Ole-Henrik came out as gay when he was 15. Since then, he has had many thoughts about his own identity. – Unfortunately, it was the case that in the Sami environment where I come from, there was not much room to be different. He comes from the village of Bleikvasslia in Hemnes municipality. Although there are many Sami place names and that Elsa Laula Renberg has lived in the area, the Sami is not that visible there, according to Ole-Henrik. – I grew up with a kind of divided understanding of what it is to be Sami. Ole-Henrik’s heart is that one should not let one’s fear stand in the way of achieving one’s goals. Photo: Jonna Dunfjeld-Mølnvik / news – At some point it became important for me to actually stand out as queer. Primarily for myself. But it also unfortunately caused me to take a break from being Sami. – There is a kind of expectation that you can only be one way if you belong to an identity. And so far I have believed that. Ole-Henrik says that the time after he came out as queer and gave up the Sami in him, made him feel divided. Difficult to stand out in minorities When you belong to several minorities there are several things that separate you from the majority, says Elisabeth Stubberud, head of Garmeres. – Sameness is widespread, we know the same thing about being queer. Both of these affiliations mark us and make us more visible and more exposed. NIM’s research on “Attitudes about Sami and other minorities in Norway” shows that hatred towards minorities does happen. Elisabeth Stubberud is head of the organization Garmeres and has also done a lot of research on gender, sexuality and diversity. Photo: Nelly Engström / news Many queer Sámi seek queer environments to find out how to live a queer life. Many people then experience that queer communities do not know enough about being the same. This leads to people feeling different, explains Stubberud. – You fall between two chairs, you don’t belong here or there. During this year’s Sápmi Pride in Gällivarre. Photo: Nelly Engström / news – You have to remember, it’s okay to be you. You are good enough as you are. Also as queer. You are not alone and it will get better. If you need someone to talk to, you can contact Garmeres on Instagram or Facebook. The queer Sami community is developing A report from 2018 shows that this community has grown in recent years and there is a supportive community among young queer Sami. This is what queer Sami and Kven people who have grown up in administrative areas for the Sami language say: Religion is important in many places, even if you are not religious yourself. Family is also important, and this can affect how it is to come out as queer. Sápmi Pride is important because Sami local communities can show that this is an important topic for them. Many have a strong desire to be a role model for other young queer Sami. They also say that there is a supportive community among Sami youth. If you look at attitudes towards LGBTIQ people, both for the country as a whole and in Northern Norway, these have improved considerably from 2008 to today, according to Bufdir’s website. Read more here. (External link) Proud of the Sami again In 2013, the state almost closed the Sami school in Hattfjelldal. Then Ole-Henrik understood that it was no longer possible to avoid being the same. Then the break was over. He felt he had to go up to the barricades and fight. Ole-Henrik (left) and other Sami youths in a demonstration outside the Storting. Photo: LARS-PETTER KALKENBERG Ole-Henrik’s passion became the help he needed to take back the Sami. – This is so important and I cannot let my pride or fear stand in the way of this type of offer which is so important to our culture.
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Sami and gay – Ole-Henrik felt he had to put away the Sami when he came out – news Sápmi
