Last month, on June 27th to be more exact, The National Queer Organization of Iceland celebrated not only its 33 years birthday but also the fact that fifteen years have now passed since the Icelandic Parliament (Althingi) approved a law recognizing the registered partnership between individuals of the same sex. On the same day ten years later same sex couples were granted the same rights as heterosexual couples without any limitation. Last year the Icelandic Parliament voted to approve same-sex marriage.
Anyone familiar with queer history most likely knows that June 27th also has a special meaning for the LGBT community, being the day when guests at the gay barStonewall Inn,New York, fought back against regular police raids and persecutions. The Stonewall riots are the defining event that marked the start of the gay rights movement in theUnited Statesand around the world (further info at wikipedia.org).