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Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights

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RFSL holding a seminar at the Jiingijamborii national jamboree in Rinkaby

The Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Rights (Swedish: Riksförbundet för homosexuellas, bisexuellas, transpersoners och queeras rättigheter, RFSL, formerly Riksförbundet för sexuellt likaberättigande) is a Swedish organization working for LGBT rights. [1][2] The RFSL describes itself as one of the oldest still-operating LGBTQ organizations in the world. As of 2018, it had about 7,000 members and has 36 regional offices spread over the country.[3]

History

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RFSL was founded at a meeting in Solna on 21 October 1950 as a branch of the Association of 1948 (Danish: Forbundet af 1948). Allan Hellman [sv], one of the first people to openly identify himself as a homosexual in the media, had organized the gathering.[4] There were 35 men and one woman in attendance.[5]

In 1952, the group split off from the Danish group and assumed its own name, the Swedish Federation for Sexual Equality (Swedish: Riksförbundet för sexuellt likaberättigande), or the RFSL.[6] It initially focused on organizing social activities for gay people to combat the effects of societal isolation.[7]

In response to the Stonewall rebellion in 1969, the RFSL became more engaged with the gay liberation movement, and worked to increase their political activity and public visibility.[8]

On 29 August 1979, the RFSL organized a sit-in at the National Board of Health and Welfare to coincide with their Liberation Week. Around 40 people gathered in the main stairwell of the agency's office with banners and began chanting. The police were called, but before there could be any intervention Barbro Westerholm, then the Minister for Health and Social Affairs, met with the activists. With her support, homosexuality and bisexuality were soon declassified as mental diseases.[9][10]

RFSL was a major lobbyist for same-sex marriage, a goal that was reached in April 2009 after 50 years of working with that specific issue.[11]

In July 2007, RFSL received consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.[12]

Lawyer and social worker Trifa Shakely was elected as the new president in 2021.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Trifa Shakely väljs till ny förbundsordförande för RFSL". RFSL. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  2. ^ "Hon är RFSL:s nya förbundsordförande". Altinget. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  3. ^ "Kort of RFSL" (in Swedish). RFSL. 11 October 2018.
  4. ^ Petersson, Stig-Åke (2000). "En svensk homorörelse växer fram: RFSL 1950–2000". In Andreasson, Martin (ed.). Homo i folkhemmet: homo- och bisexuella i Sverige 1950-2000 [A Swedish gay movement emerges: RFSL 1950–2000] (in Swedish). Anamma. pp. 11–35. ISBN 978-91-87894-96-1.
  5. ^ "QX Gayskola – lektion 51: "RFSL startar – en egen organisation där målgruppen var homosexuella"" [QX Gay School – lesson 51: “RFSL starts – its own organization where the target group was homosexuals”]. QX (in Swedish). Retrieved 20 May 2025.
  6. ^ Zimmerman, Bonnie; Haggerty, George (13 June 2021) [1999]. Encyclopedia of Lesbian and Gay Histories and Cultures. Routledge. p. 745. ISBN 978-1-135-72870-0.
  7. ^ Wachenfeldt, Anna (7 November 2020). "RFSL fyller 70 – och allt började i Solna" [RFSL turns 70 – and it all started in Solna]. Mitt i Sundbyberg (in Swedish). Retrieved 17 May 2025 – via PressReader.
  8. ^ Edelberg, Peter. "Revolutionaries and Reformists: A Transnational Perspective on the Scandinavian LGBT Movement, 1972–2022". Scandinavian Journal of History: 1–25. doi:10.1080/03468755.2024.2430992. ISSN 0346-8755.
  9. ^ Larsson, B.; Letell, M.; Thörn, H. (25 January 2012). Transformations of the Swedish Welfare State: From Social Engineering to Governance?. Springer. ISBN 978-0-230-36395-3.
  10. ^ Myers, JoAnne (19 September 2013). Historical Dictionary of the Lesbian and Gay Liberation Movements. Scarecrow Press. p. 317. ISBN 978-0-8108-7468-8.
  11. ^ "Sweden church allows gay weddings". 22 October 2009. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  12. ^ "UN-Beraterstatus für zwei Homogruppen" (in German). Queer.de. 23 July 2007.
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