Norway: A woman is accused of harassment for questioning a man who uses the women's changing room at a fitness centre. This is the translation of the case review.

Pride has reached its peak.

The Norwegian parliament won't raise the flag for Pride. This should be respected.

The rainbow flag has become a political symbol, writes Tonje Gjevjon.

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Society                  Tonje Gjevjon
Opinion

21/06/2019

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Topic: The Norwegian parliament are criticised for not raising the rainbow flag during Pride. Writer and artist Tonje Gjevjon means this is a principled decision which should be respected.

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As certain as Pride takes place in June, as sure are we to witness some poor mayor or other politician be harshly criticized for refusing to raise the Pride flag. The Pride flag and pillory has become a sort of tradition, with ample help from the media.

The most recent is MP for The Greens, Une Aina Bastholm, who had to "take a deep breath" when the parliament's presidium said no to raising the rainbow flag outside the parliament building during Pride. But Bastholm isn't alone in making it appear as if the parliament and others are against diversity and inclusion because they won't raise the Pride flag.

Mari Holm Lønseth from the Conservatives wrote in one of the national tabloids, Dagbladet, a few days ago that all councils must be inclusive and that they should all raise the Pride flag. Politicians are criticised for not attending the Pride parades, the latest being Minister for Children, Family and Church Affairs, Kjell Ingolf Ropstad and other representatives from the Christian Democratic Party. Everyone has to join in, whether they want to or not.

The main issue is that Pride is a political arrangement and that the presidium for the parliament do not wish to raise flags during various political dates and arrangements. This is a principled decision that should be respected.

Pride is political

Parliament doesn't raise the red flag during 1 May, or the women's liberation flag during 8 March. In fact, Pride has been more celebrated and has had more flags raised than any other arrangement. This has over the years given the Pride organisations enormous power. It's become big business, there are Pride parades across the world on grand scales from June to September. Could it be too much? Has Pride reached its peak? I think so.

Because even if Pride started as a human rights movement for lesbians and gay men, something that I and most people support, it has developed to become something entirely different today.

Aside from rejecting sexual dimorphism, biology and anatomy as essential for defining sex, Pride fronts many controversial causes. These are only some of them:

#Dismantling the Nordic model of prostitution as is law today, glorification of prostituted women as individuals who "love their jobs" and experience selling sexual services as "empowering".

#Legalisation of surrogacy. This is currently illegal in Norway and it is only the LGBT+ organisations FRI and Pride who lobbies for and promotes this cause. Similarly to the methods used to promote prostitution, here the myth of the happy surrogate is used; a woman who claims to be perfectly happy to go through pregnancy and childbirth only to give up the child to someone who's involuntary childless.

#BDSM courses with "Mini workshop: rope and impact play".

#Polygamist's need for large families. I have attempted to summarise based on how polygamists are described in the Pride programme: "If one wishes to have several lovers, partners, intimate friends - to establish relations which includes moving in together and starting a family - this isn't as easy as you'd think". No, it isn't, because taking several wives isn't legal in Norway.

#Puberty blockers from the age of 12 to children who believe they're "born in the wrong body".

Not my cup of tea

If Islamic or Christian organisations promoted polygamy, surrogacy, the legalisation of buying sex and the legalisation of conversion therapy using puberty blockers for 12 year olds and later on, surgical procedures, I imagine the response from politicians and the general public would be different.

But it seems as if these causes are accepted both by politicians and the general public, as long as they're wrapped in glitter and rainbow colours. FRI and Pride receive large amounts of public funding. In the Labour party's manifesto FRI is highlighted as an organisation that deserves particular focus.

Pride and FRI often talk about vulnerable youth to gain people's sympathy. But if you look at who attends the Pride parade, most are grown men and women, not teenagers. Adult men or women in rubber and leather and drag queens has little to do with lesbian and gay love. In fact, it has nothing to do with same-sex love. I'm in full support of demonstrations for human rights, but men and women who think their sexual fetishes are of public interest isn't my cup of tea. There are plenty of clubs for this already.

One  flag should be enough

As Lars Birkelund wrote in his piece "one flag should be enough", published by the left wing paper Klassekampen recently, the Norwegian flag stands for freedom from discrimination, regardless of sexual identity or orientation. The parliament flags everyday with the Norwegian flag. So the question is; isn't the Norwegian flag inclusive enough? Doesn't it cover the diverse society that we are today?

Yes, we are many lesbians and gay men who do not attend Pride and who react to what Pride has become. Of course we support lesbians and gay men's rights but at the same time we support the parliament and mayors right to not raise the Pride flag.

We are a nation with a tolerant and inclusive population, and this is mirrored in our laws. The national anthem, "yes we love this country",  is a fine stanza that most of us can gather around.





Original: https://subjekt.no/2019/06/21/det-star-respekt-av-stortingets-nei-til-a-flagge-under-pride/