourism, culture on the islands.
  • Humanism on the LGBT rainbow barricades, from Torshamn to Istanbul

Sunset/torch-lit ceremony at the LGBT stone monument
on the shoreline of Visby harbor
This is the first such monument in the Nordic region.

Tupilak & ILGCN Rainbow Art & Photo International Travelling Exhibition 
Works from 40 countries


Tupilak with  ILGCN  in Brazil:   











ILGCN World Rainbow Culture Conference, Rio de Janeiro, Jan 31-Feb 3 2013
With discussions "Rainbow Culture in Brazil", "Rainbow Culture in Sweden," "Rainbow Culture in Russia" etc., poetry, music, film, drama. Samples of the ILGCN & Tupilak International Travelling Rainbow Art & Photo Exhibition with works from 40 nations. It's at pre-Rio Carnaval time (February 25/1-7/2) and includes participation in the giant, pink-ballon and gay-filled, pre-carnaval  parade  "Simpatia é Quase Amor" (Sympathy is nearly Love!) on Saturday, February 2.

Tupilak/ILGCN Rainbow Festival, Palestine Jenin Refugee Zone,
West Bank – May 2013