Building Safer Queer Cities in the Nordics

Norwegian office arranges big LGBT+ workshop

 

The first important initiative from our Norwegian office has been to host an important workshop in collaboration with Reykjavik Municipality and the Canadian Centre for the Prevention of Radicalization Leading to Violence (CPRLV).

While the Nordics are generally seen as a safer and more democratic part of the world, we cannot ignore the recent rise in violence, harassment, and hate against LGBT+ individuals.

The Annual ILGA report highlights severe threats to LGBT+ safety across the Nordic countries. This workshop aimed to address these pressing challenges by exchanging knowledge and recommending actionable steps for creating safe and inclusive cities.

Highlights from the workshop

At the two-day workshop, the participants discussed many important challenges. Here are some key takeaways from the discussions:

1. Visibility and Inclusive Urban Design: It’s vital to show support for LGBT+ communities year-round, not just during Pride. By promoting intersectionality and inclusivity in urban design—such as rainbow paths and highlighting LGBT+ history in public spaces—we can foster a sense of belonging and safety.
2. Establish Councils for Gender and Sexual Diversity: Ensuring that queer voices are included in decision-making processes is crucial. That can be done by providing valuable training for public service employees in diversity and inclusion, and dedicated councils can play a pivotal role in this.
3. Create Structures and Action Plans to Combat Hate Speech: Addressing hate in both physical and digital spaces is essential. By ensuring improved reporting mechanisms for incidents and collaboration between civil society organizations and municipalities we can effectively tackle these challenges.
4. Ensure Resources for Implementation: For initiatives to be effective, municipalities and police forces must be adequately funded. Without proper support, well-intentioned action plans risk becoming mere paperwork, lacking real-world impact.

Joint efforts for change

In the words of Deputy Director Lotte Fast Carlsen:

– At Nordic Safe Cities, we are dedicated to fostering safe and inclusive democratic societies across the Nordics for all citizens. We will continue to work collaboratively and address these issues with our partners and communities, not just during this workshop, but as an ongoing commitment to inclusivity and safety, she says.

A huge thank you to all the participants. Their valuable insights on the need for a continuous focus on hate speech and violence against the LGBT+ community, and how to secure strong representation, inclusion, and safe urban spaces for all has been vital.

Also thanks to the Nordic Council of Ministers for funding the workshop.

Let’s continue the important work of fostering inclusion for all!