Gay Rights
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Gay Men & Others May Soon Be Allowed To Donate Blood
Svandís Svavarsdóttir, Minister of Health, has submitted a draft for an amendment to the Regulation on the Collection, Treatment, Preservation and Distribution of Blood. The current regulation allows for discrimination in blood donation based on sexual behaviour by instituting a lifetime ban…
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The Struggle Continues: Iceland’s Chequered History Of Gay Rights
Hörður Torfason is a musician and an activist. He was the first public figures to come out of the closet in Iceland back in the ‘70s and was the founder of The National Queer Organisation, Samtökin 78. Arguably no one is a…
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Queer Activists Meet With President Over Russia
Yesterday, queer rights organisation Samtökin 78 met with Icelandic President Guðni Th. Jóhannesson to discuss how Icelandic authorities could pressure Russia into protecting the rights of homosexuals in the country. During the meeting, the group furthermore spoke about the importance of encouraging…
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Queer Rights Activists Descend On Russian Embassy
Queer rights organisation Samtökin 78 is staging a three day demonstration outside the Russian embassy in Reykjavík to protest the violent crackdown on homosexuals in Chechnya. In April, Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta reported that round 100 gay and bisexual men had been…
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News In Brief: Early August
Don’t believe the hype. Despite plenty of news coverage detailing dangerous stunts by tourists in the past few months, Icelanders still love you guys! According to a new poll from Market and Media Research, 80% of Icelanders feel good about tourists in…
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City Council Person: I Should Have Googled Better
The Progressive Party City Council Person, Sveinbjörg Birna Sveinbjörnsdóttir, admitted on Kastljós last night that appointing PEGIDA Supporter, Gústaf Níelsson, as vice-member of the Reykjavík Human Rights Council had been a mistake. The appointment was later withdrawn but even so Sveinbjörg said…
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Let The Gaymes Begin!
A group of handsome young men gather in the historic city of Rome this week, in the hopes of winning the title of Mr Gay World, an annual beauty pageant for gay rights. The winner of the competition gets to travel all…
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Former PM At WorldPride: In The End Love Conquered All
Iceland’s former Prime Minister-slash-the world’s first openly gay head of state Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir gave her first address on LGBT rights in Toronto at the WorldPride Human Rights Conference yesterday. In her speech Jóhanna expressed gratitude for LGBT activists who fought with such…
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Half A Billion ISK In Development Aid To Uganda
Following Uganda’s controversial anti-gay bill being signed into law, both Norway and Denmark have decided to cut aid. Foreign Minister Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson insists Iceland should not follow suit, reports Vísir. President Museveni signed the bill into law on Monday and already yesterday…
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Illugi Never Met Putin
Minister of Culture and Education Illugi Gunnarsson has confirmed that he did not discuss LGBT rights with Putin while in Russia for the Sochi Winter Olympics, reports RÚV. This came to light in parliament yesterday when Bright Future MP, Róbert Marshall, asked Illugi…
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Protests Held At Russian Embassy
A group of protestors assembled in front of the Russian embassy in Reykjavík today to protest the country’s treatment of its LGBT community. In a statement from the protestors, Vísir reports, they say the purpose of the protest is “to encourage love instead of…
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Minister Wears Rainbow Scarf In Sochi
Minister of Education and Cultural Affairs Illugi Gunnarsson wore a rainbow scarf gifted to him by The National Queer Organization and Reykjavík Pride at the opening ceremony of the Sochi Winter Olympics, reports RÚV. While Gunnarsson has in the past been reluctant…
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Muslims, Iceland, and the EU
With the news that a plot of land for a mosque in Reykjavík might possibly be approved—some 10 years after the Muslim Society of Iceland first applied for one—the comments sections of news websites such as Eyjan were exploding with rage. It…