Victoria and Daniel visited RFSL
The crown princess Victoria and prince Daniel visited RFSL and RFSL Ungdom on the 15 of January. The crown princess couple were given a tour of RFSL's national office, where they met different representatives from RFSL's different areas of work, to gain an insight into the challenges that LGBTQI people face in today's Swedish society.
– At a critical point in time when the presence of the rainbow flag is questioned and the work of RFSL is threatened by nationalist forces, more people need to stand up for LGBTQI people’s rights. Therefore, it is a symbolically meaningful event that the crown princess couple indicates an interest in LGBTQI work and have decided to visit Sweden’s biggest and oldest organisation for LGBTQI persons, says RFSL’s president Deidre Palacios.
It was the royal court themselves that approached RFSL with a request to make a visit. Before the historic visit at RFSL, which was the first time that the crown princess visited an LGBTQI organisation, requests were made by the court that the crown princess couple wanted, among other things, to know more about how the attitude towards LGBTQI people has changed over the years, and about how RFSL works internationally. During the visit the crown princess couple were therefore given an insight into how RFSL, in its different areas of work, make a difference in people’s lives. Among other things, the visitors attended a lecture about what challenges the LGBTQI movement faces today, asylum- and migration issues, sports issues and issues regarding senior LGBTQI citizens.
– That the crown princess couple, as spokespersons for Sweden, comes here to learn more about young LGBTQI people’s situation is incredibly important for us. Especially in the light of that the convention of the rights of the child at this year’s end was incorporated into Swedish legislation. That means that LGBTQI children should have the opportunity to live their lives based on their gender identity and sexuality, says RFSL Ungdom’s president Jêran Rostam.
During the visit, the crown princess couple showed a particular interest in RFSL’s ongoing work with sports issues and senior citizens issues. During the visit, RFSL and RFSL Ungdom presented the couple with gifts. RFSL Ungdom gave Victoria and Daniel each a sweater from Newcomers Youth’s own fashion brand Queer Basics. RFSL gave the crown princess couple each a sports sweater with the trans flag from the project Sports for all bodies, and a standing rainbow flag with the inscription: “To the crown princess couple to enjoy those days when a rainbow is needed. From RFSL anno 2020.”