Oh wow. I’m actually proud to live in Denmark again. Fells like the fog has lifted!
I have a lot of pictures on my walls; family, friends, funny cards, people I admire. Among these is one of my favourite photos, the wedding photo of Axel & Eigil Axgil. The first ever (as in EVER) gay couple to get married.
The love story of these two men is amazing and I can’t encourage you enough to dig into it. The fights they’ve fought and the amount of hatred, discrimination and mockery they’ve gone through all because of love. It’s impressive.
Unfortunately it ain’t all good yet. I keep on hearing from friends that are gay, that the battle is still on. You probably don’t lose your home, your job, your political status and your friends like Axel Axgil did when rumours ran and he was outed by a “friend” – but I still hear way to many stories of gay couples being shouted at, hit, pinched or pushed just for showing their affection in public. Maybe even just for walking around looking all gay and stuff … (Please sence the irony).
I’m not gay myself, but I have no problem understanding the concept of love being genderless. So I’m repeatedly surprised (and scared) of the ignorance towards gay people. Because that is probably what it is – ignorance. Or maybe I’d just like to think that it’s ignorance and not just pure hatred? Not sure.
Anyways. Today IS a good day.
Let me tell you why.
Just recently Denmark got a new government. As you may have noticed, this was much to my joy! I’ve really been waiting for a change to steer this country away from the mind-blowingly scary right turn we’ve been on the last decade. Denmark used to be known as a country of free will and free minds, where things were loose and people still got a long.
The last 10 years have been all about more rules, more regulations, narrowing down the options for immigrants and refugees, complicating the processes to a point where NO ONE understood them and keeping Denmark closed and run by a somewhat racist “we’re fine by our own!” mentality. BUT luckily we got the new government: mid-left government, aiming to run politics based on wide agreements across the different parties. I’m all in favour!
It was a close run and Helle Thorning-Schmidt (above) just barely made it to the prime minister post. But she did. (As the first female prime minister in Denmark. Which is awesome, but beside the point). We’re getting at it! Along Helle Thorning-Schmidt I’m hoping to see a new mindset and a new, much more socially responsible look on things. Things are slowly starting.
With the government Denmark got a new minister of Church and Equality; Manu Sareen (below). Born in India and raised in Copenhagen, he’s the second not piggy coloured Dane to become minister. Yei! (But also beside the point).
The new government has gotten a whole lot of criticism, some of it correct, but I’m still confident. One of the claims during the election was Manu Sareen continuously claiming that he would fight for gay right to marriage in the Danish churches. Untill now gay Danes could only be wed at the Town hall and earn the right to be a “registered-partnership” not “a lawfully wed couple”.
AND … Ta daaaaaaa … As for today the law is official, and it is now the right of EVERY human being living in Denmark to marry the one they love and to do so by the blessing of the Danish church.
This seems like a big step in the right direction! – and so we’re back at my favourite photo.
Thank you Axel!
What happened today happened very much so because of Axel & Eigil. I think we owe them a lot. So I find it a bit sad that neither of them are around to see this. Eigil passed away in 1995, but Axel Axgil passed away just 25 days ago …
I hope they’re both smiling somewhere, feeling prouder than proud, knowing that they made a HUGE difference in Denmark. A huge difference for both gay and not gay. Even after the death of Eigil, Axel continued fighting for gay rights and I find his story so inspiring. I truly admire all of the hassle and pain he went through.
Big.
So today is a good day!
Today I’m proud to live in Denmark. I’m emotional as fuck and I LIKE IT! :)
One love.
//Ida
* If you’d like to send some props to the Danish Church and Equality minister, you can do so right here at his facebook page.
** If you have any comments or thoughts on this blog and the new law please use the comment box. If you think it’s a bad idea you’ve probably already left the building, but let’s keep it neat.
Tags: Axel Axgil, danish law, Eigil Axgil, equality, first gay marriage, gay rights, gays, give me good news, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, heroes., homo, it's a good day!, Manu Sareen, marriage, new government in Denmark, ny lov om homoægteskaber, ny regering
I’m a cartoon-drawing, postcard-making, freelance copywriter. Huge music-fan, festival-junkie, street art freak. Extremely nice. (really)
