Opening speech of chairperson Benjamin Hansen
Speech at Pride Square, Saturday 10 August 2024
Welcome to the opening of Copenhagen Pride 2024!
A lot has been said about Copenhagen Pride over the past many months.
About what to expect and whether there could even be a pride…
So let me start by saying: Look around you…
Once again, our many volunteers have delivered, and Copenhagen Pride 2024, despite what people thought… and despite what people feared, will once again be a fight for, and celebration of, diversity, inclusion, love, freedom and community.
The next 8 days will be a platform for activists and organisations to have the important conversations and focus on the issues they work so hard for all 365 days of the year, and an opportunity to once again put things on the agenda where we have not yet reached our goal.
Once again, our volunteers have delivered a free programme of more than 100 events, covering a wide range of important LGBTQIA+ issues.
And of course, this year we’re going to have a huge party and celebration of the victories we’ve achieved, a celebration of ourselves and a celebration of each other.
That’s what we’re doing WIth Pride – right here in Pride Square!
We know that there are people who believe that we as a human rights organisation should take a more active role in Israel and Palestine.
Some also say that we should or have already taken sides.
Therefore, I would like to make it clear again:
Copenhagen Pride is not pro or anti any government – not even the Danish government.
We use our platform to pressure governments to make LGBT+ friendly legislation and call out discriminatory laws, while celebrating when governments make good legislation that protects and recognises LGBT+ people.
Earlier this year, we also stood with the people suffering after the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria and sent a donation to LGBT+ organisations assisting with humanitarian efforts.
We have stood alongside LGBT+ people in Uganda, Ukraine, Poland and several other countries by sending funds from our solidarity fund. And in February, we also decided that the proceeds from our Winter Pride afterparty would go to humanitarian aid in Gaza.
Because that’s what we do.
We mean it when we say we don’t support governments – we support LGBT+ people wherever there is a need, regardless of their government.
We also side with LGBT+ people living in the seven countries where homosexuality can lead to the death penalty or the 70 countries where it can lead to imprisonment.
Because our collective freedom depends on all of us.
There are so many terrible and scary things happening around the world.
At the same time, we’ll also focus on the rise of online hate against queer people – especially against the trans community.
We’ll also talk about anti-LGBT+ legislation in Ghana, Uganda, Georgia and just last week, new anti-LGBT+ legislation in Bulgaria.
We’ll also talk about the new research that shows that almost half of all LGBT+ people in Denmark were harassed in the past year and that a third feel that violence against our community has increased in the past five years.
Or that 25 per cent of those who have come out as transgender at workplaces here in Denmark regret it because of the reactions and consequences.
Copenhagen Pride is a platform for the LGBTQIA+ community and its organisations.
A platform to promote acceptance. For artists to express themselves, advocate for change and call out the things that need to change.
And Pride is the biggest and most visible platform we have for that work.
That’s why we continue the fight and we continue the party.
And we also had a party a month ago, when we celebrated that Rådhuspladsen 75 and 77 officially became Rainbow Square on 1 July 2014 – 10 years ago.
Ten years ago, we were given a piece of this City Hall Square that has been defining for our environment, for the victories we have achieved and for our joint protests.
It is here at City Hall Square that Copenhagen Pride has had its centre of gravity since 1996.
This is where people gathered almost 35 years ago on 1 October 1989 to celebrate Axel and Eigil becoming the first gay couple in the world to enter into a registered partnership at Copenhagen City Hall.
And it was here that the gays illegally danced hand-in-hand with the messages “GAY SOLIDARITY” and “GAY POWER NOW”.
Dance actions at City Hall Square that led to the abolition of the dance ban, which otherwise prohibited two men from dancing together.
Now, over 50 years ago.
And then… 10 years ago, we got our own piece of City Hall Square, in the form of the Rainbow Square, where the rainbow flag flies every day as the only permanent rainbow flag in the world.
We got a part of the square that is the centre of our protests, our celebrations and our dances with each other.
But that’s not the only anniversary we can celebrate this year.
As many as three organisations from the community are celebrating their anniversaries.
This year, both Pan Idræt and Tegnbuen are celebrating their 40th anniversaries.
Pan Idræt, which organises sports activities every day for people under the rainbow and their friends.
A club that means a lot to many, and especially to me.
Because I know what it’s like as a queer in the closet to come to Copenhagen without any acquaintances in the community.
Pan Idræt is where I found my first friends from the community.
Where I took some of my first steps in my queer journey.
And the place where I still – 6 years later – have some of my best friends.
Huge congratulations to you and not least a huge personal thank you to you.
Tegnbuen is also celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.
Compared to Pan Sports’ nearly 2000 members, Tegnbuen may be a small organisation.
But that doesn’t make it any less important.
Because the inclusion of deaf and hard of hearing people is hugely important, and the fight for the double-minorised is even more important.
It’s just that it’s more difficult to participate in the programmes and activities that are available, and this also applies to activities within our own environment.
That’s why it’s so important that there has been an offer like Tegnbuen for 40 years now.
Huge congratulations on 40 years.
Or rather:
[in Danish sign language]: “HUGE BIG – CONGRATULATIONS – 40 – YEAR – ANNIVERSARY”
Scandinavian Leather Men – SLM – is also celebrating its anniversary. A full 50 years!
I’ve been reading their rather extensive anniversary publication, which tells of the many struggles, the many sacrifices and the many victories.
And it’s so fascinating to read about their story, which is also part of my and your queer history.
50 years of history, filled with fun, exciting and wild experiences, but unfortunately also often overshadowed by tragic stories and shame.
So let me take this opportunity to emphasise:
The kink and fetish community has its place in pride, and it is and will remain a part of our environment and community.
Huge congratulations on 50 years.
I will end with a little anecdote that brings my speech here back to the town hall square.
A story that emphasises why we keep fighting.
Last year, during the Pride, a young teenager approached one of our volunteers in the town hall square and said:
“Hi. I don’t have any friends because people don’t understand me”.
Our volunteers quickly grabbed her and encouraged her to go for a walk around the square, look around and just experience the atmosphere.
When she returned shortly afterwards, our volunteers told her to take another walk and try to make eye contact with some people, and then come back again.
When she did, she came back with increasing enthusiasm and said ‘so’ and had a look of longing in her eyes.
Our volunteers now encouraged her to go for another walk, make eye contact with someone again, try to smile at someone and you’ll eventually strike up a conversation.
This time it was over an hour before she returned.
And the longing look was replaced with a look filled with joy and love.
And with her were two new friends. Arm-in-arm.
She was so happy and she felt seen, understood and loved.
That day – here in Pride Square – she made two new friends and most importantly, she became part of something bigger.
That’s what you can look forward to over the next 8 days.
A Copenhagen Pride where we create space, room and understanding… for each other, for each other, and with each other.
So use City Hall Square as we always have.
To continue to fight. To keep protesting and to keep dancing.
Dancing with exactly who we want, while looking exactly how we want.
Thank you for speaking, and have an amazing Copenhagen Pride 2024!
