The starting point for this mapping was the recognition that knowledge of, and opportunities to work with, the rights of LGBTI people in the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland requires a better understanding of the conditions and circumstances in the different areas. This report highlights local structures and organisations, as well as opportunities to expand and strengthen Nordic cooperation on equal rights and opportunities for LGBTI people in the Nordic region.
The report shows that the development of legislation, policy documents and local organisations varies between the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland. Åland has largely followed Finnish legislation and has relatively strong legal protection. There is an LGBTI action plan drawn up by the provincial government and several established structures for addressing these issues. In recent years, Greenland has taken important steps, including new anti-discrimination legislation and the establishment of an independent equality board. However, challenges remain in both Greenland and Åland, particularly in healthcare and access to gender-affirming treatment. The Faroe Islands have implemented several rights reforms through legislation in recent years, but still lack several fundamental safeguards, such as anti-discrimination legislation, policies and responsible public institutions in this area.
The report shows that there are significant gaps in access to statistics and systematic knowledge regarding the living conditions of LGBTI people in the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland. This makes it difficult to design targeted interventions, monitor progress and ensure that the work meets the needs of the target group. Without a knowledge base, it becomes difficult to identify needs, prioritise initiatives and monitor the impact of policies and projects. An important next step is therefore to strengthen the collection of statistics and experience-based knowledge regarding the living conditions of LGBTI people in the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland. Hopefully, Greenland’s ongoing project on health data can contribute to this.
Civil society organisations play a crucial role
A common feature of the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland is that civil society plays a crucial role in driving progress forward. All three countries have LGBTI organisations that, in various ways, have been instrumental in changing legislation, establishing strategies and action plans, and, not least, in supporting LGBTI people.
The report confirms the picture that actors from the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland participate in Nordic cooperation and in projects funded by the Nordic LGBTI Fund to a lesser extent than actors from the rest of the Nordic region. This means that both local actors and Nordic cooperation are missing out on important experiences and perspectives. At the same time, the data suggests that low representation should not be interpreted as a lack of commitment, but rather as a consequence of limited resources, administrative vulnerability, local resistance and difficulties in managing larger projects within small organisations. Here, the Nordic institutions play an important role as enablers and partners to local LGBTI organisations.
By studying legislation, policy and key players, we can gain an insight into the actual living conditions of LGBTI people in the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland. However, the stories of queer lives and the informal social structures remain hidden. The hope is that the targeted call for proposals for the Nordic LGBTI Fund, which requires projects applying for funding to include stakeholders from Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Åland, can make a difference. There is also an opportunity here for more comprehensive work to make collaboration and funding opportunities more accessible, relevant and tailored to local conditions. In this way, Nordic cooperation can be better equipped to promote equal rights and opportunities for LGBTI people throughout the Nordic region.