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Axel Axgil | |
|---|---|
 Eigil and Axel Axgil in 1950 | |
| Born | Axel Lundahl-Madsen 3 April 1915 |
| Died | 29 October 2011(2011-10-29) (aged 96) |
Eigil Axgil | |
|---|---|
| Born | Eigil Eskildsen 24 April 1922 |
| Died | 22 September 1995(1995-09-22) (aged 73) |
Axel Axgil (3 April 1915 – 29 October 2011) andEigil Axgil (24 April 1922 – 22 September 1995) were Danish gay activists and a longtime couple. They were the firstgay couple in the world to enter into aregistered partnership followingDenmark'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.
Axel, bornAxel Lundahl-Madsen, and Eigil, bornEigil Eskildsen, inspired by the1948 UN Declaration of Human Rights, together with friends, foundedF-48 orForbundet af 1948 (The Association of 1948), Denmark's firstgay rights organization.[1] By 1951, membership had grown to 1,339 with branches inSweden andNorway. In 1985, F-48 became theDanish National Association of Gays and Lesbians (Landsforeningen for Bøsser og Lesbiske, Forbundet af 1948 orLBL). 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 ofCopenhagen, in thecity hall.[1] The Axgils had been a couple for 40 years. In 2013, Axel Axgil was named byEquality Forum as one of 31 icons of theLGBT History Month.[2]LGBT Denmark's annual awards show, Danish Rainbow Awards – AXGIL, is named after them.
In 2012, it was revealed that in the midst of Germany'soccupation of Denmark during World War II, Eigil had enlisted in theWaffen-SS in 1943 and served with them until the end of the war.[3] Eigil Axgil was subsequently prosecuted for his Waffen-SS membership after the war but managed to keep it mostly to himself until Axel Axgil, rather reluctantly, confirmed it in his biography which was released in 2012. The revelation thus sparked turmoil and controversy because of the Axgils' contribution to the Danish LGBT community, and calls were made forLGBT Denmark to strike their surname from the "Danish Rainbow Awards – AXGIL".[4]
Eigil Axgil died on 22 September 1995 at the age of 73.[1] Axel Axgil died on 29 October 2011 at the age of 96.[5]
