Continuing on the path towards full equality. Happy Pride 2019!
The Municipality of Hafnarfjörður will continue to pave the way towards full equality – legal and social – and, like the rest of the country, will celebrate diversity on Saturday, 17th August. The peer education of Hafnarfjörður's Summer Job Scheme has painted Linnet Street in the centre of Hafnarfjörður in all the colours of the rainbow as part of celebrating diversity, and during the Queer Days will host an event at Hamrar – Hafnarfjörður's youth centre.
The City of Hafnarfjörður will continue to pave the way towards full equality – legal and social – and, like the rest of the nation, will celebrate diversity in the coming days, with the celebrations culminating in the Pride Parade on Saturday, 17 August. This year, there will be a change: the municipality will not have its own float in the Pride Parade, but instead, staff and councillors will take part in the parade on their own terms with family and friends. The peer education programme of the Hafnarfjörður Summer Job Scheme has painted Linnetstígur in the centre of Hafnarfjörður in all the colours of the rainbow as part of celebrating diversity, and during Hinsegin Days will be hosting an event at Hamrar – the youth centre of Hafnarfjörður: Young and queer . A queer evening, held by young people for young people.
LGBTQ+ education has become a permanent fixture in the Haffjarker school community.
The Municipality of Hafnarfjörður and Samtökin '78 signed a cooperation agreement in December 2015 for an educational partnership, which began in 2016. The agreement has since been renewed annually, and surveys and research conducted among both students and staff have shown that the education is well received. Queer education, delivered by staff from Samtökin '78, has become a regular feature in the Hafnarfjörður school community.
It was proposed that the collaboration with Samtökin '78 would have a threefold purpose: (1) to educate young people about the diversity of human life in order to reduce prejudice, (2) to support young people who are going through puberty with a variety of educational activities, and (3) to provide young people in Hafnarfjörður and their families with free access to advice on personal matters from Samtökin '78. To fulfil this threefold purpose, three projects were launched:
- All primary school teachers and staff received six hours of training on LGBTQ+ issues during the 2016-2017 school year. Each year, new staff receive the same training.
- All Year 9 pupils receive two lessons on LGBTQ+ issues during the relevant academic year.
- You can get advice from Samtök 78 free of charge.
The main objective of the agreement from the outset has been to improve services for pupils and staff in primary schools through education on the issues affecting LGBTQ+ people, based on equality and inherent human rights. It is difficult to assess the real and measurable impact of the collaboration, but it is expected that, over time, young people in Hafnarfjörður will become more open-minded and better able to make decisions and take responsibility for themselves. School staff will be better equipped to take part in the discussion, and examples show that when contentious issues arise, the organisation is sought for advice and for ways to find solutions. Thus, the collaboration has led to increased knowledge and awareness among staff and pupils in primary schools about issues concerning people's sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics.
Trans woman, Mountain Goddess of Hafnarfjörður 2018
Hafnarfjörður has had a queen at the start of its 17th June celebrations each year, where she delivers a speech. The selection of the 'Fjallkonan' in Hafnarfjörður has been characterised by the zeitgeist of each era. In the Year of the Elderly, a representative of older citizens was the Fjallkonan; a representative of immigrants has been the Fjallkonan; outstanding female athletes are often chosen, and in 2017 a trans woman was the Fjallkonan for the people of Hafnarfjörður. In doing so, the municipality seeks to engage with the issues that are prominent at any given time. The Girl of the Year is a kind of symbol of the Icelandic Republic, and so it is fitting not only to adhere to stereotypes but also to reference compassion, the struggle for rights, and tolerance.
We encourage residents of Hafnarfjörður and friends of the town to take part in the diverse celebrations of Hinsegin Days from 8th to 17th August. The programme can be found Here
Let's all enjoy Pride and paint the town and city in all the colours of the rainbow!