Date: Sat, 25 Jan 1997 19:05:25 +0100 (MET) From: skolander@bahnhof.se (Bjoern Skolander) THE ICELANDIC GAY AND LESBIAN ORGANISATION SAMTOEKIN '78 ANNUAL REPORT - Oct '95 to Oct '96 (see note 1) 1.3. ACTIVITIES OF SAMTOEKIN '78 Samtoekin '78 is the Icelandic organization of lesbians and gay men. The organization serves two main purposes: 1) To fight for legal and social equality for lesbians and gay men in Iceland. 2) To be a social and cultural movement for gay people in Iceland. The number of members varies from one year to another. Presently (October 1996) valid members are 160. This year the number of members will most likely be the greatest in the history of the organization. The organization runs a Gay Center at Lindargata 49, Reykjavik, a small house which the organization rents. The following activities and services take place at the Gay Center. - A LIBRARY, where members, students and others can borrow books and videos on gay issues. The library is open two nights a week, on Mondays and Thursdays. - A small CAFE that is open three nights a week, on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The Thursdays are the most popular with the average of 50 people visiting. The cafe is run by a group of volunteers. - A COUNSELLING SERVICE. Includes a gay help-line and a reception service for newcomers. The counselling service is run by volunteers. - AN OFFICE run by the manager on a part time job basis. The office serves the members and takes care of the everyday management of the Gay center and the organization. The office is open all weekdays from 11-12 noon (local time). The following groups form a part of the organizations activities: ***************************************************************** - AST, a religious group, which holds religious ceremonies and discussion meetings, and works for gay rights within the state church. - UNGLITHAHOPUR, a youth group with regular meetings and counselling service for young gay people. This fall the youth group has distributed posters and leaflets in all Icelandic high schools. - A SUPPORT GROUP for members of Samtoekin '78. - AN EDUCATIONAL GROUP that visits schools and other institutions with an introduction on Samtoekin '78. Other groups center their activities at the Gay center. Those are f.ex.: ************************************************************************ - The Gay AA Group - The Support Group for Relatives of Gay People - The MSC Leather Club The Gay center is in constant use due to these activities and is therefore getting a bit too small for it all. Last October (1995) all Samtoekin's staff went on a two days seminar to improve the quality of Samtoekin's services. 2. HUMAN RIGHTS 2.2. LAWS ON REGISTERED PARTNERSHIP The Icelandic Parliament passed a resolution in 1992 commanding the government to appoint a committee to explore the legal, cultural and social situation of homosexuals in Iceland and to propose measures to abolish discrimination against homosexuals in Iceland. The committee was appointed in 1993 and issued a report in October 1994. The majority of the committee, recommended the adoption of laws similar to those already adopted in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. The minority of the committee, comprised of members from the Icelandic Organisation of Lesbians and Gay Men, urged the adoption of laws which would completely equate heterosexual and homosexual relationships. In Febrary 1996 the government proposed a bill on "confirmed partnerships" allowing two persons of the same sex to confirm partnership with similar effects as the Danish, Norwegian and Swedish laws. There is one difference: - the Icelandic proposal assumes that if either person in an confirmed partnership has a child, the partners would have joint custody, i.e. the rules on step-parent custody, such as mutual support obligations, would apply to homosexual partners. This means that if the biological parent dies the step-parent automatically gets custody unless challenged and shown that this is not the best interest of the child. On the 4th of June the Icelandic Parliament, Althingi, passed the long awaited partnership laws, stathfest samvist. Only one congressman voted against the laws and one abstained. The laws took force at June 27th, the International Gay pride Day by the request of Samtoekin '78. On the victorius day Samtoekin '78 organized a reception at the City Theatre. To the reception were invited all members of Samtoekin ´78 and their friends and families, all members of parliament, the mayor of Reykjavik and the City council, human rights activists, the press and others. The guests of honour were the first "married" gay-couples and the President of Iceland, Vigdis Finnbogadottir. The over 400 guests enjoyed an art program delivered by some of our finest gay artists, and recieved refreshments from gay restaurants and bars. Samtoekin recieved many greetings of congratulations at the reception. Among them from the Nordic gay organizations, which we appreciated very much. And from the presidental candidate, now president of Iceland, Olafur Ragnar Grimsson. The Icelandic nation truly shared our happiness on this day, and the reception was brodcasted live on both TV stations. In addition, all the media delt with the new laws in one way or the other. 2.3. ANTI DISCRIMINATION CLAUSE IN THE PENAL LAWS The Minister of Justice, Mr. Thorsteinn Palsson of the conservative party, proposed a bill to change the anti discrimination clause in the penal laws last month (August/September 1996). There are two provisions in the bill that concern gay people. Firstly, a provision that criminalizes every action that humiliates, degrades, slanders, defames and so on an individual or a group because of sexual orientation. Secondly, the bill makes it punishable to deny someone service or merchandise because od sexual orientation. Samtoekin '78 hopes that the bill passes through parliament this winter (see note 2). 2.4. THE ICELANDIC STATE CHURCH Last summer the Icelandic State Church Convocation appointed a committee on the subject of "Church and Homosexuality". The committee has worked with the cooperation of Samtoekin '78 and the religious group of Samtoekin '78. The committee presented their proposals at the ecclesiastical coincil in October this year (1996). Thecouncil didn't deal with the committees proposals but ordered the committee to continue their work and present new proposals on the next convocation the summer of '97. Samtoekin '78 expect the '97 church convocation to agree on a blessing ritual similar to the one of the Swedish church. We also hope that the education and discussion on full clerical consummation will continue. We hope the Icelandic State Church (with ca. 96% of the Icelandic nation as members) is more liberal in its attitude towards homosexuality than f.ex. the Norwegian Church. As an exampel the State Church has never fought against gay rights, as have the orthodox Philadelfian Churches in Iceland. 3. FINALLY This passing year has been the most effective and victorious in the history of Samtoekin '78. We have achieved our goals in what we aimed for in our fight for better life for gay people in iceland. Gay issues have been in the spotlight in our society all year long - in media, in political and public discussions, and this has caused increased pride and positive self-esteem among gay people in Iceland. For its work for equal rights Samtoekin '78 has gained public respect and now has a position as a human rights organization. The parliament has at last responded to modern demands and the church has opened it gates - not wide but a little bit, and from now on there is no turning back. Our goal for the year to come will be a bill at Althingi for a partners adoption and a blessing ritual in the church. We will continue our work towards the goal of Samtoekin '78, which is to make full rights for lesbians and gay men, increase visiblility, and to be a social and cultural scene for lesbians and gay men in Iceland. Note 1: In this version of the report I have only included paragraphs which are of general interest to the international gay and lesbian community. The original report also includes information on the present board of Samtoekin '78, financial matters and local events. Note 2. In a fax dated Reykjavik, January 12, 1997, Samtoekin spokeswoman Klara Bjartmarz writes: "The Icelandic parliament, Althingi, has already passed the bill to change the anti discrimination clause in the penal laws." Typed from a copy of the Samtoekin's annual report 1996 by Bjoern Skolander . The two notes are added by me.