The Copenhagen City Council is revisiting the issue of gender segregation in municipal venues following a controversial event in 2025 where a lecture by a British preacher was held in a gender-segregated setting. The event, organized by two Muslim associations, involved the erection of a large partition in Korsgadehallen to separate men and women.

The debate centers on whether such gender-segregated events are compatible with the Public Education Act, which prohibits the municipality from offering premises to organizations that undermine democracy or fundamental freedoms and human rights. A City Council member, Peter Bjerregaard, recently received answers from various administrations regarding the compatibility of gender-segregated lectures with the Act and the municipality’s goals for gender equality.

The Employment and Integration Administration stated that such arrangements do not support gender equality. However, the Culture and Leisure Administration believes that gender-segregated lectures can be compatible with the Public Education Act.

Critics, including members of the bourgeois opposition, argue that the event undermined societal values and contravened the spirit of the Public Education Act, which aims to protect democracy, fundamental freedoms, and gender equality. They point to a 2016 decision to exclude Hizb ut-Tahrir from renting municipal premises based on similar concerns.

Supporters of the event, primarily from progressive factions in the City Council, defend the right to religious expression and argue against imposing moral judgments on those who comply with the law. They draw parallels to historical practices in Danish churches and suggest a cautious approach to intervention.

The debate highlights the tension between religious freedom and gender equality in Copenhagen. The outcome of the City Council’s deliberation could have significant implications for future events held in municipal venues.