The opening ceremony took place in Pride Garden, Stockholm Prides newest venue. Pride Garden is open to everyone and so was the opening. Sanna Bråding guided us through the evening's events.
- I think Pride wants to tell you that you are lovely just the way you are!
Pride begun forty years ago when the Stonewall riots took place and by now 140 countries celebrate their own Pride. Stockholm Pride is Scandinavia's largest Pride Festival. This year's festival was opened by chair person Claes Nyberg and 1st vice chair person Anna Fock.
- We share the experience of having our realities questioned, we are the people of reality, says Anna Fock.
She continues:
- This is our week off from everyone who wants to organize us according to what they consider is right and what you think is right.
Together they declare Pride 2009 open.
Claes Nyberg encourages us not to let anyone call our lives unreal, before he parties with the vocalist group Barbecue.
Jens Nilsson gives us two panto sketches, written especially for Pride. One is about "the gay world according to heterosexuals" and the other " the heterosexual world according to the gay". Jens is nervous going on stage with such a big crowd, but everything went well and he got big laughs from the audience.
On May the 1st the government made it possible for anyone to marry. What matters is love. To support this we were invited to a wedding taking place on stage. Paul Trossö from Stockholm City Hall and Eva Brunne, the world's first lesbian bishop, officiated the wedding between Linnea and Jonas. Following Linnea and Jonas in the wedding waltz were former contestants in the tv show Let's Dance Tobias Karlsson and Elisabeth Höglund
There to perform the waltz and also their own song "Om du möter varg" (translates "If you were to meet wolf") were the group Detektivbyrån.
- If this is what it's like to get married, then maybe I could have a go.
To our question to why they wanted to participate in Pride they say:
- Pride is such a great festival and it's only natural for us to support it and do what we can to spice it up as much as possible.
Among the many celebreties on stage it's worth mentioning Gunilla Backman, Albin Flinkas and Darin who did a Michael Jackson tribute. Also the gay ikon Lill-Babs performed a succesful medley of her hit songs and later Darin came back on stage a second time to sing some of his own stuff.
Sandra Dahlén, one of the opening speakers, focused on hetero panic, hetero obsession and the logic of hetero. She touched on looks and non heterosexuality. There are more to non heteros than the white middleaged man. She refered to a polemical article signed by the Swedish Christian Democrats in which they proclaimed same sex marriage impossible because of the homophobia within the growing group of imigrants in Sweden.
- Silence and joking is what makes young non heterosexuals consider taking their own lives and sometimes succeeding. It's time for the oppression to stop!
Her speech was met with enthousiastic cheering from the crowd.
The other opening speaker was comedian Magnus Betnér. His almost wicked comedy was greatly appreciated by the audience.
- Why would God put the prostate where it feels so good to touch if he didn't like gays?
World premiered at the opening was this year's Pride song "Casey, hold on" and singer Marit Bergman was cheered on by the crowd. She pointed out that she also will be joiníng the Dusty Springfield tribute on Wednesday on the main stage in Pride Park.
Not only responsible for the opening but also director and producer, Daniel Sallmander is feeling good after a long and excellent opening ceremony.
- It feels great. I've been working on this since March. I got all the artists I wished for and I think the evening had a little bit of everything, suiting everyone!
On my way out I bump into Sandra Dahlén again. She gives the advice that if you're afraid of coming out during Pride, you can always try to get some new friends in the large cities, through the internet.
What would you like to say to all those who are afraid to come to Pride because of the heteronormativity?
- That there is nothing wrong with them, what's wrong is the rest of society! And that there is nothing to be afraid of.