”As I Am - lgbt in Cph”
LGBT history at the Museum of Copenhagen
The history of Copenhagen’s homosexuals, bisexuals and trans people tells of a journey from secretive nightly meetings on the city ramparts to sequined Pride parades on the City Square. The story of capital punishment and AIDS campaigns, invisible spinsters and proud rainbow mums, covert companionship and the world’s first same-sex legal unions.
From being a terrible sin, homosexuality is now considered a matter of personal taste and life style by most people in Denmark. Public interest has shifted from boy-seducing pederasts, man-hating dykes and rentboy soldiers, to focus on new kinds of families, the creativity of subcultures, and the things we can learn from each other.
Equal rights for all, irrespective of gender or sexuality, have been won on many fronts, while others battles still being fought. We’re not quite there yet, but the journey so far has been interesting.
Before the mid 19th century men having sexual relations with men appear very rarely in history of Copenhagen, and women having sexual relations with women are totally invisible. Women were not even considered sexually active beings, so the very idea was inconceivable.
Until 1866 the punishment for sodomy, as the ‘terrible vice’ was called, was burning at the stake, although all known culprits were sentenced to hard labour instead. The few known cases reveal that sexual acts between men did occur at this time. Whether the same is true for women, we may never know.
At the turn of the century a distinct homosexual identity evolved in the rapidly growing Danish capital. Around the same time it became possible for unmarried women to lead independent lives and live either alone or with a lady friend, creating a network of women more free of male influence and control.
In 1948 what later became the Danish National Association of Gays and Lesbians (LBL) was founded. It was mainly a social space for homosexuals, but also a forum for discussions on discrimination and other political issues. Later, Copenhagen also became home to more radical groups, like the Gay Men’s Liberation Front and Lesbian Movement.
With “As I Am - lgbt in Cph” the Museum of Copenhagen tells the story of the city’s interaction with its LGBT community by addressing notions and assumptions, thoughts and confessions.
LGBT people from the city and country, other cities and other countries, tell about their life in Copenhagen, about the prejudices, the breakthroughs and the first and last time.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a programme of events including public talks, debates, concerts and modern dance. For dates and details see our website: www.bymuseum.dk.
Place: The Museum of Copenhagen, 59 Vesterbrogade, Telephone 33 21 07 72
Time: Daily 10.00 – 16.00, wednesday 10.00 - 21.00