Sweden looks beyond its borders

The 2008 Stockholm Pride Parade was themed Swedish Sin, Breaking Borders to focus on international gay and lesbian issues.

Pride president Jonah Nylund explained, The theme has two aims. One is to show pride over the progress made in Sweden for homosexuals, bisexuals and transgenders.

The other is to highlight the problems in the rest of the world, mainly in Eastern Europe where gay Pride events are banned and attacked time and time again.

To demonstrate their commitment, Parade organisers donated €5,000 to Warsaw Pride. Nylund said, Our Polish lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered friends face hard resistance both in politics and as individuals. It is therefore important that we support-¦ the arrangers of Warsaw Pride, both financially and by our own presence.

Sweden’s gay and lesbian population enjoys almost complete equality legislation. In recent years, Swedish activists have been channelling their energies to push for cultural acceptance in other nations.

Uppsala-born Stefan, 34, (name substituted) supports Swedish groups attempting to help countries less accepting of diversity.

I would say it’s good to do something. It’s important to offer support for their issues. It’s in our blood to help people. I just don’t know how much of an influence we can be on the international community, he said.

The activist group, the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Rights (RFSL), is attempting change on the world stage: they were granted consultative status to the UN Economic and Social Council in 2007.

RFSL now has the possibility to-¦ affect and improve the situation for the world’s LGBT persons. We will do everything we can to ensure that everyone has the same opportunities, rights and obligations, regardless of sexual orientation, RFSL president Sören Juvas said.

In the same year, RFSL donated 1.1 million Swedish crowns (approximately $AU207,000) to the International Lesbian and Gay Association, money given to the RFSL by a government agency attached to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

I’m not surprised that Swedes are donating overseas. We believe you should do these things for other countries, said Stefan, who’s been living in Sydney for two years.

At a Europe-wide level, Sweden’s EU Affairs Minister, Cecilia Malmstrom, is determined to create change.

I am proud to represent a Government who wants to be a strong voice for the rights of LGBT people. I will speak about human rights and that they are universal and that it’s depressing that LGBT people’s rights are violated in Europe today, she said.

On the domestic front, there is a strong push by Sweden’s three opposition parties to create gender-neutral marriages or in essence legalise same-sex marriage. This would take civil unions, legal since 1995, up one rung on the equality ladder.

Of the seven major political parties, six support legalising same-sex marriage. The only party against are the Christian Democrats. It’s only a matter of time. There is a sense in Swedish society that no one should be excluded, everyone should have an opportunity and everyone should be treated equally, Stefan said.

Swedish thinking is that everyone should be mixed together, not to divide people.