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RÁN Waves The Flag: Inside Margrét Rán’s Joyous 2024 Pride anthem
“I really hope the listeners get the feeling of being in the crowded Pride parade, dancing and waving our glorious flag surrounded by colourful people and atmosphere,” Margrét Rán says of “Gleðivíma,” the song she wrote for this year’s Reykjavík Pride. Giddy…
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Fighting For The Freedom To Breathe: LGBTQIA+ Asylum Seekers In Iceland
It’s no secret that Iceland is broadly regarded as a safe and accepting place for the LGBTQIA+ community. Laws criminalising same-sex sexual activity were repealed in 1940, same-sex couples have been legally permitted to register their partnership since 1996, marriage was made…
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Pretty, Witty & Gay: Reykjavík Pride Is A Week Full Of Wonders
It still comes as a surprise to so many fine visitors to our fair isle that the public party that draws the biggest crowd is the annual Reykjavík Pride parade. “Not the Independence Day parade?” they ask. All tea no shade, but…
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Former PM Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir Awarded Badge of Honor
Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, both Iceland’s first female and openly LGBT Prime Minister, was honoured yesterday with an award from Samtökin ’78. In a speech during the ceremony, Samtökin ’78 chairperson Þorbjörg Þorvaldsdóttir stated: “Overnight, Jóhanna became a role model for millions of people…
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Pride Flags Raised Across Reykjavík
On Monday, the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia, rainbow flags were raised outside of Höfði, city hall, and offices in Borgartún. The City of Reykjavík’s Human Rights Award was presented at Höfði on the same day. Remembering past protest Visír…
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Four Million ISK Grant To Educate And Counsel LGBT Community
Svandís Svavarsdóttir, Minister of Health, has given a grant of four million ISK to the National Queer Organisation (Samtökin ’78), for an education centre for those who are in the LGBT community. The grant will be used for counselling and education on…
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Iceland Violates Human Rights By Performing Surgery On Intersex Children
According to Piet de Bruyn, General Rapporteur on the rights of LGBT people appointed by the Council of Europe, Iceland has been violating the human rights of countless individuals for decades by performing irreversible surgery on intersex children, RÚV reports. A problem…
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WHERE’S THE GAYBOURHOOD?
I’ve asked around. Though the sample size is hardly one that would hold up under intense scrutiny, a pattern has begun to emerge. The question “Where’s the gaybourhood?”, when raised in Reykjavík, will most likely be met with the response (after several,…
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Musician May Face Hate Speech Charges
An Icelandic musician who has been an outspoken opponent of the Reykjavík Pride festival may be looking at hate speech charges for his remarks about the LGBT community. Gylfi Ægisson, a musician who has made his opposition to Reykjavík Pride publicly known…
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Travelling Queer, There And Everywhere
Iceland’s reputation as a haven for LGBTQIA people is well founded with same-sex marriage legal since 2010 and same-sex adoption since 2012. Fair enough, but what of those travelling into the country? People who won’t be here long enough to enjoy these…
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A Safe Place…For Topless Table-Top Dancing
Picture the scene: It’s 2AM. You’ve tried your best fitting in with the ultra-modern hipsters at Paloma and failed miserably. Downing those 12 apple sours shots didn’t mix well with cool-kid ‘minimalist-psychedelic-techno’? Almost collapsing but never quite there, you want real, old-fashioned,…
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News In Brief: Late June, 2014
Former prime minister and first openly gay head of state Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir delivered a moving speech about LGBT rights at Toronto’s WorldPride Human Rights Conference last week. In her speech, Jóhanna expressed gratitude for LGBT activists and told the audience that she…
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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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LGBT Rights Groups Tells Minister To Send Message To Sochi Olympics
Two LGBT rights groups have encouraged Minister of Education and Cultural Affairs Illugi Jökulsson to “hold aloft the banner of the rights of queer people”. Vísir reports that The National Queer Organization and Reykjavík Pride met with the minister today over his…