Focus area 1: Queer people with minority backgrounds and queer people in religious communities

Goals:

• Improve the quality of life of queer people with minority backgrounds and queer people in religious communities
• Increase acceptance of gender and sexual diversity in minority and religious communities
• Increase knowledge about the situation of queer people with minority backgrounds and queer people from religious communities among relevant actors and the general population
• Create safe meeting places for dialogue about gender and sexual diversity

Action 26
Provide grants for projects on LGBT+ in religious and belief-based communities

The Government pays a grant to the Council for Religious and Life Stance Communities in Norway (STL) for a project on LGBT+ in religious and belief-based communities. The project will facilitate dialogue about LGBT+ between religious and belief-based communities and LGBT+ organisations. This measure is also seen in the context of STL's ongoing work on negative social control.

Action 27
Raise the competence in religious and belief-based communities

As part of the project on LGBT+ in religious and belief-based communities, the Council for Religious and Life Stance Communities in Norway will prepare material for discussions/courses on LGBT+ to use in these communities.

Action 28
Collect information about attitudes to queer people in religious and belief-based communities

As part of the project on LGBT+ in religious and belief-based communities, the Council for Religious and Life Stance Communities in Norway will collect information about attitudes towards queer people in these communities.

Action 29
Offer regional and local courses for religious and belief-based communities

Competence on this topic may differ between the various religious and belief-based communities in Norway. The Government will facilitate regional courses and one-day-events on LGBT+ in these communities to help raise competence.

Action 30
Annual dialogue meetings with the Sámi Parliament about the situation of queer people with Sámi backgrounds

The Government will hold annual dialogue meetings with the Sámi Parliament with the aim of improving the situation of queer people with Sámi backgrounds.

Action 31
Support research to develop Sámi terminology on gender and sexual diversity

The Government will commission a research project on queer historical practices and languages in Sápmi to develop terminology on gender and sexual diversity in the different Sámi languages.

Action 32
Minority counsellors will be tasked with spreading information about relevant help services

Minority counsellors in lower and upper secondary schools and adult education have expertise in negative social control, forced marriages and honour-related violence. In their work, they also meet students who seek advice and guidance about LGBT+. Minority counsellors will contribute to making relevant help services known among this target group.

Action 33
Develop a competence package on LGBT+ for use in Norwegian language tuition, introduction programmes and adult education

In cooperation with voluntary organisations, the Directorate of Integration and Diversity (IMDi) and the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir) will develop support resources that teachers and supervisors in Norwegian language tuition and the introduction programmes can use to increase competence in gender and sexual diversity. These support resources must also include information for school owners and managers in adult education on the use of guidelines for information and reporting between agencies in cases concerning negative social control.

Action 34
Carry out awareness-raising work aimed at the immigrant population

The Government will support cooperation between LGBT+ organisations and other organisations on raising awareness among the immigrant population about gender and sexual diversity.

Action 35
Develop guidance material for interpreters

A digital guidance package on interpretation related to LGBT+ issues will be developed for interpreters, as well as a terminological guide for interpreters related to LGBT+ issues, with the aim of safeguarding minority language speakers' right to be treated in a safe, open and professional manner.

Action 36
Commission research on complex discrimination against queer people from ethnic minority backgrounds

The Government will commission research on complex discrimination against queer people from ethnic minority backgrounds, experiences from voluntary organisations and queer refugees' experiences from the reception, settlement and introduction phases.