LGBT travel

Open landscapes, open minds

Norway was among the first countries in the world to give equal rights to everyone no matter whom they love, and most Norwegians have a liberal attitude towards gay people. Cultural events, yearly parades - and a designated skiing festival for gays and lesbians are among the offerings.

Like its Nordic neighbours, most Norwegians have a liberal attitude towards LGBT people, and the country was among the first to enact anti-discrimination laws against gays and lesbians. In fact, Norway rank as second best in the ILGA-Europe 2017 rating of 49 European countries.

As of now, gay and lesbian couples have the same rights as heterosexuals, including church weddings, adoption and assisted pregnancies. The country is proud of its many openly gay and lesbian politicians and celebrities in sports and entertainment.

If you’re looking for bars, venues and cultural events aimed specifically at a gay and lesbian audience, most of them are found in the big cities like Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim.

Oslo Pride is a large yearly event, attracting thousands of people, where human rights and LGBT issues set the agenda through art, culture, politics - and parties. Similar events can be found in Stavanger, Bergen and Trondheim as well.

A film festival called Oslo/Fusion which focus on gender, sexuality and identity is held every year in Oslo, while the choir Oslo fagottkor was named the world’s best gay choir during an unofficial world championship in Copenhagen in 2009 (their traditional Christmas concerts are usually very entertaining).

Skeive ski, a skiing festival for gays and lesbians, was established in Hemsedal, one of Norway’s best ski destinations, in 2010. The festival is an initiative to establish new meeting places outside the cities.

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