Axel Axgil (3 April 1915 – 29 October 2011) and Eigil Axgil (24 April 1922 – 22 September 1995) were Danish gay activists and a longtime couple. They were the first gay couple to enter into a

registered partnership A civil union (also known as a civil partnership) is a legally recognized arrangement similar to marriage, created primarily as a means to provide recognition in law for same-sex couples. Civil unions grant some or all of the rights of marriage ...

in the world following

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

's legalisation of same-sex partnership registration in 1989, a landmark legislation which they brought about. They adopted the surname, Axgil, a combination of their given names, as an expression of their commitment.

Biography

Axel, born Axel Lundahl-Madsen, and Eigil, born Eigil Eskildsen, inspired by the 1948 UN Declaration of Human Rights, together with friends, founded ''F-48'' or ''Forbundet af 1948 (The Association of 1948)'', Denmark's first

gay rights Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality. Notably, , 3 ...

organization. By 1951, membership had grown to 1,339 with branches in

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

and

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

. In 1985, F-48 became the

Danish National Association of Gays and Lesbians LGBT Danmark – Landsforeningen for bøsser, lesbiske, biseksuelle og transpersoner ( da, LGBT Denmark – The Danish National Organisation for Gay Men, Lesbians, Bisexuals and Transgender persons) is a lobby for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and tr ...

(''Landsforeningen for Bøsser og Lesbiske, Forbundet af 1948'' or ''LBL''). The couple launched a magazine, '' Vennen (The Friend)''. In 1989, Denmark became the first nation to recognize registered partnerships for same-sex couples, nearly equal to opposite-sex marriage. On 1 October 1989, the Axgils and 10 other Danish couples were married by Tom Ahlberg, deputy mayor of

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

, in the

city hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

. The Axgils had been a couple for 40 years. In 2013, Axel Axgil was named by

Equality Forum Malcolm L. Lazin (born December 5, 1943) is an American social activist, prosecutor, entrepreneur and educator. His endeavors include Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) civil rights, federal and state law enforcement, developing Phila ...

as one of 31 icons of the

LGBT History Month LGBT History Month is an annual month-long observance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history, and the history of the List of LGBT rights by region, gay rights and related civil rights movements. It was founded in 1994 by Missouri high- ...

. LGBT Denmark's annual awards show, Danish Rainbow Awards – AXGIL, is named after them. In 2012, it was revealed that during the German occupation of Denmark during World War II, Eigil Axgil enlisted in the Waffen-SS in 1943 and served there until the end of the war. Eigil Axgil was subsequently prosecuted for his membership of Waffen-SS but managed to keep it somewhat secret until eventually Axel Axgil reluctantly confirmed it in a biography in 2012. The revelation thus sparked turmoil and controversy because of the Axgils' notability in the Danish LGBT community, and calls were made for LGBT Denmark to strike "Axgil" from the name of the Danish Rainbow Awards – AXGIL.

Deaths

Eigil Axgil died on 22 September 1995 at the age of 73. Axel Axgil died on 29 October 2011 at the age of 96.

References

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External links

1st Partnership page

{{DEFAULTSORT:Axgil, Axel and Eigil Danish collaborators with Nazi Germany Danish Waffen-SS personnel Gay military personnel Danish gay men Danish LGBT rights activists Married couples Same-sex couples Same-sex marriage in Denmark

Biography

Deaths

See also

References

External links