Homosexuality in the Faroe Islands

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Geographical location of Faroe Islands

Homosexuality in the Faroe Islands is increasingly discussed in the population after it has long been a taboo topic.

legality

Homosexual acts are not punishable in the Faroe Islands.

Anti-discrimination laws

The law is part of the Danish Penal Code , namely the "Racism Paragraph" 266b, which since December 15, 2006 has also read as follows in the Faroe Islands:

"Section 266 b. Anyone who publicly, or with the intention of disseminating in a wider circle, makes statements or other statements with which a group of people is threatened, mocked or degraded because of their race, skin color, national or ethnic origin, belief or sexual orientation, is with Penalty or prison up to 2 years.
Paragraph 2. The sentence is exacerbated if the act has the character of a propaganda campaign. "

- Straffeloven § 266b

The above legal text, including sexual orientation , has been in force in Denmark since 1987. Denmark was the first country in the world to introduce the Registered Partnership shortly afterwards . In the Faroe Islands, however, this change was not adopted until 20 years later. The Faroe Islands are part of the Kingdom of Denmark in terms of foreign policy, but have enjoyed internal autonomy since 1948 , according to which Danish laws first have to be ratified by the Faroese parliament, the Løgting , in order to also apply on the islands. Only then can the Danish head of state (currently Queen Margrethe II ) proclaim a law for the Faroe Islands.

On November 2, 2005, the left-wing Republican Løgtings MPs Annita á Fríðriksmørk and Finnur Helmsdal ( Tjóðveldisflokkurin ) made a renewed attempt to adapt Section 266b accordingly in the Faroe Islands and thus to protect gays and lesbians from discrimination. Prime Minister Jóannes Eidesgaard also supported this campaign, but in Løgting there was resistance across all parties, so that the first attempt failed: At the first reading on November 18, the draft was referred to the Legal Affairs Committee, where it was submitted on November 21 and 28 November was treated. The members Alfred Olsen , Sverre Midjord , Marjus Dam and Bill Justinussen formed the majority there and recommended the Løgting to reject the draft. One of the reasons was that no population group should be given preference and that all citizens were equally protected. On December 13th, the draft fell through in the second reading by 12:20 votes.

At Christmas 2005 the situation escalated when the pastor of Hvalvík , Mogens Tilsted Christensen , in a letter to the editor to the daily Dimmalætting, made a connection between the prosperity of the Faroe Islands and the modest way of life of their residents and compared homosexuals with pedophiles. Thereupon he was reported by the musicians of the punk band 200 for racist propaganda according to § 266b. The Prosecutor of the Faroe Islands justified the termination of the proceedings with the fact that Section 266b in the Faroe Islands does not provide any special protection for homosexuals from such statements.

At the end of September 2006, the Faroe Islands guitarist Rasmus Rasmussen ( Makrel ) was beaten up on the street in Tórshavn for his open homosexuality and then threatened with death by telephone. Rasmussen had to receive inpatient psychiatric treatment while his father and others led the movement to amend Section 266b. The matter became a main topic in the Danish media and also reported in German newspapers. For example, the Danish artist group Surrend took on the matter.

Contrary to the custom of internal non-interference between Denmark and the Faroe Islands, the Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen spoke out critically, and the Nordic Council also expressed great concern.

20,000 signatures were collected on the Internet (primarily from Faroers, Icelanders and Danes), and a women's knitting club from Tórshavn contributed another 2,000 signatures that were collected on site. On December 15th, the final reading of the draft law took place in Løgting and the close vote at 17:15 for the draft.

This made the Faroe Islands one of the last countries in Western Europe and the last country in Northern Europe to introduce legal protection for homosexuals from discrimination.

Same-sex marriage

On April 29, 2016, the Faroe Islands parliament endorsed same-sex marriage . In April 2017, the Danish Parliament deleted the article in the marriage law that exempted the Faroe Islands from introducing same-sex marriages; the Queen's signature took place on May 3, 2017. The opening of the marriage took effect on July 1, 2017.

Føroya Pride

In 2005 there was the Føroya Pride festival for gay, bisexual and transsexuals in the Faroe Islands for the first time .

In 2007 there was another Føroya Pride from August 17th to 19th with participants from different Nordic countries. There were lectures, panel discussions, films, singing together and a demonstration with a rally in the middle of Tórshavn . The main speech was given by the Faroese politician Finnur Helmsdal , in which he advocated the introduction of same-sex civil partnerships.

See also

Web links

 Wikinews: "Gay Law" passed in the Faroe Islands  - news

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Danish Wikipedia
  2. ↑ Tjóðveldisflokkurin : Draft law  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (in Danish, rationale and history in Faroese)@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.tjodveldi.fo  
  3. ↑ Surrend.org: The Faroes: I am Faroese, ergo, I am a closet fag. ( Memento of the original from June 12, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (without a date) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.surrend.org
  4. ↑ Gaystarnews: Faroe Islands says yes to same-sex marriage
  5. ↑ Theperchybird.wordpress.com: Faroes Islands same-sex marriage bill receives royal assent
  6. ↑ Aldo Keel: The Faroe Islands introduce gay marriage. Neue Zürcher Zeitung from August 10, 2017
  7. ↑ portal.fo : Føroya Pride av á hesum sinni , August 19, 2007
  8. ^ Pinknews.co.uk: Pride politician calls for same-sex partnership scheme , Aug. 20, 2007