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Sweden Shows Their Pride With New Rainbow Flag Stamp, Anchor Promises To Post Stamp To Putin

By Georgia Makitalo
Published on: 01:24 PST, Mar 31, 2016

Yesterday, the postal service in Sweden announced that they are issuing a rainbow flag stamp to honor diversity, LGBT pride, and reflect “modern Sweden.” The new postage stamp is succinctly entitled Pride Flag, or Prideflaggen in Swedish.

The PostNord Head of Communications Per Ljungberg unveiled the stamp on Sweden’s News Morning Show.

“The reasons we chose these stamps is that they are a reflection of the contemporary world we live in. If we historically look back, we can see that they reflect current events and phenomena.”

PostNord, the combined postal service of Sweden and Denmark, is issuing the stamp designed by artist Lisa Rydell. She told the English Language Swedish Paper the Local that she came up with the idea when going on a walk two years ago. She realized that people in Sweden enjoyed the old-fashioned way of corresponding with written letters and wouldn’t they want to top off that letter with a heartfelt message?

“For many people, the choice of stamp is an extension of their written message – which will be made especially profound with the new Pride stamp.”

News Morning Show host Tilde de Paula has already selected the first person she will snail mail a postcard with one of the colorful rainbow flags: Russian President Vladimir Putin.

This stamp may actually become an icebreaker when Putin possibly meets with openly gay singer Elton John. On his website, Elton has publicly condemned Russia’s “gay propaganda” law but was quick to point out the warm greeting he has always received in Russia. EWN News has reported that the British singer and Russian president spoke on the phone last fall and are trying to coordinate their schedules to meet in person when Elton performs in Moscow.

The “Rocket Man” singer is scheduled to return to Moscow, performing at a high-end Moscow shopping and entertainment center on May 30. The Russians are giving Elton more than a warm welcome back. The top price for his concert is a sky-high $1,287 per ticket.

As the Swedish stamp will be released on May 4, there will be ample time for de Paula to send her postcard to Putin before the big Elton John show.

Odds are many Swedes will use this statement stamp as an opportunity to send out a more meaningful message when sending friends and loved ones letters and postcards. Per Ljundberg identified the Swedish value of equality in the PostNord press release.

“By issuing a stamp with the Pride flag, we want to emphasize the equal value of all people and the strength represented by people’s unique qualities and differences.”

Are these the first pro-gay stamps ever produced? “No” says, Breitbart London. They contend that this may be the first stamp in the world to feature the colorful rainbow pride flag, yet they are not the first “gay stamps” circulated. That distinction goes to Sweden’s neighbor Finland. The work of artist Touko Laaksonen was turned into “art stamps” in 2014. This Finnish artist’s work became the world’s first “homoerotic” stamps.

Sure. On the surface, these may just be postage stamps. To the recipient of a letter stamped with the Rainbow Pride flag, this is a solid statement from the sender. Whether sent by a news anchor to Putin, or any resident from Sweden to friends around the world, the new Rainbow Pride stamp is one step closer to acceptance of all people. Ljundberg summarized it best.

“The next time you send a postcard or a letter, you’re supporting the limitless love and equality of all!”

Now, isn’t this, the message of love and equality, the message you want to send around the world?

[Image via kenwalton|Wikimedia Commons|Cropped and Resized CC BY 2.0]

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