To Nordic colleagues on both sides of the Baltic Sea:

NORDIC RAINBOW COUNCIL
Member of the ILGCN (International Lesbian & Gay Cultural Network)
Member of the ILGA (International Lesbian & Gay Association)
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c/o Tupilak Box 2315 103 17 Stockholm, Sweden
www.tupilak.se info@tupilak.se

March 8, 2007

To Nordic colleagues on both sides of the Baltic Sea:

Following the very successful raising of the Nordic rainbow flags at the Gothenberg Book Fair last September, we invite you to join us raising the Nordic flags at:

• Baltic Square in Visby, July 12-23, 2007

• International Square at the
  Gothenberg Book Fair, Sept. 27-30, 2007

(*working together with over 60 Swedish solidarity and human rights organizations at the biggest annual cultural events in the entire Nordic region.)

Join us at the Nordic Rainbow Stands and on stage* Help us man the stands and meet the public, and share the registration costs (hopefully none as we are applying for financial grants!), display your information and publications *.discussions, films, poetry, art & photography, invited foreign guests*.under the theme:

"Nordic Solidarity with Rainbows under Siege and Rainbows in Chains -- on the rainbow barricades in Belarus, Russia, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania."

Please get back to us if you're interested!

Bill Schiller, international secretary
bill@tupilak.se

Note: Deadline for registration for the
International Square -- March 5
Proposals for stage performances
and presentations -- April 5
______________________________________________________

The Nordic Rainbow Council works together with:

Tupilak (Nordic rainbow cultural workers)






Nordic Rainbow Humanists






ILGCN (International Lebian & Gay Cultural Network)
Information Secretariat - Stockholm.

NORDIC RAINBOW COUNCIL MEETS in SWEDEN

NORDIC RAINBOW COUNCIL
http://nrc.tupilak.org
Formerly Nordic Homo Council
Member of ILGCN (International Lesbian & Gay Cultural Network )
Member of ILGA (International Lesbian & Gay Association)
Co-operating across Nordic borders & beyond - Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania

PRESS RELEASE
September 30, 2006

Continued Solidarity with Refugees, Eastern Europe

NORDIC RAINBOW COUNCIL MEETS in SWEDEN

Gothenburg - The annual session of the newly-renamed Nordic Rainbow Council -- this time in this Swedish west coast city on the sidelines of the giant annual international book fair - approved efforts for continued solidarity over Nordic borders, with rainbow immigrants and refugees in the Nordic region and with colleagues on the barricades in Eastern Europe - including Belarus and Russia.

The main priority is to continue to support events on the Eastern side of the Nordic region - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania struggling with hostile and increasingly homophobic forces.

"We agreed to change the "Homo" in our name to "Rainbow" to be more up-to date and to make sure that trans people, bisexuals and other supportive "rainbow-minded" colleagues feel welcome," says Bill Schiller, international secretary of the Council.

2007 Nordic Rainbow Flags to Fly at Gothenburg Fair?

The session also agreed to co-ordinate a joint effort in 2007 to repeat this year's successful pioneering effort of raising Nordic rainbow flags at the International Square - the largest section of the Gothenburg Book Fair, which is the biggest annual cultural event in the Nordicarea. This was made possible with the financial grant from Tupilak (Nordic rainbow cultural workers) in the form of the 2006 Loke Sister's award supporting rainbow cultural projects outside of the Swedish capital.

The Nordic rainbow stand presented books, poetry, CD's, printed information, art and photography - and also co-ordianted two stage presentations on Nordic co-operation with Eastern Europe and with rainbow immigrants and refugees in the Nordic zone combined with highly-appreciated, humor-filled erotic poetry performances.

The Council also agreed to seek further financial support - such as from the Nordic Culture Fund assistance for the Nordic delegation to the 1st Moscow Pride in May, and other institutions. And to send Nordic delegations to the ILGCN (International Lesbian & Gay Cultural Network) world rainbow cultural conference stages in Minsk and Posnan this November, following the first stage in Moscow.

The Council also pledged support to the first Nordic rainbow event in the Åland Islands this December - the "Rainbow Lucia" and to continue searching for projects in the other semi-independent areas of the Nordic region -- Greenland and the Faroe Islands.

The session also approved continued membership in the ILGA (International Lesbian & Gay Association (with the annual fee partly covered by Tupilak, the Nordic Rainbow Humanists, the ILGCN Information Secretariat in Stockholm and others.

Swedish Pol-Balt Solidarity Network Saluted

In co-operation with Tupilak and the ILGCN Information Secretariat, the Council approved the proposal to grant the 2006 ILGCN "Arco Nordica" award diploma to Sweden's newly-created "Pol-Balt Network" - providing assistance, solidarity and exchanges with colleagues in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

Decisions were also taken to keep Council bureaucracy to a minimum, charge no membership fee but instead to seek voluntary contributions, and to search for more Network members even among more local sections of national organizations, since some of these are at times more interested in Nordic and international co-operation than the mother organizations

Earlier Council sessions have taken place in Riga, Tallinn, Tampere, Oslo, Wasa and Stockholm. Next year's session is preliminarily planned for Vilnius.

************************

More Information: info@tupilak.org
Note: Photo available of Gothenburg Tupilak activists, Filip Vrba & Mats Råsmark, at erotic poetry performance at Gothenburg International Book Fair.

************************

1st NORDIC RAINBOWS at GOTHENBERG BOOK FAIR

NORDIC RAINBOW COUNCIL ( Formerly Nordic Homo Council)
www.nrc.tupilak.se

Member of ILGCN (International Lesbian & Gay Cultural Network )

Member of ILGA (International Lesbian & Gay Association)

Co-operating across Nordic borders & beyond - Sweden, Denmark,
Norway, Finland, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania

____________________________________________

PRESS RELEASE September 25, 2006


"International Square" Solidarity with Eastern Europeans,
Immigrants & Refugees:

1st NORDIC RAINBOWS at GOTHENBURG BOOK FAIR

Gothenburg - The first rainbow flags were raised September 21-23,
2006 at the "International Square" - the largest section of the
giant Gothenburg Book Fair in this Swedish west coast city - at a
colorful stand displaying art work, photography, poems, literature and
publications - and including humor-filled, erotic poetry readings and
happenings.

"Nordic rainbow cultural co-operation and solidarity with
colleagues in Eastern Europe under the title of 'Rainbows in Chains
and under Siege' -- and sharing Nordic rainbows with immigrants and
refugees were the themes of the our stage presentations and in the
information provided at our stand," says Bill Schiller of the Nordic
Rainbow Council.

Thanks to co-operation with RFSU (the Swedish sexual information
federation), the stage presentation on Eastern European barricades
included lawyer Evita Gosa of the Latvian rainbow organization, Mozaika
and Anna Kirey of the LGBT organization LABRYS of Kyrgyzstan.

"Freedom of Expression," Sweden's 'Multi-Cultural Year'

"With the city of Riga banning the Pride Parade again this
year and even worse violent homophobic attacks on Pride events there,
the visible presence of Latvia was especially important to illustrate
the Gothenburg fair's theme this year: "Freedom of Expression,"
adds Schiller.

The stage presentation on immigrants and refugees in the Nordic
area included Ardeshir Bibakabadi of Homan, (Persian-speaking and other
rainbow immigrants) - helping underline the reality that despite
dedicating this year as Sweden's "multi-cultural year," many
rainbow immigrants are often left in the shadows of the Nordic rainbows
celebrated by the native-born.

"There was great interest in our rainbow stand where we
re-discovered old members and recruited new ones, and established
working contact with several other International Square colleagues for
future co-operation," Schiller adds. "We hope to increase the
number of rainbow organizations working together with us next year at
this the biggest annual cultural event in the Nordic region."

Co-hosts of the 2006 stand included Tupilak, (Nordic
organization of rainbow cultural workers), Nordic Rainbow Humanists and
the Stockholm Information Secretariat of the ILGCN (International
Lesbian & Gay Cultural Network). Tupilak's annual "Loke's Sisters'
Award for cultural projects outside of the capital helped make the
rainbow stand a reality.

New Name for 'Nordic Rainbow Council'

On the sidelines of the Gothenburg event, the annual session of
the Nordic Homo Council (see separate press release) discussed ongoing
and future Nordic co-operation in the Nordic region and in Eastern
Europe and approved a proposal to change the name of the Council to the
'Nordic Rainbow Council' to be more inclusive and up-to-date. The
change is to be communicated to the ILGA where the Council is a member.

At the International Square, over 60 exhibitors work with
international issues and development co-operation: NGO's, publishers,
businesses and agencies with a program including Swedish and foreign
guests, performances, debates and images.

The Square also hosts a number of stands and exhibits where the
participating organizations offer information and activities; present
pedagogical tools and travelling tips; sell books and arrange meetings
and book signings with authors and other guests. The middle of the
Square features a big book stand with books from all over the world.

The Square has been a part of the International Book Fair in
Gothenburg since 2000.


***************

TUPILAK - Nordic Rainbow Cultural Workers
info@tupilak.se
www.nrc.tupilak.se


ILGCN Information Secretariat- Stockholm
www.ilgcn.tupilak.se


NORDIC RAINBOW HUMANISTS

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

*******************************

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.


*******************************

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