NORDIC HOMO COUNCIL 2006 SESSION IN GOTHENBURG

PRESS RELEASE
September 1, 2006



Stockholm/Gothenburg -- The 2006 session of the Nordic Homo
Council will take place as earlier announced in the Swedish west coast
city on September 23 - on the sidelines of the Gothenburg Book Fair

where the NHC and other Nordic rainbow groups will raise the first

rainbow flags at the 'International Square' - a special zone with
many other solidarity groups.

Discussions will cover proposals to change the name to Nordic
Rainbow Council to make the organization's name more inclusive and
Nordic co-operation at coming ILGCN (International Lesbian & Gay
Cultural Network) cultural stages in Posnan (to be visited by a
Swedish-Finnish-Norwegian delegation) and Minsk in November.

Other proposals will deal with the newly-established Nordic
Cultural Fund, a report on the Nordic delegation to Moscow pride
(supported by the Nordic Culture Fund and the Norwegian Embassy), more
cultural co-operation over Nordic borders and beyond and at the next
ILGA (International Lesbian & Gay Association) European conference in
Vilnius in 2007.

Continued Membership in ILGCN, ILGA

Another proposal calls for maintaining the continued
"informal" structure of the council, no membership fee and
continued membership in the ILGCN and the ILGA.

"Nordic Homo Council fees to the ILGA are paid through voluntary
contributions - and we really appreciate the largest annual
contributions coming from Tupilak (the organization of rainbow cultural
workers in the Nordic region)," says NHC international secretary, Bill
Schiller. "And we're proud to have received this years Tupilak
"Loke's Sisters Award" to help pay costs for the rent for the
Gothenburg fair's Nordic Rainbow Stand."

Other proposals via e-mail or in person at the session are welcome.

More information: via Tupilak http://www.tupilak.se info@tupilak.se

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Earlier Nordic Homo Council sessions have taken place in Stockholm,
Wasa, Tallinn, Riga, Oslo and Tampere.

Membership is open to organizations and individuals in Sweden,
Denmark, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.


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Nordic Homo Council Sessions 2005 in Norway, Finland

A member of the ILGA & ILGCN

Information Stockholm, August, 2005

Oslo/Tampere/Stockholm -- This year's Nordic Homo Council sessions in Oslo (June 21st -- on the sidelines of Europride,) and Tampere (July 8th -- part of Finland's rotating Pride) approved a number of new Nordic projects and called for increased Nordic rainbow co-operation – with special emphasis on events on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea.

"We're happy to put the focus on Nordic art and photography at this year's Tupilak art exhibit in Stockholm the week before Pride, host the 3rd Nordic Queer Short Film Festival in the Swedish capital on July 28 -- again with the assistance of the Nordic Council's information office in Stockholm, Norden i Fokus, include a seminar on Nordic co-operation at the Pride House events, and make the Tupilak Cabaret a Nordic event with Swedish, Norwegian, Estonian, Finnish and Icelandic performers, music and art work," says Bill Schiller, NHC information secretary.

The sessions also pledged support to the Moonbow cultural festival in Tallinn August 8-14, 2005 -- including the 2nd stage of the ILGCN world homo cultural conference which was moved to Estonia after Jerusalem postponed its World Pride event until 2006.

Special Attention for Poland, Belarus

The gatherings pledged to make another attempt to win support from Nordic embassies in Poland for future Nordic-Polish rainbow solidarity events, and re-open the doors of the Nordic House in Krakow to Nordic events (the House closed the doors to Nordic cultural events this year during the Krakow rainbow cultural event and described Nordic homo culture as "too controversial."

The sessions pledged support for a major Nordic rainbow cultural festival in Finland next year -- together with the Tribade Night & Day Festival and the Vinokino film festival -- and another Riga Moonbow Festival in 2006.

Special support was pledged for the NHC's "Belarus Moonbow in Exile" festival and conference in Stockholm September 23-24, 2005 -- with participation of colleagues from this Eastern European dictatorship as well as activists from Estonia and Latvia.

Finland’s Pride in Tampere, Sidelines of EuroPride, Oslo 2005

PRESS RELEASE June 2, 2005

Nordic Homo Council Sessions in Norway and Finland

Stockholm – The sessions of the 5th Nordic Homo Council are being shared this year by two Nordic cities staging very special events: Oslo's EuroPride in June and Tampere – hosting Finland's annual Pride celebrations in July.

"We hope this makes it easier for more members in the vast Nordic region to meet face to face and not just via e-mail," says Bill Schiller, the council's international secretary and chairman of Tupilak, the Nordic organization of lesbian and gay cultural workers.

"We plan on continuing to give special attention to the use of homo culture to combat homophobia and silence and increase co-operation with our members on the eastern side of the Baltic Sea – since the situations for homosexuals in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are the roughest in the Nordic region."

"As a member of the ILGA (International Lesbian and Gay Association) and the ILGCN (International Lesbian & Gay Cultural Network), we also want to discuss efforts to strengthen the Nordic rainbow voice in these and other international organizations," Schiller concludes.

The first session of the 2005 meeting will be in Oslo at the Humanist House on the sidelines of EuroPride as part of the Nordic and international solidarity presentation on June 21st and in Tampere at Café Mixei as part of the Nordic presentation on July 9th.

Earlier Nordic Homo Council sessions and seminars have been held
in Stockholm, Riga, Tallinn and Vaasa.

More information: http://www.tupilak.se/

About/ om oss

Welcome to the Nordic Rainbow Council

….which promotes Nordic co-operation in all areas and gives special attention to colleagues in the Eastern Baltic region and to homo culture as a means of combating homophobia and silence.

Membership is open to organizations and individuals from Sweden, Norway, Lithuania, Latvia, Iceland, Finland, Estonia and Denmark. New members and projects are approved at the annual Council session which rotates between Nordic cities.

There is no membership fee.

At sessions in Tallinn, Stockholm, Riga and Vaasa, the Council approved the first Nordic Rainbow Constitution ever as well as working plans of action and support to projects both inside and beyond the Nordic region.

The aim is to share the work load as much as possible in gathering information about groups and individuals interested in Nordic co-operation and in using combined Nordic strength in providing assistance to homosexual colleagues in facing severe homophobia in Eastern Europe and elsewhere.

The Council is a member of the ILGA (International Lesbian and Gay Association) and the ILGCN (International Lesbian & Gay Cultural Network).



Contact address / kontakt adress
info@nrc.tupilak.org

Calendar/ kalender

NEWS from the NORDIC HOMO COUNCIL

4th session -- Vaasa, Finland August 21, 2004

Decisions:

* To continue supporting such Nordic projects as the Nordic Queer Film Festivals. (the 2nd festival in Stockholm 2004 united film festival organizers from Iceland, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Sweden.) With Folkets Bio, Kombat and Norden i Fokus information office.

* To support the "Honored to Silence, Honored to Death" Nordic conference in Stockholm October 15-16, 2004 and Gothenberg October 23 about young homosexuals in the immigrant/refugee communities in the Nordic region. With Norden i Fokus.

* To hold a NHC multi-media seminar at Finland's Tampere Pride in 2005 and at the Oslo Europride in June, 2005.

* To send a Nordic delegation to Jerusalem World Pride, 2005.

* To send a Nordic delegation to the Nordic House – Krakow as part of the 2nd Krakow Cultural Days -- May, 2005. (The event in May, 2004 was attacked but not defeated by neo Nazis gangs). (The Swedish Embassy has pledged to continue supporting the event.)

* To increase Nordic participation in the annual Moonbow Human Rights & Homo Culture Festivals on both sides of the Baltic Sea: St. Petersburg-Stockholm-Warsaw-Tallinn-Riga-Vilnius. Minsk to have a "Moonbow in Exile" because of threats from the regime, neo Nazis.

* To make special fund-raising efforts for Iceland (because of the high travel costs) and for Estonia, Latvia, & Lithuania to increase these nation's input into homo festivals, prides and other events on both sides of the Baltic Sea. ( Tallink Ferry Lines has already agreed.)

New Members Welcomed; Nordic Awards to Finnish/Swedish Bears, American Singer

New Nordic Homo Council members formally welcomed at the session include Homosexual Socialists (Sweden), Laihia Bears (Vaasa, Finland), NEWSMIX (Stockholm-based news agency) and HumanAid (Gothenberg/ Stockholm). Nordic membership drive is to continue.

The 2004 "Arco Nordica" award for Nordic/international and homo cultural solidarity from the ILGCN (International Lesbian & Gay Cultural Network) - Nordic, was handed over to the Laihia Bears in an art-and-music-filled ceremony in the forest outside of Waasa. The 2004 award is shared with the Stockholm-based Viking Bears.

The 2004 ILGCN-Nordic "Arco Musica" award - was presented to American singer and musician, Doria Roberts, during the Moonbow Festival in Stockholm, August 1st.

Bill Schiller, NHC international secretary

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Note: The Nordic Homo Council is a member of the ILGA and the ILGCN.

NEWS from the NORDIC HOMO COUNCIL 4th cultural session - Vaasa, August 21, 2004

(plus e-mail proposals and contributions from those who could not attend))

Decisions:

* To continue supporting such Nordic projects as the Nordic Queer Film Festivals. (the 2nd festival in Stockholm 2004 united film festival
organizers from Iceland, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Sweden.) In co-operation with Folkets Bio, Kombat and Norden i Fokus information
office in Stockholm.

* To support the "Honored to Silence, Honored to Death" Nordic conference in Stockholm October 15-16, 2004 and Gothenberg October 23 about young homosexuals in the immigrant/refugee communiteis in the Nordic region. With Norden i Fokus.

* To hold a NHC multi-media seminar at Finland's Tampere Pride in 2005 and at the Oslo Europride in June, 2005.

* To send a Nordic delegation to Jerusalem World Pride, 2005.

* To send a Nordic delegation to the Nordic House homo cultural evening as part of the 2nd Krakow Cultural Days -- May, 2005. (The event in May, 2004 was attacked but not defeated by neo Nazis gangs). (The Swedish Embassy has pledged to continue supporting the event. Other Nordic embassies*.?)

* To increase Nordic participation in the annual Moonbow Human Rights & Homo Culture Festivals on both sides of the Baltic Sea: St.
Petersburg-Stockholm-Warsaw-Tallinn-Riga-Vilnius. Minsk -- "Moonbow in Exile" planned because of the threats from the dictatorship and neo Nazis. See press releases).

* To make special fund-raising efforts for Iceland (because of the high travel costs) and for Estonia, Lativa, & Lithuania to increase these
nation's input into homo festivals, prides and other events on both sides of the Baltic Sea. (Tallink Ferry Lines has already responded
positively.)

New Members Welcomed; Nordic Awards to Finnish/Swedish Bears, U.S. Singer

New Nordic Homo Council members formally welcomed at the session include Homosexual Socialists - Sweden, Laihia Bears - Vaasa, Finland, the Stockholm-based news agency, NEWSMIX, and HumanAid - Gothenberg/ Stockholm. Nordic membership drive is to continue.

The 2004 Nordic award, "Arco Nordica," for Nordic/international and homo cultural solidarity from the ILGCN (International Lesbian & Gay
Cultural Network) - Nordic, was handed over to the Laihia Bears the day before the Vaasa session in an art-and-music-filled ceremony in the forest outside of Waasa. The 2004 award is shared with the Stockholm-based Viking Bears.

The ILGCN-Nordic - "Arco Musica" award - was presented to American singer and musician, Doria Roberts, during the Moonbow Festival in
Stockholm, August 1st.

Bill Schiller, NHC international secretary

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Note: The Nordic Homo Council is a member of the ILGA and the ILGCN.