Stockholm: Dreaming of a pink Christmas
With the adoption of a gender-neutral law on marriage by the Swedish parliament, same-sex marriage in Sweden became legal in May 2009. Since that time, the Scandinavian country’s reputation as a LGBT-friendly destination has only grown.
Stockholm, Sweden’s capital and its largest city, will host Pink Christmas, an annual LGBT winter festival that includes Christmas markets, concerts and “pink offerings” at LGBT-welcoming bars and clubs, December 9 to 15.
One of the festival’s highlights will be the crowning of “Pink Lucia,” followed by a procession through parts of the city that ends with a big party. The Pink Lucia event is a campy homage to the traditional celebration of Saint Lucia Day on December 13.
In conjunction with the Pink Christmas festival, Stockholm tourism officials have launched a social media contest to help attract more international LGBT travelers to Stockholm.
“Pink Christmas is an annual highlight in Stockholm, with a number of Christmas events. We hope to use the [our Pink Christmas contest] to highlight the fact that Stockholm has tons to offer gay and lesbian travelers during the Christmas season, too,” says Christina Guggenberger, project manager of the Stockholm Gay & Lesbian Network in Stockholm Visitors Board.
The Pink Christmas contest provides an opportunity to win a trip for two to Stockholm to attend this year’s event. Entries to the contest are being accepted through November 19 online at facebook.com/gaylesbianstockholm.
More informaton on visiting LGBT-friendly Stockholm is available at gaylesbian.visitstockholm.com.
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