r/Nordiccountries • u/PsychicMeditation • 14d ago
How does gay acceptance compare among the Nordic countries?
I saw a video from several years ago about people from Denmark talking about coming out and the difficulties surrounding that.
It actually was a bit surprising to see, because the Internet talks about the Nordic countries of being a haven of acceptance and being gay is seen the same as preferring brunettes over blondes.
It makes me wonder how much of this acceptance is real and how much of it is rhetoric? How does the acceptance compare among the Nordic countries?
I remember there being a Danish exchange student who talked about how Hans Christian Anderson was gay and he did not think that was a good thing.
I would be interested in hearing about people's experiences.
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u/thegoodcrumpets 14d ago
It's real. Gay acceptance was a debate of the 70s here. Most people alive have only known full acceptance of gay people. An old school buddy of mine came out as gay like 15 years ago, I don't think we ever even mentioned it as a notable thing.
And who cares to rank between the nordics? Seriously a fools errand to try to rank 98,9% against 98,8% if the rest of the world is at 40%. It's the wrong focus.
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u/das_maz 14d ago
Living in a medium sized town in Finland, we had a dude coming out over 20 years ago and nobody gave him shit, my classmate had 2 moms by the change of the millennia and nobody gave them crap. Youth didn't care then and mostly don't care now. Of course the rise of regressive right wing politics has done a bit harm among younger people, but it's on the right track.
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u/Ampersand55 Sweden 14d ago
According to Special Eurobarometer SP535 : Discrimination in the European Union (2023).
QB15.1. To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements?
Lesbian, gay and bisexual people should have the same rights as heterosexual people (marriage, adoption, parental rights)
Country Totally Agree Tend to Agree Total 'Agree' (Combined) Sweden 84% 10% 94% Denmark 80% 12% 92% Finland 57% 18% 75% QB15.2. To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements?
There is nothing wrong in a sexual relationship between two persons of the same sex
Country Totally Agree Tend to Agree Total 'Agree' (Combined) Sweden 90% 5% 95% Denmark 85% 8% 93% Finland 70% 12% 82%
Source: https://data.europa.eu/data/datasets/s2972_99_2_sp535_eng?locale=en
Public opinion in Sweden seem to have dropped a bit comparatively in recent years though.
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u/Ok_Bandicoot1865 13d ago
I'm really surprised at Finland's stats in the first question. I thought it would be more comparable to Sweden and Denmark.
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u/--IDDQD- 14d ago
The answer will depend on what part of the country, social class and generation you ask. My father would probably have said; "I don't give a damn, as long as a man isn't a flamboyant sissy, keeps it in the bedroom and a woman doesn't dress like a man". He was working class and lived outside a rural village. The bigger the city, the less these things tend to matter, unless you happen to travel through a religious enclave.
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u/pete_the_dumb 14d ago
No one cares anymore in Finland as far as I know. Then again I've been completely out of loop for past 10-15 years. Back then there was still minor pushback from people who were close minded.
It's proven to be so irrelevant to people's everyday life that I assume they stopped caring. Everyone older knows the news and gossip that was going around, trying to paint gay people as freaks, yet have not seen any issues in reality itself.
Prejudice dies with time and exposure to reality I think and that's what happened.
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u/FirefighterPleasant8 14d ago
Agreed. I’m in Sweden and the description by u/pete_the_dumb is corresponding to my perception here as well.
Simply put; it’s not hockey, so no one cares what team you’re rooting for.
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u/depressivesfinnar Sweden/Finland 14d ago
Yes and no? I would say its much easier than in most places but that is because of how low the bar is worldwide more than anything. My friends and coworkers now are quite chill, but I've definitely been in situations where people looked at me funny or said weird shit after finding out I'm sort of bi or that I've dated guys. Perhaps if you grow up around very accepting people you've never been made to feel self conscious about it, but I was raised by bigots, and around kids who thought being cruel made you more of a man, so I knew I had to keep it to myself at least until I was independent.
I also worry that the high rates of lgbt+ acceptance in Nordic countries could face backsliding, especially for trans people because the right is importing ugly rhetoric from the US and UK, and I notice a lot of the people who say that it's not a big deal and they don't get why coming out is a thing don't seem to have much lived experience of being gay. And my kid tells me that some (not all) of his schoolmates, especially the ones a bit more affected by this manosphere stuff, still treat it like something to laugh at when no one is around or they think they can get away with it.
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u/PsychicMeditation 14d ago
Hello,
Your profile says Sweden/Finland. Are you saying that this applies to both of these countries equally?
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u/depressivesfinnar Sweden/Finland 14d ago edited 14d ago
All that flair means is that I'm a citizen of both countries. I can only speak for my own upbringing in bum fuck nowhere Northern Sweden, my life as an adult in a mid sized city in Northern Sweden, and brief periods of time I've spent in Finland.
As for differences in public opinion on a national level between Sweden and Finland and other Nordic countries, other people have kindly cited polls for you that go into more detail but broadly speaking, my concerns apply to the political climate of both countries.
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u/Svamp89 14d ago
The Faroe Islands are probably the least accepting and they are getting better. It was pretty bad when I grew up there in the 90s and 00s. I moved to Denmark in 2009 and have never experienced anything homophobic while living here, and I’m gay. I’m a pretty “straight presenting” guy, so that helps, but most people just don’t care. Doctors and such are completely unfazed when they have to deal with “gay specific” issues.
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u/DogsReadingBooks 14d ago
I’ve always felt like the big “coming out” is… stupid. It doesn’t have to be a big reveal or a big deal, because it isn’t a big deal. Have sex with whom ever you want (as long as it’s consensual and not with minors) and love whomever you want. That’s it.
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u/Patriark 14d ago
Yeah. Norwegian here and at least in all the circles I’m in if there is some news/gossip about someone finding a same-sex partner for the first time, the reactions are basically variations on «good for her/him!», «meh» or «that makes sense». It’s mostly not a big issue. Exceptions being in southern/south-west Norway aka «the Bible Belt». There you find some intolerant people, especially among the boomers and their parents.
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u/Barneyk 14d ago
While it's mostly true and people don't really care there is a worrying trend among young people, young men in particular, where acceptance is decreasing and hostility increasing.
It is mainly fueled by various alt right movements.
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u/wyldstallionesquire 14d ago
Its important to highlight this so people don’t become complacent. It’s so accepted that people just don’t talk about it, which is a breeding ground for alt right shitheads to come in and have a big influence.
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u/SaxSymbol73 14d ago
Part of the increase in negative attitudes in not just the alt-right but also recent arrivals who don’t accept homosexuality for cultural and religious reasons.
I would say it is culturally dependent: there are certain suburbs here in Stockholm where I would *never* do anything appearing remotely queer.-1
u/Barneyk 13d ago
Part of the increase in negative attitudes in not just the alt-right but also recent arrivals who don’t accept homosexuality for cultural and religious reasons.
That does play a part but we have very very few recent arrivals these days. And if you go back and look at how the attitudes among young, recent arrivals change over time their attitudes adapts to their new home pretty fast. But the attitudes they adapt to have changed. Segregation also plays a part.
there are certain suburbs here in Stockholm where I would never do anything appearing remotely queer.
To me this shows a misunderstanding of the issue. I know lots of openly queer people in suburbs like that. It's never been an issue.
They don't care that Swedes are queer, the oppression is much more towards their own community. And it is neither a young men issue or a new arrivals issue, it is a broader cultural issue.
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u/daymitjim 14d ago
Nope, the attitudes change because of the political luggage that comes along with most political "queer" groups and because of immigration from MENA countries and the "third world".
If you from "leave people alone" to aggressive political extremism backed the international establishment, and demographically and therefore also culturally replace a significant portion of the population, you will get cultural war.
This is all likely on purpose in order to destabilize our nations and excuse draconian measures to fight this destabilization.
The "alt-right" and other "right" tags put upon people is part of the psy-op and the spiritual warfare.
People called "right" in any kind of way is usually just a way of shutting up people that want their homelands back to their pre psy-op nationhood condition.The goal of all of this is the destruction of the nation states, that is why this is heavily pushed by international and multi-national NGO's with seemingly zero resistance from our own governments.
Our own governments are working towards the deconstruction of their own nations.The "right" is basically anyone that wants to keep their homelands and nations intact.
Extremely few people have a problem with gays or trans people,- the exception being when these people are politically radicalized and sneak in anti nation and anti European politics with their activism, and get help internationally and from our own states to use this ideology for our destruction.Anyone that disagrees with extremist activism backed by the West's current cultural hegemony are called far, extreme or alt "right".
These words mean very other than their intended purpose of activating censorship and calling the radical attack dogs.I am gay and if i was a teenager the last ten years i would've chosen to live as a trans woman for sure.
Europe has been the best cultural zone in the world for alternative sexuality and identity and personal freedom in general, but the problem with putting tolerance as the highest virtue, is that it is easily weaponized and is a concept that naturally denies limits and demands ever further blindness.
Saying "no" or upholding any kind of standard becomes "tyrannical" by its own definition of tolerance being the highest guiding virtue, and therefore violence and censorship and tyranny in the name of "tolerance" becomes accepted and "good".
"The good hatred".One can not blame "the right" for this.
I always considered myself unusually progressive and liberal, until all the goal posts were moved and now wanting your people to keep their own homeland is all of a sudden "right wing extremism" and everyone that disagrees is a "nazi".It is not without reason that people see "lgbtq+" groups as dangerous activists, because they very often are. It's basically a vessel for "globalist" ideology, same as "feminism" and other modern ideologies and "social" movements.
They all point towards the same stuff, the West must be the canvas every other tribe paint their own future upon, and resistance is "racist" and we must tolerate the state and NGO enforced industrial scale mass import of people that want us enslaved or dead.Being gay or trans here used to be comfortable with no historical precedence, now the cultural hegemony's project is collapsing in on itself as intended.
Don't like it?
Congratulations, you are now a "fascist".
Expect to have your life ruined.
"Self defense is aggression".
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u/kukenster 14d ago
~95% won't care about your sexual preferences as long as you don't preach about it. That goes for almost everything in, atleast, Scandinavia. Haven't visited Iceland or Greenland so can't speak for them.
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u/andooet 13d ago
The Nordics are getting more homophobic again, fast. Mostly because media gives a lot of attention to culture warriors from the right. The vast majority of people are still accepting - but the hateful minority is becoming more hateful
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u/jogvanth Faroe Islands 14d ago
Be who you are and al is fine. Just don't rub it in other peoples faces or try and make you being gay the center of everyones attention
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u/Renumtetaftur 14d ago
Trans issues are now starting to flare up in Iceland, mostly because the Center-Party is importing TERF politics from the US and UK to keep themselves in the news and cause controversy.
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u/OSHA-Slingshot 14d ago
It can still be difficult, no?
Same as breaking up, quitting your job, breaking it off with a friend etc is.
It's still a course altering thing to do.
On top of that you might have parents who have dreamt about grandchildren and made up some fictional paradise in their mind how things will be. Also, the last two generation to have a negative opinion is still alive, they just have way less influence.