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joan_psmithLesbetoppen 2010 (Top Lesbians 2010) lists the ten most influential Norwegian lesbians. Each year gaysir.no, a news site and online community for LGBT people in Norway, puts together this list of those out women in their country, who were most prominent in the fight against homophobia (see last year's eurOut report). The majority of the women on this list made an appearance on it in previous years ( 2007, 2008, 2009), but four of them are quite new.
1. Anette Trettebergstuen (28)
[2009:1|2008:2|2007:4]
Anette Trettebergstuen. Photo: Arbeiderpartiet
Anette is clearly the Top Lesbian here; she's in first place the second year in a row. Not only is she the only out lesbian in the Norwegian parliament, of which she's now been a member for over four years, she is also involved in the fight against what is know as the HIV paragraph (section 155 of the Norwegian penal code), which is mostly used to criminalise HIV transmission. She is a member of Arbeiderpartiet (Labour Party), where she has played a part in getting lgbt rights into the party program. In 2009 she received the Skeive Dagar honorary award along with Andre Oktay Dahl.
2. Lisa Dillan (40)
[new]
Lisa Dillan. Photo: Geir Dillan
Lisa is new on this list, but eurOut readers might have already read a portrait about her on this website.
The Jazz singer, composer, performance artist and teacher Lisa Dillan stood out for her committed fight for freedom of speech, as she launched a petition to prevent the "Freedom of Expression Award" to go to Nina Karin Monsen, a moral philosopher, who had been very outspoken against the gender neutral marriage law and expressed her views that homosexuality was hedonistic and inferior to heterosexuality (eurOut reported). Beside the petition Lisa launched, she also took part in protest rallies.
One of her other projects is to stand on her head for lgbt rights around the world.
3. Anne Holt (51)
[2008:8 | 2007:9]
Anne Holt. Photo: Peter Knutson
Today Anne Holt is known as a best selling author of crime fiction, but before her first novel Blind gudinne was published in 1993, she was a lawyer and briefly served as Minister of Justice of Norway. Anne cares about how lgbt people are presented in public and also spoke out strongly against Nina Karin Monsen. Her latest novel Pengemannen (Moneyman) deals with homophobia and hate crimes against homosexuals.
4. Else Kåss Furuseth (29)
[new]
Else Kåss Furuseth. Photo: tvunderholdning.no
Another new face on this list is Else Kåss Furuseth, a standup comedian, reporter and presenter for both radio and TV, most notably for Torsdag kveld fra Nydalen (Thursday Night from Nydalen). She came out on air at Blymandags sommershow last July.
The open way in which she deals with her sexuality and lgbt issues in a comedy show that's mainly aimed at a young audience can not be understated, gaysir.no argue and rightly declare her as one of Norway's top lesbians.
Don't miss the burlesque video Else recorded for Torsdag kveld fra Nydalen.
5. Christine Koht (42)
[2009:6|2008:3|2007:3]
Christine Koht. Photo: seminarparnter.no
Christine Koht is a teacher, writer, comedian and television personality. She is open about her relationship with Pernille Ryg and devoted to promoting lgbt rights
Starting next year she'll have her own TV series Koht på jobben.
6. Karen Pinholt (34)
[2009:10]
Karen Pinholt. Photo: Jarle Vines
Karen is the leader of LLH, the Norwegian Association for lgbt people. She has made a continued effort to strengthen schools' competence in dealing with and the prevention of mobbing of lgbt pupils.
Karen was also part of the campaign against Nina Karin Monsen's nomination for the "Freedom of Expression Award", she is involved in the fight against the "HIV paragraph" and speaks up for lgbt refugees, who are about to be sent back to Iraq by the Norwegian government.
7. Mimi Bjerkestrand (45)
[new]
Mimi Bjerkestrand. Photo: Utdanningsforbundet
Mimi is the new head of Utdanningsforbundet (Union of Education). She promises that in her work she will strengthen the Union's work on lgbt issues. She earned her place on this list because of her influential position and her commitment to make homosexuality a natural part of school life for all age groups.
8. Hanne Børke-Fykse (35)
[new]
Hanne Børke-Fykse.
Hanne is also new on Lesbetoppen this year. She is the director of LLH's Rosa Kompetanse (Pink Competence) project, which aims to educate people working in health care about lgbt issues. As a trained social worker herself she also works with the national family protection offices' therapists to help them understand the needs of lgbt youths.
9. Linda Eide (40)
[2008:10]
Linda Eide. Photo: www.nrk.no
Linda is a journalist, comedian, essayist and the presenter of Norsk Attraksjon, a TV series about Norwegian tourist attractions you won't find in a guidebook. She is proud to write in Nynorsk (New Norwegian), which is the second, less commonly used official Norwegian written language.
Linda is open about her relationship with Elene Schough.
10. Karen-Christine (Kim) Friele (74)
[2009:9, 2008:9, 2007:8]
Kim Friele. Photo: GAD
Kim Friele famously was the first Norwegian to publicly acknowledge and advocate for her sexuality, in June of 1965 (wikipedia). She hasn't tired of actively speaking out for lgbt rights. As a protest against Nina Karin Monsen's nomination for the "Freedom of Expression Award" she handed back her own, which she had been awarded with in 1978.
