Sweden, Europe

Sweden is considered to be one of the most gay-friendly countries in Europe and possibly the world when it comes to laws surrounding homosexuality. The Swedish Constitution bans discrimination on grounds of "sexual orientation". Due to the strong sense of secularism dominating in most of the country and government, Sweden today is seen as a campaigner of gay rights. Despite this, same-sex marriage is still not legal, although civil unions are looked upon as a form of marriage within Swedish law. Sweden may be the seventh country to legalize SSMs, sometime in 2009. Since 1972, there has been an equal age of consent set at 15, regardless of sexual orientation and/or gender.

 

 

Sweden’s Top Pop Star, Darin, Comes Out

Darin, who is one of Sweden’s biggest pop stars, came out as gay via his Instagram account saying everyone should, “be able to be proud and accepted for who they are”. “I know how difficult it can be,” he wrote. “Took me a while, but I am proud to be gay. Happy pride!” 33-year old… Read more »

Swedish crown princess makes history with first-ever visit to an LGBT organisation

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and her husband Prince Daniel have made a historic royal visit to an LGBT+ organisation, sending a clear message of support in the face of growing nationalist politics. The royals were given a tour of RFSL and RFSL Ungdom’s national office in Stockholm to gain an insight into the challenges… Read more »

Swedish government grants $175,000 to fund drag queen story hours for children

The Swedish government is investing SEK 1.7 million, the equivalent of $175,000, to fund drag queen story hour shows for children and those with disabilities. The investment will come from the Swedish Inheritance Fund, a state body that manages the inheritance money of Swedes who die without a written will and next of kin. The… Read more »

Sweden votes in law to make sex illegal without consent

Sweden has passed a law to make sex illegal without explicit consent. The historic vote marks a victory for campaigners who have worked to implement the legislation for more than a decade. ? “Today’s vote marks a huge victory for women’s rights activists in Sweden who have been campaigning tirelessly for this change for more… Read more »

Is this gay-owned Swedish B&B the chicest ever?

Welcome to Lådfabriken, where heaven is an island near Gothenburg Do you ever crave real quiet? The sort of silence you can actually hear? If that’s the case, then you’re in luck. Lådfabriken, on the island of Edshultshall on Sweden’s west coast, provides exactly that. This unspoiled wilderness is just over an hour’s drive from… Read more »

Swedish police slammed for deporting gay Ugandan

Sweden’s justice watchdog has sharply criticised the the way in which a gay Ugandan man was sent home to face possible life imprisonment and even death, even though his case was under review. The man, who first sought asylum in 2012, was expelled from Sweden three days after a court had ordered his rejected asylum… Read more »

Far-Right Group Interrupts Stockholm Pride Parade

A far-right group interrupted Stockholm’s annual Pride Parade on Saturday. Several outlets reported that a fight broke out when 10-15 men interrupted the parade with a banner which read “Protect the nuclear family” next to an image of a crossed out rainbow flag. The far-right group Nordisk Ungdom, or Nordic Youth, claimed credit for the… Read more »

Travel: A gay hipster guide to Stockholm

Adam Groffman of Travels of Adam writes about the delights of the Swedish capital Stockholm. Listen, I know you hear “Stockholm” and you might first think “cold.” But you’re wrong. Well, you’re not entirely wrong. The city can be cold (it’s Sweden, after all). But it’s also just so very cool. There’s an incredible mix… Read more »

Swedish sensation: how Stockholm became a modern gay mecca

Between EuroGames and Stockholm Pride, this stylish city is having its gayest year yet – from smorgasbords to schlager rooms, GSN finds out how the Scandi capital took on the world of LGBT travel and won If ever there is a time to visit Stockholm, it’s the summer of 2015. Already there’s a palpable buzz… Read more »

Love against all the odds: Lesbian Muslim couple from Iran tie the knot in Stockholm… and the delighted imam is gay too!

Sahar Mosleh and Maryam Iranfar married in Swedish capital Stockholm Both were forced to flee Iran where gay people are given the death penalty The couple were married by Imam Ludovic Mohamed Zahed Imam Zahed who is Algerian but lives in South Africa is also gay Beaming with pride, their faces wreathed in smiles, this… Read more »

Sweden and US fight homophobia together

Reinfeldt and Obama have stood side by side and affirmed their joint commitment to protect the human rights of LGBT people globally, writes the US ambassador to Sweden as he explains why he is “anti anti-gay”. Many of you may know the story of Matthew Shepard a 21-year-old American university student who was beaten, tortured… Read more »

Sweden looks into underage sex changes

The Swedish minister with LGBT rights in his portfolio will look into whether Swedes younger than 18 should have access to changing their gender in official documents. Integration Minister Erik Ullenhag, whose office also has responsibility for questions concerning lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights, has appointed a review into whether people in Sweden whose… Read more »

Sweden Adopts a Gender-Neutral Pronoun

Swedes are shaking up their language with a new gender-neutral pronoun. The pronoun, “hen,” allows speakers and writers to refer to a person without including reference to a person’s gender. This month, the pronoun made a big leap toward mainstream usage when it was added to the country’s National Encyclopedia. The majority of world languages… Read more »

Sweden: Gay couple married in Sweden say their families back home are being harassed

The families of two Ugandan men living in Sweden, who claim they are the first gay couple from their country to get married, have been harassed over the couple’s marriage. Lawrence Kaala and Jimmy Sserwadda were married in January at a church in Järfälla, a suburb north of the Swedish capital, Stockholm. Mr Sserwadda’s elderly… Read more »

First Ugandan gay couple to marry in Sweden

Stockholm – Two Ugandan men who married in a Swedish church claim to be the first Ugandan gays to be legally married. One of the newly wed husbands faces possible deportation to Uganda where homosexuality is illegal and can carry a lifelong prison sentence. The Local reported Lawrence Kaala and Jimmy Sserwadda married just over… Read more »

Travel: Vibrancy and tradition in gay Stockholm

Home to international icons including IKEA and H&M, Stockholm is a vibrant city filled with great people, great food and lots of activities for the LGBT community. On a recent vacation to this fabulous destination, I spent three magical days in a city that I rank as one of the top vacation spots in all… Read more »

Eurovision winner speaks out against Azerbaijan gay rights record

Sweden’s Loreen met with human rights activists before winning the international pop contest Eurovision winner Loreen, who stormed to victory last night (26 May) at the Eurovision Song Contest, has spoken publicly about Azerbaijan’s gay rights record. The Swedish pop star met with human rights activists this week in the capital to encourage their fight… Read more »

The Future of HIV Prevention Among MSM in Europe

Towards better sex with less harm for gay and bisexual men in Europe Good Morning The title of our conference asks us to consider the future, and I hope over the next two days we will all be looking forward. The future is inevitable. But what it looks like is not. The evidence base for… Read more »

Gay Sweden News & Reports 2010

1 Group: Sweden is Europe’s gay-friendliest country 6/10 2 Tens of thousands march in Sweden Gay Pride 7/10 3 Scandinavian airline to hold first mid-air gay wedding 9/10 4 ‘Transphobic’ attack at trans conference in Sweden 10/10 03-June-2010 – GLT 1 Group: Sweden is Europe’s gay-friendliest country by Rex Wockner ILGA-Europe — the European Region… Read more »

Gay Sweden News & Reports 2008-09

1 Swedes supportive of gay marriage 1/08 2 Infections up 20% in Sweden 2/08 3 High court to rule on gay marriage dispute 5/08 4 Swedes donate 5,000 euros to Warsaw Pride 5/08 5 Sober gays will gather at EuroPride 6/08 6 Stockholm gets ready for EuroPride 7/08 7 Stockholm police confirm stabbing of gay… Read more »

Gay Sweden News & Reports 1999-2007

1 Gay Iranian Faces Sure Execution if Expelled from Sweden 1/99 1a Gay Iranian man granted asylum in Sweden 9/99 2 Swede Parliament Has the Most Women 12/99 3 Sweden Seeks to Bolster Gay Couples’ Right to Adopt 2/02 4 Sweden OKs Same-Sex Adoption Plan 6/02 5 Swedish gay couples may get own adoption agency… Read more »