A snowball sampling method was used to identify relevant documents and policies (see, for example, Browne, 2005). The method is based on gathering knowledge and information through contacts with individuals and stakeholders who have particular insight into or involvement in a specific area. By identifying and contacting key individuals, further relevant sources, documents and contacts can be gradually identified, making it possible to capture knowledge that might otherwise be difficult to locate. The collection of material took place in January and February 2026.
In practice, the relevant ministries in the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland were consulted to ensure that relevant steering documents and policies were included in the report. The Nordic institutions in the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland also assisted in identifying stakeholders and the ongoing work being carried out.
Texts have mainly been read in their original languages, namely Danish, Swedish and English. In some cases, web pages have needed to be translated into Swedish from Faroese and Greenlandic. This has been done using the translation service DeepL.
Initially, a literature search was conducted in the Overton database. Search terms relating to LGBTI and the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland were used in the respective languages. This search yielded few results.
There is a lack of data to enable quantitative studies on LGBTI people in the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland. This is noted in several Nordic studies and national reports, including the Åland LGBTI Action Plan and At være LGBTQIA+ i Kalaallit Nunaat (Being LGBTQIA+ in Kalaallit Nunaat), which focuses on the LGBTI situation in Greenland. These emphasise the lack of statistically verified data. During 2026–2027, a project is underway in Greenland to supplement the national population survey on health and well-being with questions aimed at LGBTI people.
The lack of reliable statistics also means that certain international comparisons cannot include the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland. This lack of data, in turn, affects the ability to design effective measures and action plans for LGBTI people in the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland. The international LGBTI organisation ILGA, which annually assesses the status of LGBTI rights in Europe with a focus on protection against discrimination, the right to form a family, protection against hate crimes, recognition of legal gender and the right to bodily integrity, civil society and asylum laws, does not publish statistics on the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland due to a lack of data (Siverskog & Bromseth, 2023).