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AWARD WINNERS OF THE GRIZZLY BEAR PRIZE |
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This prize was presented 1998, before Circle / KRUG was named as an organization... Murmansk Gay, Bi & and Lesbian Organization was presented, together with the Greek organizers of the 1st International Homo Cultural Festival in Greece, one of the international awards during the first gay and lesbian cultural world conference in Stockholm, July 1998. The conference was hosted by the Nordic gay and lesbian cultural organization Tupilak. The prize is a diploma and 1.000 Swedish crowns to be used to arrange a gay and lesbian cultural evening in Murmansk.Here is the text from the diploma: The International Lesbian and Gay Cultural Network meeting at the 1st World Conference on lesbian and gay culture, Stockholm, July 20-23, 1998 awards the first GRIZZLY BEAR award for pioneering efforts to promote homosexual cultural events in the face of ferocious homophobia to the Russian, Swedish and Norwegian organizers of the 1st International Homosexual Cultural Festival in Murmansk. An evening confirming that despite enormous homophobia and silence, lesbians and gays can gather the courage to emphasize their contributions to the human rights struggle, that homo culture can be a powerful weapon in the battle against intolerance and fear, and that miracles can happen -- by stretching hands across the borders to discover brothers and sisters so close by despite huge distances, and that international solidarity and friendship can be created in straight lines "as birds fly" -- without having to pass through far-away often "self-contained" capital cities. The prize is valued at a symbolic 1.000 Swedish crowns to help launch initial stages of this cultural event. The Grizzly is a welcome gay brother to the Polar Bear, awarded (by Tupilak, the organization of lesbian and gay cultural workers in the Nordic area) to pioneering international cultural and film festivals, traditionally handed out at the Berlinale International Film Festival, along with the Teddy Bears, but now a visitor to ILGCN world cultural conferences. Here is the greetings from Murmansk to the conference participants: Dear friends and colleagues! Hundred of kilometers separate us but we are with you by the hearts! We have got acquainted not long ago and unfortunately our dialogue mostly passes via Internet. But we are sure that the first step is made on the way of friendship and cooperation. Only all together we shall overcome common difficulties and solve common problems and we shall enter free and happy in XXI century. Just in sphere of culture we are more than elsewhere therefore our contribution should be the ponderable and the visible! Go ahead, to the new successes and achievements in your creative work! Good holiday mood, interesting meetings and ... safe sex - are being wished to you by Murmansk organization of sexual minorities. We are only starting the creation and we shall be grateful for any help and moral support! Murmansk Russia 1998
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