Report: Growing skepticism towards Pride events in Norway, negative attitudes toward transgender people rise

A recent report reveals a growing skepticism towards Pride celebrations in Norway, even as a majority of the public still views the events as important and supports government participation. The study, titled "Population Attitudes Towards LHB T+ Persons," surveyed 5,066 individuals and found that the percentage of people who feel Pride "takes up too much space" has jumped from 32% in 2022 to 45%.

This increased skepticism is particularly pronounced among men in their 70s and older. Geographically, Oslo residents show the most positive attitudes toward Pride, while the Trøndelag region reports fewer people expressing concern about the event's prominence. Despite these shifts, overall positive attitudes toward lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals remain strong, with negative attitudes having halved since 2008. However, this positive trend has plateaued since 2022.

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We are particularly monitoring the increase in negative attitudes.

The report also highlights a concerning rise in negative attitudes toward transgender people, with a 5 percentage point increase since the last survey. Negative views are more common regarding transgender individuals than toward gay or bisexual people. This skepticism is even more evident when discussing shared facilities like changing rooms, where negative attitudes have increased by ten percentage points since 2022.

Anne Magdalena Solbu Kleiven, division director at the Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs (Bufdir), expressed concern over the rise in negative attitudes. Bufdir emphasizes that increasing knowledge and competence regarding transgender issues and gender diversity is key to fostering societal acceptance. The directorate plans to continue developing initiatives aimed at promoting acceptance and rights for all individuals who deviate from gender and sexuality norms.

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We believe that increased knowledge and competence about transgender people and gender diversity is the key to changing attitudes in society. Bufdir will continue to develop knowledge and measures that promote acceptance and rights for all who break norms for gender and sexuality.