LGBTQ+ inclusion in Norwegian development policy

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This article is a summary of the master's thesis by Mina Strand Fjeldheim, submitted at the University of Bergen in the autumn of 2024. The project was supported by a master's grant from Skeivt Arkiv.

Over the past two decades, LGBTQ+ rights have received increased attention in international development policy. Norway, as one of the world's leading development donors with a commitment to allocate 1% of its GDP to development, has also positioned itself as a champion of human rights and equality. In 2023, several action plans and policy documents show that Norway has committed to addressing LGBTQ+ issues and rights in the development sector.

My master's thesis examines how Norway has approached LGBTQ+ inclusion in development policy between 2007 and 2023. The study maps out key political turning points, inclusion strategies, and the global challenges that have influenced the field. The thesis is a qualitative case study based on interviews with key actors from civil society and governmental institutions, as well as a document analysis of two national action plans: the Action Plan for Women's Rights and Gender Equality in Norwegian Foreign and Development Policy (from 2010 and 2023). Hereafter, these will be referred to as NAP2010 and NAP2023. The findings are divided into two periods: 2005–2014, when LGBTQ+ rights were gradually included in development policy, and 2014–2023, a period marked by further institutionalization, increased funding, and addressing various issues.

The Beginning: "A Paradigm Shift"

According to the study participants, there was little focus on LGBTQ+ rights in Norwegian development policy before 2007, and neither the development sector nor LGBTQ+ organizations in Norway showed much interest in the issue internationally. A change began to take shape around 2005 when a network of civil society actors in Norway initiated efforts to engage Norwegian politicians in LGBTQ+ inclusion.

The change in government in 2005 also made a difference when Erik Solheim became Minister of Development, and his political advisor, Torbjørn Urfjell, showed commitment to including LGBTQ+ issues in development policy. Together, they asked Norwegian embassies to report on their efforts regarding LGBTQ+ rights. The reports revealed that very little was being done beyond HIV/AIDS prevention efforts. At this time, support for LGBTQ+ organizations in recipient countries was often limited to health projects (and HIV/AIDS prevention).

Civil society actors played a crucial role in challenging this approach. An important early project, according to participants, was a collaboration with the Blue Diamond Society in Nepal. Through funding from Norad for a human rights-based project, rather than HIV/AIDS prevention, Norwegian LGBTQ+ activists worked with the Blue Diamond Society against discrimination of LGBTQ+ individuals. This led to a historic victory in the Nepalese Supreme Court in 2007, where the court ruled that LGBTQ+ individuals should have the same rights as other citizens.

At the same time, another significant project was established in Kenya. Norwegian civil society actors helped five small LGBTQ+ groups come together to form what is today known as The Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya (Galck+). They received financial support for an office, which strengthened the LGBTQ+ community's organization and capacity to continue fighting for their rights.

State institutions simultaneously began mapping out how they could work on LGBTQ+ inclusion both multilaterally and through embassies. A key milestone was the development of guidelines for Norwegian embassies (2009), which were later updated in 2013 following the Oslo Conference—an international conference held in collaboration with South Africa. Participants mentioned this conference as an important milestone for Norway's work on global LGBTQ+ inclusion. The conference focused on human rights, sexual orientation, and gender identity, and was described in interviews as one of the first major arenas where LGBTQ+ activists were given an international platform and network.

During this early period, it became clear that individual actors in both politics and civil society were essential in driving LGBTQ+ inclusion forward. The politicians, bureaucrats, and activists who engaged in this work laid the foundation for further institutionalization of LGBTQ+ rights in Norwegian development policy.

However, with increased support for LGBTQ+ rights, opposition also grew internationally. In the years following Norway's rising commitment to LGBTQ+ rights, several countries began using anti-Western rhetoric, portraying LGBTQ+ rights as a Western import. Participants in the study described a time when they realized that overt support could increase risks for LGBTQ+ individuals, yet such support was also urgently needed. The result of growing resistance to LGBTQ+ inclusion, according to a participant, was a shift in approach to avoid reinforcing this rhetoric. Norway then began emphasizing context-sensitive strategies, such as strengthening collaboration with local LGBTQ+ organizations, focusing on capacity-building support, and listening to their needs. Additionally, quiet diplomacy was favored over public condemnation.

In some countries, participants stated that networks were formed between Norwegian embassies and embassies from other LGBTQ+-friendly nations to serve as safe spaces for activists in countries with strict anti-LGBTQ+ laws. For example, when Ugandan activist David Kato was killed in 2011, the Norwegian embassy offered protection to his closest friends and colleagues. These networks aimed to encourage more countries to listen to local LGBTQ+ organizations and their needs, while also fostering greater responsibility for LGBTQ+ inclusion among diplomatic missions in the countries they operated in.

Institutionalization and Emerging Challenges

In 2014, LGBTQ+ rights were more clearly integrated into Norway’s foreign policy through Parliamentary Report No. 10, "Opportunities for All: Human Rights in Norwegian Foreign and Development Policy." This was the first time LGBTQ+ rights were highlighted within a comprehensive political framework, and it remains a cornerstone of Norway’s work on LGBTQ+ rights today.

Since 2014, LGBTQ+ inclusion has increasingly been recognized as relevant across multiple thematic areas in development policy. Norwegian LGBTQ+ organizations, for example, have worked to collaborate with large, established organizations like Save the Children to ensure that LGBTQ+ inclusion becomes a priority within children's rights and poverty reduction efforts.

A civil society participant pointed out that tackling poverty requires a holistic understanding of its causes, including why children become homeless. One example was from Vietnam, where Save the Children Vietnam observed that many homeless children had been expelled from their homes because they were LGBTQ+. This realization led them to explore ways to address the issue. The participant highlighted this case as an example of how working with marginalized groups, like LGBTQ+ individuals, can have tangible impacts on several of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

According to civil society actors, efforts to expand gender perspectives and integrate LGBTQ+ perspectives into multiple development policy areas have been ongoing for years. This work continues and, according to one actor, is particularly evident in the latest Action Plan for Women's Rights and Gender Equality in Norwegian Foreign and Development Policy (NAP2023). This plan includes LGBTQ+ groups to a much greater extent than before, both in language and in concrete areas of action.

Several civil society representatives view NAP2023 as a breakthrough because LGBTQ+ individuals are no longer mentioned only in isolated sections but are incorporated into multiple thematic initiatives. This marks a shift away from a narrow approach—where the primary focus on LGBTQ+ rights was decriminalization—toward a more holistic understanding that examines the structural causes of discrimination and marginalization.

For example, the plan includes LGBTQ+ individuals in focus areas such as sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), acknowledging that these groups face distinct challenges that require specific measures and perspectives.

Civil society participants further explained their efforts to push authorities to understand why LGBTQ+ individuals must be included in other areas—such as humanitarian aid. After crises like the earthquake in Turkey and the war in Ukraine, it became evident that LGBTQ+ individuals were often excluded from humanitarian assistance. Aid packages, for instance, are frequently distributed to families, but if a LGBTQ+ family cannot legally be registered as a family, they are left without access to the support they need.

This underscores the necessity of treating LGBTQ+ inclusion not merely as a human rights issue but as a cross-cutting concern that must be addressed in emergency relief and humanitarian responses as well. It highlights how civil society advocacy for LGBTQ+ inclusion has expanded awareness of which sectors LGBTQ+ rights intersect with and how inclusion must be ensured in practice—even in areas where it was not previously considered a natural part of development efforts.

In light of these developments, the 2023 action plan for women's rights and gender equality stands as a crucial milestone. It references LGBTQ+ rights 39 times, compared to just 6 times in the 2010 action plan. This illustrates a clear progression—where LGBTQ+ inclusion has transitioned from being a marginal issue to becoming a central priority in Norwegian development policy.

Early Initiatives and International Trends

The study shows that individuals from both civil society and the government played a crucial role in putting LGBTQ+ rights on the agenda in Norwegian development policy. This initiative coincided with broader international developments. The Yogyakarta Principles (2007) helped establish a human rights-based framework for LGBTQ+ inclusion, and several international organizations began recognizing LGBTQ+ rights as part of their agenda. In this sense, one could argue that Norway followed a global trend in which several Western countries started funding LGBTQ+ organizations and promoting LGBTQ+ rights through development efforts.

Western Narratives and Criticism of Development Policy

While Western countries have been key drivers of LGBTQ+ rights globally, this engagement has also been criticized for perpetuating colonialist and development policy hierarchies. Rahman (2014) and Klapeer (2018), for example, have argued that Western actors have shaped the global LGBTQ+ discourse toward an idea of "sexual modernization," where countries in the Global South are viewed as outdated and expected to "catch up" with Western norms.

Some aspects of the rhetoric in NAP2010 can be interpreted as relatively confrontational, particularly statements such as Norway would "set requirements for partners" and that "if they do not comply, there must be consequences" for collaboration (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2010, p. 7). Such an approach may have contributed to reinforcing anti-Western narratives that frame LGBTQ+ rights as a Western imposition.

The findings of this study indicate that Norwegian state institutions and civil society took various steps to counter this rhetoric. LGBTQ+ civil society organizations in donor countries, including Norway, formed networks to influence their governments to adopt a more context-sensitive approach. Quiet diplomacy and long-term financial support were highlighted as key tools in this regard. All participants demonstrated an awareness of their impact as representatives of a donor country, illustrating how increasing opposition has clearly influenced the approach to LGBTQ+ issues in Norwegian development policy.

Conditions for Aid: A Source of Conflict

A central question in the debate about LGBT+ inclusion in development policy has been whether aid should be used as a pressure tool to promote queer rights. In 2014, Norway cut aid to Uganda after they introduced a strict anti-homosexuality law. Although this was seen as a strong statement, several LGBT+ organizations argued that such aid cuts could worsen the situation for LGBT+ people in recipient countries by making them scapegoats.

Government representatives emphasized the importance of diplomacy and long-term cooperation, and that "quiet diplomacy" is often more effective than public condemnation. Civil society representatives believed that aid cuts could worsen the situation for local LGBT+ communities and suggested instead that human rights clauses should be incorporated into new aid agreements, so that violations of LGBT+ rights could be considered a "breach of contract" rather than a condition. However, one could still argue that such clauses are a form of implicit condition, indicating that development actors' awareness of their own power is somewhat shifting.

The Anti-Gender Movement and Counterstrategies

One of the biggest obstacles to LGBT+ inclusion in aid policy has been the growing anti-gender movement, which claims that LGBT+ rights are a threat to traditional values, children, and religion.

To address this opposition, Norway has developed several strategies:

1. Collaboration with Religious Leaders: To counter the narrative that LGBT+ rights are incompatible with religion, LGBT+ organizations have collaborated with progressive religious actors.
2. Local Anchoring: By providing direct support to local LGBT+ organizations so they can carry out their work, Norwegian authorities aim to avoid reinforcing the narrative that queer rights are a Western agenda.
3. Incorporation of LGBT+ Rights into Broader Development Work: LGBT+ issues are increasingly included in work on women's rights, anti-discrimination, and humanitarian aid, to avoid isolating them as a "special" Western topic.

From Human Rights to a Broader Understanding of LGBT+ Inclusion

The findings show that Norwegian development policy was initially strongly rooted in a human rights-based approach, but this has evolved into a more holistic understanding of how LGBT+ individuals are affected by social, economic, and cultural structures.

The study indicates that Norwegian LGBT+ inclusion in development policy has evolved from a marginal topic to an integrated focus area. At the same time, global resistance has led to increased awareness of context-sensitive approaches and the importance of local anchoring. Norwegian authorities and civil society organizations have adapted their strategies to avoid reinforcing anti-Western narratives, and there is a growing tendency to view LGBT+ inclusion as a broader issue of equality and poverty.

How Norway balances human rights with diplomacy and local autonomy will be crucial for how LGBT+ rights in development policy evolve in the future.

You can also listen to Mina Strand Fjeldheim talk about her master's project in the podcast "Queer History" from the Queer Archive.