onsdag 7 oktober 2009

NORDIC RAINBOW COUNCIL MEETING IN HELSINKI



Helsinki -- This year's Nordic Rainbow Council session took palace in the Finnish capital on September 18 on the sidelines of the 10th Tribade Day & Night Festival -- discussing Nordic cultural and other LGBT co-operation over Nordic borders and beyond.

  Special attention was given to the situation in Lithuania because of the anti-LGBT legislation passed there and plans to expand the ban on positive information on homosexuality to the general public, as well as Vilnius -- European Cultural Capital 2009 banning LGBT culture possible spreading to other Eastern "cultural capitals".   Support for the next Baltic Pride 2010 in Vilnius as well as Europe Pride in Warsaw next year were also discussed.

  Plans continue with a long-range project to give support to colleagues in the Faroe Islands -- possible with a solidarity event in Reykjavik as well as a winter event in Finland's Åland Islands.

   Another measure approved was an effort to re-kindle the Swedish Pol-Baltic Network and to find a new co-ordinator if RFSL-Sweden no longer continues with the project.

  "Despite our 0-budget economic reality, we are pleased this year to have taken part in Helsinki's Tribade festival, Baltic  Pride in Riga, the Baltic solidarity Square in Visby and the Gothenburg Book Fair at the International Square as well as several events in Stockholm," says Bill Schiller, NRC international secretary. "We have also decided to continue with our membership in ILGA trying to raise the membership fee from our network members to replace the earlier contributions from the economically-troubled Tupilak (Nordic cultural workers) now and are pleased that membership in the ILGCN (International Lesbian & Gay Cultural Network) is free."

 The 2010 Nordic Rainbow Council  meeting will take place in Sweden. The date and site will be announced as soon as possible.
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  The Nordic Rainbow Council is an informal and 0-membership fee  network of organizations and individuals supporting Nordic LGBT co-operation in the Nordic region and beyond, and covers Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Greenland, the Faroes and the Åland Islands.