Numerous schools participated in IDAHOBIT by flying the rainbow flag, as well as other buildings and institutions. The Icelandic LGBT group Samtökin ’78 reported on their Facebook page. Some of the events were accompanied by discussions about the diversity of people and positions with the children, for example in the Kindergarten Eyrar.

In a place in Greater Reykjavik, the celebrations were interrupted by a man trying to remove one of the flags that was raised.

Police intervention was required to prevent a man forcibly taking down a rainbow flag flying outside a church in Seltjarnarnes, Greater Reykjavik.

On Saturday, members of the Reykjavik Queer Choir gathered at Seltjarnarnes to entertain the crowd of excited guests with their annual Spring Concert.

Rainbow flag “unacceptable”

Preparations for the event were, however, marred by the disruptive appearance of a young man in his twenties an hour before the concert was scheduled to begin.

According to an account of events given by Gunn­laug­ur Bragi Björns­son, President of the Choir, the man declared that it was unacceptable for a rainbow flag to be flying outside an Icelandic church given the Bible’s clear position on homosexuality.

“Nothing against you people”

“As is usually the case with such outbursts of prejudice, the man assured us that he had “nothing against you people”, but that the flag must come down and that a society like ours had no business in a church,” writes Björns­son on the Choir’s Facebook page.

The first reaction of the church staff was to comply with the man’s demands and suggest taking down the flag. The Choir managed, however, to persuade the parish vicar to allow them to keep the flag flying.

Björns­son expressed his surprise at the church’s reaction, pointing out that the Choir has performed in churches before and always flown the rainbow flag.

“The battle is not over”

The man then attempted forcibly to remove the flag, while continuing his diatribe and insulting Choir members. The police were called in to remove the man – which they did, displaying impeccable behaviour towards the Choir, according to Björns­son.

“Incidents such as this remind us that the battle is not over,” writes Björns­son. “LGBT people are still subjected to harassment and discrimination in Icelandic society despite enjoying a strong legal status. This kind of person demonstrates why societies such as the Reykjavik Queer Choir are necessary. Together, we can all work towards a better world and gradually bring about social equality for everybody.”

See the full report here.

Additionally, Samtökin ’78 hosted a session “Queer Education?? What is that??” that talked about queer education and queer life on  IDAHO(BIT) Sunday, May 17.

In Iceland, the organisation Samtökin ’78 used the occasion of May 17, 2014, to question the candidates for the upcoming elections about their stands on LGBTIQ issues & Human Rights. The city of Akranes also marked the day by flying the rainbow flag.

Under the theme ‘Do Queer Votes Count?’, the organisation Samtökin ’78 hosted activities for IDAHOBIT. In the context of the 2014 Elections, Samtökin ’78 invited candidates to a panel discussion to discuss their thoughts and ideas on queer issues, especially touching topics of human rights for LGBTIQ people. The event took place in Reykjavik on May 17.

You can find more details about the event here.

Samtökin ’78 is the National Queer Organisation of Iceland and works for LGBTI people and their families. They run a community centre in downtown Reykjavík where they hold events, have open hours and provide a library.

You can find more information about the organisation on their website and Facebook page.

Poster for IDAHOT 2014 actions in Iceland.

In Akranes, city authorities flew rainbow flags at their offices in the town for May 17.

Rainbow Flag in front of Akranes City Offices. Source: Visir.is

Before May 17, the Human Rights Policy Akranes was approved by the town council and stated that Akranes supports rights for gay people, as the online magazine visir stated.

In commemoration and in the context of elections, Samtökin ’78 has invited to a panel discussion with candidates for Elections 2014 to discuss their thoughts and ideas on queer issues, especially touching topics of human rights for queer people. The event will be taking place in Reykjavik on May 17 next to the Rainbow Association 78 and will start at 1pm.

You can find the event page here.

Samtökin ’78 is the National Queer Organisation of Iceland and works for LGBTI people and their families. Their works aims towards equality and better visibility in Icelandic society and the world. They run a community centre in downtown Reykjavík where they hold events, have open hours and provide a library.

See more information about the organisation and their work on their website and Facebook page.

A selection of the photos follows (more available from the facebook page // Samtökin’78 site)