LGBT Danmark

LGBT Danmark – Landsforeningen for bøsser, lesbiske, biseksuelle og transpersoner (LGBT Denmark – The Danish National Organisation for Gay Men, Lesbians, Bisexuals and Transgender persons) is a lobby for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender. The association was founded in 1948 as Circle of 1948 (Kredsen af 1948). The current name has been in use since November 2009; its former name, in use for 24 years prior, was Landsforeningen for Bøsser og Lesbiske, Forbundet af 1948, shortened to LBL.

History
The association’s founder and first chairman was Axel Lundahl Madsen, later Axel Axgil, who held the chairman position until 1952. Inspired by the Declaration of Human Rights in Paris on the 10 December 1948, he, together with his partner Eigil Eskildsen (later also Axgil) and some friends, founded the association under the name Kredsen af 1948, which in 1949 became Forbundet af 1948, or short F-48. By 1951, F-48's membership had grown to 1,339. in 2009 the current name was introduced.

The couple also published the first issue of an illegal paper with homoerotic content, Vennen (The Friend), in 1949, and continued to publish from 1959 until 1970.

Aims
For the majority of its existence, LGBT Denmark has been a lobby for gays and lesbians, but since 2002 bisexuals and since 2008 transpersons have also been officially included.

LGBT Denmark’s aim is to work for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people’s political, social, cultural and workplace equality at every level of society. The association seeks to work against discrimination and to function as a dedicated lobby for the purpose of influencing lawmakers, for example in areas such as marriages, adoption, the artificial insemination of lesbians, and rights for transpersons.

From January 1954 onwards the association published a magazine, Panbladet. Since December 2007 the publication has been on temporary hold due to financial problems.

On the 22nd June 1983, Copenhagen's gay radio station Radio Rosa was founded by the LBL. It later operated independently of the association, but closed down in 2010.

Chairpersons throughout the years

 * 1948-1952: Axel Axgil
 * 1952-1958: Holger Bramlev
 * 1958-1970: Erik Jensen
 * 1970-1978: Per Kleis Bønnelycke
 * 1978-1986: Henning Jørgensen
 * 1986-1989: Bruno Pedersen
 * 1989-1994: Else Slange
 * 1994: Susan Peters
 * 1994: Søren Baatrup
 * 1994-1998: Søren Laursen
 * 1998-2002: Bent Hansen
 * 2002-2005: Peter Andersen
 * 2005-2007: Mikael Boe Larsen
 * 2007: Patricia Duch
 * 2007-2008: Maren Granlien
 * 2008: Kristoffer Petterson
 * 2008-2011: HC Seidelin
 * 2011-2014: Vivi Jelstrup
 * 2014-: Søren Laursen