Eurovision 2014 Gets a “LGBT Pride Square” in Copenhagen

By eurovisionireland on March 12, 2014 • ( Leave a comment )

Regnbuepladsen – Rainbow Square in Copenhagen. Photograph : Wikipedia

Eurovision Song Contest 2014 in Copenhagen will be “out and proud” and have a visible LGBT profile. The City of Copenhagen has decided to provide Copenhagen Pride with funding to create a “Eurovision Pride Square” in central Copenhagen in cooperation with Host City Copenhagen.

A meeting took place at Copenhagen City Hall on the 20th of February 2014 where it was decided to grant Copenhagen Pride with the necessary means to ensure that the Eurovision Song Contest will also reflect “Copenhagen as a diverse and tolerant host city, where the LGBT community plays an important role”.

Pride Square At Eurovision. Photo : Visitcopenhagen.com

Lars Henriksen, President of the Copenhagen Pride said

“Fortunately, the City of Copenhagen has agreed to Copenhagen Pride’s vision about giving Eurovision Song Contest 2014 a clear and unambiguous LGBT character. […] We are very pleased that the City of Copenhagen in this way accentuates Copenhagen Pride’s leading role in securing and maintaining the profile that Copenhagen is a city for all citizens. We are the capital’s largest festival, and the Pride embraces all Copenhageners. It is an important grant because it ensures that all visitors – LGBT and others – will experience Copenhagen’s openness and tolerance.”

Official LGBT programme and Eurovision Pride Square

A special Eurovision Pride Square will be created in central Copenhagen at the newly named “Rainbow Square”, located at Regnbuepladsen, next to Copenhagen City Hall Square.

Copenhagen Pride are seeking to organise a “Eurovision LGBT Street Party” with an accompanying magazine showing a list of LGBT Eurovision Events in Copenhagen.

“Eurovision Song Contest 2014 is an all-inclusive event taking place in a diverse and open city. We are thrilled that we as host city can offer our citizens and visitors their very own Eurovision Pride Square and LGBT programme thanks to the initiative and hard work by Copenhagen Pride,” says Head of Events Ulrich Ammundsen from Host City Copenhagen.

Copenhagen Pride. Photo CopenhagenPride.dk

LGBT-friendly Copenhagen

Copenhagen has a history of LGBT inclusion in the broader society. They have hosted the Outgames in 2009, and Denmark is a frontrunner with regards to equal rights.

2014 sees Denmark celebrate the 25th anniversary of the law, which legalised same-sex registered partnerships. Since then, Denmark has legalised adoptions by same-sex couples and same-sex church weddings. In fact you can get married during Eurovision Song Contest 2014, if you wish.

You can read more about LGBT Copenhagen

Sweden may have given you a same-sex kiss at Eurovision but Denmark intend to offer you so much more.

Author/Editor in Chief Garrett Mulhall

Source : Visit Copenhagen