LGBTQ rights in the Faroe Islands | |
---|---|
Status | Decriminalized since 1933, age of consent equalized in 1988 |
Military | LGBT have been allowed to serve openly in the army since 1978 |
Discrimination protections | Yes, but for hate crime and hate speech only |
Family rights | |
Recognition of relationships | Same-sex marriage since 2017 |
Adoption | Full adoption rights since 2017 |
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in the Faroe Islands are relatively similar to those of Denmark. The progress of LGBT rights has been slower, however. While same-sex sexual activity has been legal in the Faroe Islands since the 1930s, same-sex couples never had a right to a registered partnership. In April 2016, the Løgting (Faroese Parliament) passed legislation legalizing civil same-sex marriage on the Faroes, recognizing same-sex marriages established in Denmark and abroad and allowing same-sex adoption. This was ratified by the Folketing (Danish Parliament) in April 2017. The law went into effect on 1 July 2017.
Same-sex sexual activity has been legal in the Faroe Islands since 1933, when it was legalized in all parts of the Kingdom of Denmark. At that time, the age of consent was set at 18 for male same-sex relations. While Denmark (including the County of Greenland) lowered the age of consent to 15 in 1977, making it gender-neutral, the autonomous Faroe Islands did not follow suit and change its law until 1988. [1]
Denmark legalised same-sex marriage in 2012 and Greenland's identical marriage law took into effect on 1 April 2016, but a similar attempt had been rejected in the Faroe Islands, until a law was finally passed in late April 2016.
An attempt to introduce Denmark's registered partnerships law in the Faroe Islands was considered in 2007, but it was never submitted to the Faroese Parliament; whilst a same-sex marriage bill was rejected by the Parliament in 2014, prior to the 2015 election. Following that election, a same-sex marriage bill was put to the Parliament in September 2015. The proposed bill included civil marriage and full adoption rights for same-sex couples in line with the laws of Denmark and Greenland.
It had its first reading on 24 November 2015 and a second reading was initiated on 16 March 2016, though it was sent back to committee. [2] A petition against same-sex marriage received 1,262 signatures. [3]
The bill was tabled again on 26 April 2016. [4] The Parliament voted for it in its second reading, 19 votes for and 14 against. [5] The third reading of the bill was held on 29 April 2016 and the bill passed again with 19 votes for and 14 against. [6] The bill received formal ratification in the Danish Parliament in April 2017 and received royal assent the following month. [7] [8] The law went into effect on 1 July 2017. The first same-sex wedding in the Faroe Islands was performed on 6 September 2017. [9] [10]
The same-sex marriage legislation passed by the Løgting on 29 April 2016 and ratified by the Danish Parliament on 25 April 2017, contains provisions allowing adoption of children by married same-sex couples. [8] [11] The law went into effect on 1 July 2017. Only married couples can legally adopt children, not single people or unmarried couples.
Despite the recent changes in the marriage law in April 2016, the issues of paternal leave and co-parenting (among other matters) for same-sex couples were left unresolved at the time. [12] [13] On 20 December 2021, two bills submitted by the opposition parties to address the parental rights of same-sex couples were passed in the Løgting at 3rd reading. [14] [15] [16]
Party | Voted For | Voted Against | Abstained (Voted "Blank") | Absent (Did not vote) |
---|---|---|---|---|
G People's Party (8) | 1
| 7
| – | – |
Social Democratic Party (7) | 7
| – | – | – |
G Union Party (7) | 2
| 4
| 1
| – |
Republic (6) | 6
| – | – | – |
G Centre Party (2) | – | 2
| – | – |
Progress (2) | 2
| – | – | – |
Self-Government Party (1) | – | – | – | |
Total | 18 | 13 | 1 | 1 |
As a result of the passed legislations, changes to the law on parental custody went into effect on 1 January 2022. Following the 8 December 2022 general election & the formation of a new government cabinet, the issue of a child's surname raised by two women have been resolved by the Minister of Justice and Internal Affairs, Bjarni Kárason Petersen (Progress) on the first day of his new position on 23 December 2022. [22] [23]
Denmark's prohibition of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation came into force in 1987. The Faroese Parliament proposed a similar bill in 1988, but the bill was rejected with only one member voting for and 17 voting against. [24] The bill was not proposed again until November 2005, when it was again rejected by a vote of 20 to 12. The members who voted against it claimed that since "homosexuality goes against the Bible", discrimination against a person on that basis should be lawful. Numerous insulting remarks were also made by Faroese MPs, including the equating of LGBT people with sinners and pedophiles. [25] [26] The vote attracted the criticism of an Icelandic MP. [27]
Despite the legislative attempts, the issue did not become a source of public debate until 2006, when openly gay musician and popular radio host Rasmus Rasmussen was assaulted by five men in Tórshavn. [28] [29] Rasmussen's family members then began receiving threatening phone calls. However, the police refused to handle the case because there was no Faroese law banning discrimination against sexual minorities at the time. An internet petition collected 20,000 signatures from different parts of world, most of them coming mainly from Denmark, Iceland and the Faroe Islands themselves, urging the Faroese Parliament to legislate against discrimination based on sexual orientation. [30] At the same time, eight women from Tórshavn also collected 2,000 signatures via e-mail through collecting signatures around Faroese shops, tourist centers and gas stations. [31]
At the time, a poll conducted by Faroese newspaper Sosialurin showed that the Faroese public was divided on the issue. [32]
On 15 December 2006, in a 17–15 vote, Faroese legislators approved the inclusion of the words "sexual orientation" in the Faroese anti-discrimination law, stating that "whoever publicly or with the intention of dissemination to a wider circle makes a statement or other communication by which a group of persons are threatened, insulted or degraded on account of their race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion or sexual orientation is liable to pay a fine or be imprisoned for up to two years." [33] [34] When the law took effect on 1 January 2007, the Faroe Islands became the last Northern European country to ban discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation.
Party | Voted for | Voted against |
---|---|---|
G Union Party (7) | 5
| 2
|
G Social Democratic Party (7) | 4
| 3
|
Republic (8) | 7
| |
G People's Party (7) | 6
| |
Centre Party (2) | – | |
Self-Government Party (1) | – | |
Total | 17 | 15 |
Prior to 2012, LGBT rights was not a high-profile issue in the Faroe Islands.
The Faroe Islands had been viewed by neighboring countries and worldwide media as a homophobic country for a long time. Generally, this was because religious observance is stronger and more widespread in the Faroe Islands than any other Nordic country, [36] and due to the lack of LGBT rights, such as recognition of same-sex unions, particularly when compared with other Nordic countries. Both factors created a perception that Faroese people were intolerant of LGBT individuals. In the past, the demonization of LGBT people as "monsters" or "freaks" by Faroese churches or religious leaders was quite common, [25] and until recently there was limited knowledge or discussion of LGBT people and their rights, leading many Faroese LGBT people to remain in the closet for decades out of fear of discrimination. There were also cases of Faroese LGBT people being rejected by family or friends, and of LGBT people being forced to take refuge in other Nordic countries to escape discrimination or to have their rights recognized. Some living overseas even refused to return to the Faroe Islands. [26] [37] On top of that, there were also a number of high-profile homophobic incidents widely reported in the Scandinavian press.
Later developments suggested that the Faroe Islands were becoming more liberal, even though the laws were still relatively conservative compared to other Nordic countries. This was partly due to the outlawing of discrimination towards LGBT people, which in turn encouraged many to come out publicly, and over time the previous negative attitudes towards LGBT individuals have softened. [37] Various LGBT exhibitions on the islands such as "Hvat er natúrligt?", [47] and "Gay Greenland" also helped increase public support for the LGBT community. [48]
In addition, the Faroese LGBT population received support from well-known Faroese figures such as singer-songwriter Eivør Pálsdóttir, who defended gay people in an interview with Icelandic media, saying that those with narrow-minded opinions on gays and transgender people should be ignored. [49] [50]
Despite recent liberalization of attitudes towards LGBT people, limitations on their living conditions remain. Many MPs and government officials still hold homophobic attitudes or use religious reasoning to criticize LGBT people and block moves towards increased LGBT rights. [51] The country scored very low in both the ranking of "Rainbow Map Europe 2013" and "Rainbow Map Europe 2015". [52] [53] [54]
Sonja Jógvansdóttir became the first openly gay person to be elected to the Faroese Parliament after the September 2015 general election. She received 1,020 votes, making her the third-most popular Faroese politician. She was a prominent figure in the fight for the legalization of same-sex marriage. [55]
In recent years, Faroe Pride (fo), held annually in Tórshavn on 27 July, has attracted around 10% of the entire Faroese population. [56] Past guests and speakers have included former mayor of Tórshavn Heðin Mortensen, former mayor of Reykjavík Jón Gnarr, former American ambassador to Denmark Rufus Gifford, local priest Marjun Bæk, and former Icelandic Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir.
Right | Yes/No | Notes |
---|---|---|
Same-sex sexual activity legal | Since 1933 | |
Equal age of consent (15) | Since 1988 | |
Anti-discrimination laws in employment | ||
Anti-discrimination laws in the provision of goods and services | ||
Anti-discrimination laws in all other areas (incl. indirect discrimination, hate speech) | Since 2007 | |
Anti-discrimination laws concerning gender identity | ||
Hate crime laws include sexual orientation | Since 2007 | |
Same-sex marriage(s) | Since 2017 [7] | |
Recognition of same-sex couples | Since 2017 | |
Stepchild adoption by same-sex couples | Since 2017 | |
Joint adoption by same-sex couples | Since 2017 | |
LGBT people allowed to serve in the military | Since 1978; the Kingdom of Denmark responsible for defence | |
Right to change legal gender | Since 1967; another act from 2018 pending [57] [58] | |
Access to IVF for lesbians | ||
Commercial surrogacy for gay male couples | Banned for heterosexual couples as well | |
MSMs allowed to donate blood | / | (Since 2020, 6-month deferral period) [59] |
The politics of the Faroe Islands, an autonomous country of the Kingdom of Denmark, function within the framework of a parliamentary, representative democratic dependency, whereby the Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. The Faroe Islands are politically associated with the Kingdom of Denmark but have been self-governing since 1948. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Løgting. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature and the responsibility of Denmark.
The Faroe Islands are divided into 29 municipalities, six regions/shires and since 2007 there has been only one constituency, earlier there were seven constituencies. Each region has one sheriff.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Denmark since 15 June 2012. A bill for the legalization of same-sex marriages was introduced by the Thorning-Schmidt I Cabinet, and approved by the Folketing on 7 June 2012. It received royal assent by Queen Margrethe II on 12 June and took effect three days later. Polling indicates that a significant majority of Danes support the legal recognition of same-sex marriage. Denmark was the fourth Nordic country, after Norway, Sweden and Iceland, the eighth in Europe and the eleventh in the world to legalize same-sex marriage. It was the first country in the world to enact registered partnerships, which provided same-sex couples with almost all of the rights and benefits of marriage, in 1989.
The British occupation of the Faroe Islands during World War II, also known as Operation Valentine, was implemented immediately following Operation Weserübung the German invasion of Denmark and Norway. It was a small component of the roles of Nordic countries in the war. In April 1940, the United Kingdom occupied the strategically important Faroe Islands to forestall a German invasion. British troops left shortly after the end of the war.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the Faroe Islands:
Same-sex marriage has been legal in the Faroe Islands since 1 July 2017. Legislation allowing same-sex marriage and adoption by same-sex couples was approved by the Løgting on 29 April 2016. The Danish Parliament approved the necessary legislative adaptations on 25 April 2017, and the law received royal assent on 3 May and went into effect on 1 July 2017.
The Faroe or Faeroe Islands, or simply the Faroes, are an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. The official language of the country is Faroese, which is closely related to and partially mutually intelligible with Icelandic.
Høgni Reistrup is a Faroese singer, musician, writer and scientist from Tórshavn, Faroe Islands. He is the co-writer of the book Exit Føroyar ; he wrote it together with Heri á Rógvi. The books was published in 2012 and created a major debate in the Faroe Islands and in Denmark about the problems the Faroe Islands were facing with population decline in the islands, where the biggest problems seemed to be that half of the young people who moved away to study abroad never moved back again; especially the women did not move back again. After a period of six years with negative net migration in the Faroe Islands, the country saw an increase in the population in 2014 and 2015.
The Tour of Faroe Islands is a road cycling race held in the Faroe Islands. The race consists of a men's, women's and juniors' competition over a prologue and four or five stages, which are for elite cyclists and shorter distances for non-elite cyclists. From 2011 to 2013, the race was changed to four stages in three days. The first edition of the Kring Føroyar tour was held in 1996 but it was not an official race; the 1997 Tour was the first official edition of the race. The race is normally held in July shortly before Ólavsøka. In 2012 the race was held from 20 July to 22 July. The last day of the race is held in Tórshavn, and the roads are closed for traffic on that day. In 2015 the race will be held from 22–26 July. For sponsor reasons the name of the tour was Statoil Kring Føroyar, and later when the Faroese company changed its name from Statoil to Effo, the tour was called Effo Kring Føroyar. In 2014 the race got a new main sponsor and the name was changed to Volvo Kring Føroyar. As of 2015, the length of the race is 430 kilometres (270 mi) for elite cyclists and 230 kilometres (140 mi) for youth and senior cyclists.
Progress is a liberal, pro-Faroese independence political party on the Faroe Islands.
Sjúrður Skaale is a Faroese politician, journalist, skydiver, belly dancer, and comedian. He is a member of the Folketing for the Social Democratic Party. From 2008 to 2011 he was a member of the Løgting.
General elections were held in the Faroe Islands on 1 September 2015. Elections for the Danish Folketing were held beforehand on 18 June.
Jenis Kristian av Rana is a Faroese medical practitioner and politician, serving as leader of the Centre Party since 2001. He served as minister of Foreign Affairs and Culture of the Faroe Islands from 2019 until his party's withdrawal from government in November 2022.
Bárður á Steig Nielsen is a Faroese politician and businessman who serves as leader of the Union Party since 2015 and was prime minister from 2019 to 2022. He is also goalkeeper of the VÍF Vestmanna handball team and a former handball player of the Faroe Islands national team.
Bjørt Samuelsen is a Faroese journalist, master in food science and politician (Republic).
Sonja J. Jógvansdóttir is a Faroese journalist, politician, and establisher and coordinator of Samtak, the Faroese trade union center. Until 2015, she was a member of Social Democratic Party (Javnaðarflokkurin). She is a spokesperson for the rights of homosexual people and their rights in the Faroe Islands and was one of the establishers of LGBT Faroe Islands in 2011.
Hanna Jensen is a Faroese high school teacher and a liberal - conservative politician (Progress).
Katrin Kallsberg is a Faroese gynaecologist and politician Republic (Tjóðveldi).
LGBT Føroyar is a political lobbying organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in the Faroe Islands.
The Suðuroyartunnilin is a planned submerged fixed-link in the Faroe Islands, linking the island of Suðuroy to Sandoy. As of 2024, all vehicles and cargo, and virtually all passenger traffic must use the ferry service.
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