Looking at the timeline showing the milestones achieved in Denmark for LGBT people over the course of a century, it is no wonder that today the country and its capital Copenhagen are considered among the most gay friendly destinations in the world. It was 1933 when Denmark abolished the crime of homosexuality. Since then it has been a virtuous crescendo: in 1951 the first surgery for sex change succeeded in Copenhagen; in 1981 homosexuality was deleted from the list of recognized diseases; in 1989 the Copenhagen City Hall celebrated the first same-sex marriage in the world between Eigil and Axel Axgi and a few years later, in 1986, the Danish capital hosted the EuroPride.
Numerous goals have been achieved in the following years – as the right recognized to LGBT couples, in 2010, to adopt under the same conditions as heterosexual ones – up to the present day: last August the WorldPride they EuroGames: under the motto of #YouAreIncluded, simultaneously with the Swedish city of Malmö, Copenhagen was invaded by artistic, cultural and sporting events that celebrated diversity, as well as a large LGBT Human Rights Forum. On the outcome of the greatest Pride of the Covid era we interviewed Steve Taylor, communication director of Copenhagen 2021, to whom we have asked to also take stock of controversial issues such as the increasingly all-encompassing presence of large sponsors which risks transforming the celebration of rights into a less credible commercial formula.
Taylor, were the August events much affected by the current situation?
“We were undoubtedly limited by the pandemic, but Copenhagen 2021 was nevertheless a great event that strengthened even more in the collective imagination the vision of Copenhagen as a gay friendly city. Many first-time travelers expect to find plenty of gay pubs and clubs; in reality in Copenhagen everyone is welcome so the number of places that cater exclusively to the LGBT community are relatively few. Most bars and restaurants, for example, do not find it necessary to advertise that they are open and inclusive. They simply are ».
The Øresund Declaration – the manifesto to end the global criminalization of LGBT people by 2030 and promote their integration – is the legacy of Copenhagen 2021. The date is identical to that of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, the project with which Saudi prince bin Salman announced the de-radicalization of customs and habits of his country, which, however, is far behind in the protection of human rights …
“We started with what are the most urgent issues for the LGBT community – trans rights, removal of conversion therapies, decriminalization of homosexuality – with the aim of putting on paper the progress that will be made in the world by 2030. Some of these results are achievable, but only with the support of politics and civil society. Of course, in countries like Saudi Arabia there is a huge amount of work to be done; in comparison Denmark is a happy island, but even here there are some problems ».
.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
