After the shooting on the night of Saturday 25 June, in which two people lost their lives, all pride events were canceled following clear advice from the police. Nevertheless, several thousand flocked from the queer environment, and those who support it, to a spontaneous parade in central Oslo. Sad, but straight-backed and full of love. Just before the incident, the Directorate for Children, Youth and Families came out with a new report that addresses Norwegians’ attitudes towards queers. Better attitudes – but still a way to go The survey was conducted by Opinion on behalf of Bufdir and the Ministry of Culture and Gender Equality. This is the fourth time such an investigation has been carried out. The first gong was in 2008. Since that gong, Norwegians have had noticeably better attitudes. WAITING: Official pride marking in Oslo has been put on hold following advice from the police. Photo: Rolf Petter Olaisen / news – Being able to live a free and safe life, regardless of who you are, is also about being able to love whoever you want without risking hateful expressions and violence. That is the opinion of Anna Bjørshol, who is the department head in Bufdir. She adds: – Most people in Norway agree on that, but the horrific event on Saturday shows that we still have a way to go. MORE POSITIVE: – It is important to bear in mind that the majority have good attitudes. At the same time, it is worrying that some have negative attitudes towards others just because they are gay, says Bjørshol. Photo: Nyebilder.no – What value has been found from this survey in light of the events on Saturday? – I think that achieving an equal society and being oneself does not happen by itself. Working for equality and against discrimination, hate speech and violence is something we all have to do every day throughout the year. Noticeable differences Since the previous survey, Norwegians have become more positive towards bisexual people and people who dress equally of the opposite sex. Eight out of ten Norwegians believe that everyone benefits from living in a society where lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people can be open, the report states. Two out of three think it is important that pride is highlighted. – People must go for those who can not go So does Noor Eliassen, deputy leader of Skeiv ungdom in Bodø. Saturday woke up to messages ticking in from people who felt safe. In the time since, the twenty-six-year-old has thought a lot about how scary the whole thing is. POWERFUL DIET: One walks around believing that one is safe, and then one is not. There are those who are so opposed to us and our existence that they want to do something like this. It is a powerful diet to wake up to on a pride morning, says Eliassen. Photo: Privat / news – Such things really put me on the edge. I kind of have to reconsider everything. That this can happen at what should be the biggest pride celebration in Norway’s history? No, it’s food for thought. – It shows that we need markings such as pride, and that people go for those who can not walk. Leader of FRI, Inge Alexander Gjestvang, thinks it is important to focus efforts on many people who have negative attitudes. INCREASE KNOWLEDGE: Gjestvang says increasing knowledge about queer lives is an important factor for the way forward. Photo: Foreningen FRI – It is positive to see that the arrow is going in the right direction. At the same time, the survey shows that there is a way to go before society at large gets as good attitudes towards bisexuals and people who break norms for gender as with gays and lesbians, he says. Majority against conversion therapy New for the survey in 2022 are questions about conversion therapy, marking pride and questions about a third legal gender. The report shows that 67 per cent agree that conversion therapy should be banned, while 12 per cent disagree. The survey also shows that: Those who spend time with queer people are more accepting than those who do not. Almost seven out of ten disagree that it is possible to change sexual orientation or gender identity, using conversion therapy. Skepticism of a third legal gender Norwegians are more divided on the question of a third legal gender. 26 per cent of the population agree that there should be a third legal gender in Norway, compared with 39 per cent who disagree. 34 percent state that they neither agree nor disagree, or that they are uncertain. In Bodø, Eliassen tells us that he takes the time to mourn, before he gets back on his feet and looks out at the light. Eliassen is clear that the incident on Saturday was due to an individual: – And we must take it this way. A new report from Bufdir shows a marked increase in tolerance among Norwegians for gay people. But both the report and the mass shooting in Rosenkrantz gate on the night of June 25 show that there is still a long way to go, according to the leader of the association FRI.
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We have noticeably better attitudes towards queers – news Nordland
