Norway is second regarding LHBT rights

Oslo. Gay Pride festival, LHBT rightsOslo. Gay Pride festival. Photo: Norway Today Media

ILGA says Norway is second best in Europe on LHBT rights

The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) says Norway is second best in Europe on LHBT rights. Norway scored second best of 49 European countries on a ranking based on how good the countries are at ensuring the rights of LHBT people.

 

The organization, ILGA, work to promote lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LHBT) rights in Europe, and they assessed all countries and gave them a score in several areas, including how equal LHBT people are in the eyes of the law, and regulatory institutions, and how good are social institutions at meeting their needs.

Norway climbed from 11th to 2nd place

In this year’s ranking, Norway climbed from 11th to 2nd place , only beaten by Malta, with an average 78% achievement level. This is the  the 17th ranking time ILGA has ranked  LHBT rights.

Denmark and Sweden are in 8th and 12th place, with 68%, and 60% respectively.

In several areas, Norway scored 100%, but ILGA pointed out that Norway could be much better in taking measures against ‘hate crime’, and in this area Norway only scored 36%.

Minister of Equality is proud

The leader of ‘Åpne Høyre’ (Open Conservatives), Helge Ytterøy L’Orange, wrote in a comment to NTB news agency, that the Government profits from Norway’s climb. He mentioned the introduction of the right to choose a legal gender, and the extension of a low-threshold checking offer.

‘The survey shows that Norway and Europe are on target. We must, among other things, work actively against hate crime. To gain better knowledge of LHBT people in all our educational courses, and at family reunification offices here in Norway’, says L’orange.
Minister for Equality, Solveig Horne, Fremskrittspartiet (Frp), also took pride in Norway’s progress.

‘Gay and lesbian, bisexual, trans and intersex (LHBTI) people have never had a better Government in Norway than the Høyre/Frp (Conservatives / Progress Party) Government,’said Horne to VG newspaper.

She told VG that her view of gays had evolved over the years, and allowed the newspaper to call it, in its entirety, a ‘gay adventure’.

Monaco, Armenia, Turkey, Russia and Azerbaijan ranks at the bottom

In place after Norway on the league table came the UK, Belgium and France. At the very bottom, with only 5-10% achievement in the area of equality for LHBT people, came Monaco, Armenia, Turkey, Russia and Azerbaijan.

To temper one’s jubilation over these results, one should remember that the UK, for example, enjoys extremely good relations with Brunei.

The Sultan attended Kate Middleton and Prince Williams’ wedding ceremony, and shortly afterward introduced Sharia law in Brunei.

According to Sharia the punishment for homosexuality can lead to a death sentence by stoning. Almost simultaneously with that, Kate Middleton attended the wedding of her first cousin at the Sultan of Brunei’s owned Dorchester hotel in London, despite vocal protests from a number of high profile celebrities.

 

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today