– I am quite horrified. In addition to being a psychologist and media profile, Benjamin Silseth has recently also made his debut as an author with the book “Proud”. The book is written for young people and is about being queer in Norway. But on the same day that he posted on social media that the book had arrived from the printer, the hate comments poured in. “I’m going to buy the book and put it in the fireplace 🔥🔥” “Leave the children alone, if there had been less about this aimed at children, fewer people would have felt queer.” “Damn shame to keep making this a thing to capitalize on. Exactly what destroyed ‘pride’ and made so many people lose respect👎 idiot.” Photo: Screenshot / Instagram Photo: Screenshot / Instagram Photo: Screenshot / Instagram Closed comment field Silseth says he is particularly saddened to see that people use children as an excuse to spread incitement. – One of the worst things is that people push their children in front of them, but children don’t care that much. It’s the adults who care. Don’t be such a coward that you use children as a shield. The storm of hate comments led to Cappelen Damm having to close the comments section under the ad they posted on TikTok. By then, 167 hate comments had come in. SHOWING SUPPORT: Benjamin Silseth wanted to show off both the hate comments and the supportive comments to remind young queers that they are not alone. Photo: Screenshot / Instagram There was no capacity to follow up the moderator role as a result of all the comments, the publisher states. – We also have a responsibility to ensure that children who read what we post on social media do not see such hateful comments, says Rikke Elling Grønvold, communications manager for children’s and youth literature. Silseth says he is happy that many statements of support have also come in. – I think that they don’t just come to me, but to all the young people out there who have read or seen all the hateful comments. I hope they see all the nice matches too. It is primarily for the insecure young people that I wanted to show this off, he continues. PROUD: The book is intended as a reference book for children and young people who wonder about their own identity or have a friend they would like to understand a little better, says Silseth. Photo: Maria Kleppe Vihovde Several cases of hate crime Silseth experiences that negative comments against pride and queerness have escalated recently. Last week, Redd Barna chose to cancel a Pride event in Bergen as a result of several threats. After the terrorist incident against the Pride commemoration last year, reports of hate crime increased sharply. – I cannot understand why these people want others so badly when they know so terribly well what the consequences are, says Silseth. REACTS: Benjamin Silseth says that he reacts very strongly to the comments where he is asked to stay away from children. – I worry about the children and young people who find that people out there are not very good to them. It hurts me, he says. Photo: Maria Kleppe Vihovde – I wish we had learned this after the terrorist attack against pride last summer, he continues. 40 per cent of queers answer that they have been exposed to hate crime, according to a survey carried out by the police last year. – Are you surprised by the reactions to the book? – I had expected some comments, but I am surprised that there was so much and so much hate. Trettebergstuen: – Getting tired Culture and Equality Minister Anette Trettebergstuen also reacts to the hate comments Silseth has received. She believes the hate shows that pride is still necessary. MATT: The language used in the hate comments is beyond the pale, says Culture and Equality Minister Anette Trettebergstuen (Ap). Photo: Fredrik Varfjell / NTB – The use of language in these hate comments is beyond the pale. And I simply get tired of people saying that children can become queer from reading about us who are queer, says Trettebergstuen to news. She believes the comments show that we still have a big job to do before people can live safe and free lives, regardless of who they are. – It is simply terrible to see all the hate. Fortunately, there are many of us who stand together in the fight for a diverse and inclusive Norway, and the haters will not win, even if they repeatedly try to threaten us into silence, says Trettebergstuen. Fri: – Unfortunately not surprised Leader Inge Alexander Gjestvang in the Free Association says he is unfortunately not surprised when he hears about the harassment. – We react strongly to how any reference to queer themes, pride and rainbows arouses such reactions in some people, he says. ONLINE HATE: The threshold for expressing hatred online is probably lower than otherwise, says leader Inge Alexander Gjestvang in Foreningen Fri. Photo: Bård Nafstad / news Gjestvang points out that an unfortunate side effect of the increase in the number of visibly queer people in pride markings across the country is the amount of resistance and incitement that follows. In particular, this takes place in social media, he says. – When we talk about queer people having poorer living conditions and quality of life than the rest of the majority population, it is important to remember that it is not being queer in itself that contributes to this – but how society reacts to us, says Gjestvang. – It is important to publish the book Silseth points out that the negative reactions are a sign of precisely why it is so important to publish the book. – This is a reminder of why we need pride. We cannot take for granted that we have the rights we have fought for. We cannot sag, because this shows that there is not a long way back. The police have encouraged everyone to celebrate pride this year.
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– A reminder of why we need pride – news Culture and entertainment
