Copenhagen Pride members back future strategy with renewed focus

The members of Copenhagen Pride overwhelmingly approved the board’s plans for an updated future direction and strategy at the annual general meeting held on Wednesday 13 November.

Around 100 members gathered at LGBT+ Medborgerhuset to hear about the organisation’s work in 2024, including reflections from the board on the turbulent first half of the year and a look ahead to 2025 and beyond.

Benjamin Hansen (he/him) was unanimously elected Chairperson after the General Assembly approved a change to the Articles of Association so that there is now one Chairperson instead of the previous arrangement of an ‘organisational Chairperson’ and a ‘political Chairperson’. Lars Christian Østergreen was re-elected as treasurer.

There is still much to do to improve the lives of LGBTI+ people in Denmark. A third of LGBTI+ people in Denmark avoid holding hands with their partner in public for fear of reprisals, and one in ten LGBTI+ people report having been assaulted in the past five years. So-called ‘conversion therapy’ is still legal in Denmark and there is still no legal recognition of trans and non-binary identities.

Benjamin Hansen said Copenhagen Pride will focus its efforts on creating a platform for the LGBTI+ community, partnering with community and commercial partners and celebrating the successes achieved on the road to equality.Working with the LGBTI+ community and partners is essential to the organisation, so the board is establishing two advisory boards to work with the community and partners respectively to ensure their needs and views are met.

Other new initiatives include a programme of events for international Pride Month in June, funding for LGBTI+ organisations to participate in the parade, and a new approach to ethical guidelines, introducing the UN Standard for Business on anti-discrimination against LGBTI+ people. A recruitment campaign for year-round volunteers begins later this month.

Three new board members were elected at the AGM. Charlotte Mygdam Toft (she/her) who was previously head of the organisation’s culture team and in her professional life is a software developer and systems engineer. Lukas Clare (they/them he/him) was previously a leader of Pride’s youth team and has an educational background in event planning and coordination and urban planning and development. Martin Thomsen (he/him) is a business leader with broad experience, including as director of Nørrebro Bryghus, and now works as commercial manager. They join Christian Sebastian Lauritsen (he/him) and Mette Willenbrock Hattens (she/her), who were elected last year.

The members thanked the board members and volunteers who stepped down, including board members Caroline Vilstrup Thøgersen, Lars Henriksen, Lai Christian Balsig and Tommy Petersen.

After the AGM, the Copenhagen Pride team is now focusing on Winter Pride in week 8 and planning the new initiatives in June and towards Pride Week from 9-17 August 2025.

Photo: The board of Copenhagen Pride. Left to right: Charlotte Mygdam Toft, Benjamin Hansen, Christian Sebastian Lauritsen, Mette Willenbrock Hattens, Lars Christian Østergreen, Martin Thomsen, Lukas Clare.