The Swedish Government is making several efforts to counter racism and strengthen the rights of LGBTQ people.

Sweden
Photo By Tage Olsin, Hofres (Original Image) [GFDL or CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

The Swedish Government strengthens the national plan against racism and hate crime by 10 million SEK per year from 2020. At the same time, efforts to strengthen the rights of LGBTQ persons with 14 million SEK per year from 2020, and a temporary reinforcement of further 10 million SEK per year is calculated for 2021 and 2022. It is the largest investment to date in this area.

Initiatives to counter racism

The Swedish Security Police’s yearbook for 2018 shows that a xenophobic and radical nationalist idea flow has increased in society, mainly via the Internet. It contributes to a picture of a growing broad radical nationalism that includes radical and violent groups. In the government’s view, these ideas and racist organizations spread, for example, anti-Semitic, Islamophobic and Afrophobic messages.

An increased knowledge and awareness is required to respond to and deal with the breeding grounds of racism. Hatred crimes should be prevented and combated. Crime victims should feel that society takes the crimes – and the victims’ vulnerability – very seriously.

The government therefore wants to strengthen the national plan against racism and similar forms of hostility and hate crimes. A reinforcement provides scope for continued and new efforts in the framework of the plan’s focus areas: improved coordination and follow-up, more knowledge, education and research, civil society: increased support and deepened dialogue, strengthened preventive work on the net, and a more active judicial system. The Government intends to invest 10 million SEK a year from 2020.

LGBTQ rights are strengthened

In recent years, several reforms have been implemented that have strengthened the situation of LGBTQ people. Despite this, major challenges remain in the world, but also in Sweden. Same-sex couples run the risk of being trapped when they become parents due to legislation that is not adapted to the needs of rainbow families. LGBTQ people have poorer mental health than the population at large and particularly worrying is the situation for transgender people.

The reform work must therefore continue in order for LGBTQ people to live a life of freedom where their rights and identity are fully respected.

The Government intends to strengthen the work through an action plan for equal rights and opportunities for LGBTQ people, which will complement other efforts and strengthen the work going forward. 14 million SEK is added to the action plan per year from In 2020, and for 2021 and 2022, a time-limited increase of an additional 10 million SEK per year is expected.

The action plan will focus on current challenges and concrete actions. The action plan will strengthen and complement the strategy for equal rights and opportunities regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression and will focus on current challenges and concrete measures. Organisations representing equal rights of LGBTQ people will be invited to a dialogue on the content of the action plan.

The initiative clearly shows that the situation of LGBTQ people is a priority issue for the Government and that it is a job that needs to be done in the long term.

When cold winds blow in society that challenges all people’s equal value, we must both guard the progress made but more importantly, take new steps forward. That is why we are now making a historically large investment in combating racism and strengthening the rights of LGBT people, says the Swedish Minister of Gender Equality Åsa Lindhagen.

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