Lesbian Festival Rocks Gothenburg, Sweden

By DJ Soulflower
A celebration festival for lesbian culture took up space and time in Gothenburg in Sweden during June 2006.

After taking the night train to Gothenburg we searched our way to the Swedish College for Women. It was time for the fourth festival by and for lesbians, the only one in its kind in Sweden. Friday was welcoming night and everyone joined in to meet women from all over the country. After healthy vegetarian dinner and two short films about last years festival, the lesbian choir “Lucky Lips” gave the audience a moving and beautiful moment, singing artful covers.

The idea for the festival should have come when some Swedish women helped Mexican women to prepare a banderol [a festive streamer] for their lesbian festival and wondered when was last time for a festival like that in Sweden. Nobody could remind there had ever been one. Younger asked older, but no, there had not been a single festival like that at all. Realising that it was about time for it, the first one went off in 2003 and this year it was bigger than ever before.

Saturday was full of lesbian debates and we analysed questions like: “Is it a political choice to live like a lesbian?” and “What is a lesbian to you?” After the two gay movies, everyone were invited to a local pub for poems and karaoke evening which was a success with many groovy talents.

Sunday. After a few hours of sleep and collective healthy vegetarian breakfast, it was time for a very interesting and analytic lecture with Gabriella Seger from Stockholm about monogamy: What is a love relationship? What are the consequences of monogamy? Society’s expectations? Who says what and sets the “standards” for relationships? And what if we break the norms?

One of the biggest highlights of the festival was the demonstration through Gothenburg for the visibility of existence. Feministic Radical Cheerleaders took tone during the gathering at the square before take off. A colourful train, many with beautiful creations, dancing through the central parts of the city meanwhile DJ Trouble was pumping out good beats from the wagon in the front. It all ended up with street theatre, Fett Jävla Fantastiques Homosektion, and finally a mass-bath in the fountain of naked Poseidon, which quickly was filled up with dancing, happy, singing lesbians.

In the evening, hundreds of women arrived for the final party at one of the nightclubs in Gothenburg. Two DJs from Stockholm, Malin & Lisa, started out with some pure synth music, a mixup from 80’s until today’s schlager-disco-techno. After an hour it was time for the first band, Even Cowgirls get the Blues, to enter the stage and the public danced along to their Elvis covers.

DJ Soulflower delivered some feministic “pause music” in groovy R N B style until it was time for the next splendid band, Honky Bach and the Graceful. They made a strong musical and personal impression when the singer lifted the roof with her words filled with passion and experience. The crowd was hypnotised by her sensitive voice accompanied by a very professional guitarist.

Later on, the very young and political punk band Dyke Alert rocked the room to pieces. With rebellious punch lines, they swept the audience away.

Malin & Lisa from Klubb Intern continued their electric trip and served Starwars, The Vikings, Pet Shop Boys and other tracks inspired from the 80’s. Last hour, DJ Soulflower maxed on with a fresh mix containing remixes of Joan Jett, AC/DC and her own feministic mash ups with Tanya Stevens, among others. Since there were many breakdancers from the troope of Fittcrew, DJ Soulflower chose to mix in a lot of RNB tracks as well for the crowd to spontaneous break out to. Every inch of the dancehall was taken. Out on the roof terrace, people sang together their own songs and after the last track, with Black Eyed Peas, the crowd wanted more and started to clap for more music. It was a very warm and friendly atmosphere during the whole festival for all of us who were there. See you there next year!

[Editor's Note: We're saving up money for plane tickets to Sweden, starting NOW!]