NORDIC CO-OPERATION FOR STRONGER RIGHTS

In recent years, there have been a number of initiatives in the Nordic Region to improve conditions for LGBTI people belonging to multiple minority groups. A number of projects with this aim have received funding from the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Nordic Gender Equality Fund and Nordic LGBTI Fund. The two funds finance co-operation to promote gender equality and the rights of LGBTI people in the Nordic Region, and this text describes lessons learned from projects focused specifically on improving conditions for LGBTI people belonging to multiple minority groups.  

All the projects help to create platforms where LGBTI people from different Nordic countries can meet for discussion and organisation. The projects shed light on experiences that are otherwise often rendered invisible and help to identify solutions and strategies that can strengthen the rights of various groups under the LGBTI umbrella. The projects use different methods and address different target groups.  

The text is based on project descriptions and interviews with key people in the following projects: 

Several of the spokespersons for the Nordic projects emphasise that LGBTI people belonging to multiple minority groups must be allowed to speak for themselves and take leading roles in the current efforts. This is emphasised for several reasons. For example, it can be difficult for outsiders to understand the complexities of belonging to a minority group, which can lead to ineffective measures being proposed. 

Another reason people who are themselves members of the group concerned should lead efforts is that it contributes to representation. It also provides opportunities for productive dialogue within the minority group concerned. Many minority groups are severely marginalised by the surrounding society, and when outsiders raise problems regarding the conditions of LGBTI people within the group, it may be perceived as the majority society once again exerting control. 

A spokesperson for one of the Nordic projects says:

In interviews with spokespersons for the Nordic projects, there are recurring descriptions of how minority groups can be forced to close themselves off as a form of protection against the majority society, and that this can create problems for LGBTI people. Isolationism can reinforce norms, and in the worst cases those who deviate can be subjected to honour violence or exclusion. Restrictive norms can also lead to LGBTI people feeling that they have to choose between different aspects of their identity: either living in the closet or leaving their community to be open about their LGBTI identity. 

However, several spokespersons for the Nordic projects emphasise that far from all LGBTI people experience vulnerability within their minority group. Many belong to supportive families and communities. Perceptions of narrow-minded norms and homophobia can in some cases result from negative stereotypes about different minority groups, which makes it all the more important not to rely on preconceived ideas. 

Spokespersons for the Nordic projects believe that co-operation between different minority groups is important to strengthen the rights of LGBTI people belonging to multiple minority groups. There is a sense that some minorities are better at talking about the conditions of LGBTI people within their own group, and that there are lessons to be learnt for minority groups in which LGBTI issues are associated with a greater sense of taboo.

For many LGBTI persons belonging to multiple minority groups, the biggest obstacles arise in relation to the majority society. Several spokespersons for the Nordic projects return to descriptions of minority stress and vulnerability in different areas of society. One spokesperson describes how knowledge of minority stress has increased and calls for initiatives that put this knowledge into practice, with concrete support programmes for vulnerable groups and individuals: 

Several spokespersons recognise that LGBTI people who belong to multiple minority groups may need support. At the same time, these groups may have less access to support and care institutions within society because health professionals, psychologists and counsellors often lack knowledge and understanding of the conditions under which these groups live. 

This is highlighted, for example, in connection with the report Våld mot samiska kvinnor (Violence against Sámi women), which shows significant levels of violence among Sámi LGBTI people. The report also shows that many in the Sámi community have little confidence in the healthcare system and are reluctant to seek treatment for fear of being subjected to racism. Many Sámi have also had personal encounters with psychologists or counsellors who lack cultural competences and therefore cannot provide good support. This picture is confirmed by a spokesperson for one of the Nordic projects, who emphasises that this is important to keep in mind to fully understand the difficult situation of Sámi LGBTI people who have experienced violence:

Several spokespersons for the Nordic projects emphasise the need for more knowledge about the conditions for LGBTI people who belong to multiple minority groups. They highlight the need for more knowledge about the effects of marginalisation within the majority society and conditions in different minority communities. 

In the Sámi community, for example, it is more common for queer people to leave their local community and move to a large city than other Sámi, but there are not enough studies to show why this is the case.

The same spokesperson also emphasises the need to ensure visibility of queer people in Sámi history, to show that LGBTI people have always existed in Sámi society. 

The overall picture given by spokespersons for the Nordic projects is that many LGBTI people who belong to multiple minority groups risk feeling insecure or excluded within both majority society and their minority groups. They also perceive that many do not feel fully welcomed within the LGBTI movement, which is confirmed by existing research in the field. 

At the same time, spokespersons for the Nordic co-operation projects see significant commitment within the broader LGBTI movement and a willingness to work on issues of intersectional discrimination. Strong solidarity from major LGBTI and gender equality organisations is highlighted as important. At the same time, the need to create new separatist platforms is also emphasised, and several of the Nordic projects aim to help establish and strengthen such communities. Finding ways of working that enable larger, established organisations to contribute and provide support without being ‘overrun’ is described as key. One example is the project Network gathering for experience exchange among queers in Sápmi. The project organised a network meeting for actors involved in the LGBTI movement in Sápmi. The project was administered by the Norwegian foundation the Nordic Women’s University (KUN), but it was Sámi LGBTI organisations and networks that set the agenda. For such an approach to work, effective co-operation is needed and actors linked to larger organisations must be prepared to listen to the type of support needed, as expressed by a representative from KUN:

Based on the interviews with spokespersons from the Nordic projects, it is clear that Nordic co-operation can be of great importance in work to improve conditions for LGBTI people who belong to multiple minority groups. One important aspect highlighted is that a Nordic perspective expands the community, which is sometimes small in the individual countries. Greater involvement is described as a strength that makes it easier to implement activities and outreach. 

This is emphasised, for example, by spokespersons for a project focused on the rights of Roma LGBTI people. Under the project, an anthology is being compiled with texts from about 20 Roma LGBTI people from Sweden, Norway and Finland. Had the anthology only focused on one of the countries, fewer voices would have been heard, the spokespersons emphasise. They also describe how individuals and groups in the different Nordic countries can benefit from each other by working together. In their experience, conversations about conditions for Roma LGBTI people have come somewhat further in Sweden than the other countries, and for the individuals and groups leading the change in Norway and Finland, this means that Nordic co-operation can act as a springboard. 

For many minority groups, it is self-evident that efforts to strengthen the group’s rights should take place across national borders. The Roma, for example, are a transnational minority and the Sámi community spans several nations. 

Within the Sámi LGBTI movement, the opportunity to apply for funding for projects that span several countries is described as crucial. The funding that is available for civil society is usually tied to a particular country, which makes it more difficult for associations that are international, such as the LGBTI organisation Garmeres. The organisation is currently based in Norway, but it aims to become a Sámi LGBTI organisation for the whole of Sápmi. Several spokespersons from various projects also emphasise that activists, politicians and other actors in the Nordic countries can learn and be inspired by work in other countries, since the Nordic countries are not necessarily at the forefront. In the project, which will culminate in an anthology on the conditions of Roma LGBTI people, one of the texts will focus on lessons learnt from other countries, such as Germany and Romania. According to a spokesperson for the Nordic project, organisation is stronger among Roma LGBTI people and there are more open-minded pioneers.

tHE nORDIC PROJECTS make it clear that LGBTI people belonging to multiple minority groups living in the Nordic region face significant vulnerability. At the same time, spokespersons for these Nordic projects paint a hopeful picture. They recognise that there are committed individuals and groups who can lead change if they are given the resources and conditions to grow, as the Nordic funds are helping to do.