What is it like to be queer and religious in Norway?

Illustration photo: Ben White / Unsplash

A new research project examines what it is like to live as a queer person in religious environments in Norway.

– We have little knowledge about what it is like to be queer and religious in a Norwegian context, says senior researcher Fredrik Langeland at Nordland Research Institute .

The project "Experiences with conversion therapy among queers" will, as the title suggests, examine the concept of conversion therapy.

– But the project has a broader scope than just conversion therapy, says Langeland.

– To gain a nuanced understanding of this topic, we are taking a broad approach and will gather various types of experience-based knowledge about being queer and religious in a Norwegian context.

Occurs in various arenas

The Ministry of Culture and Equality defines conversion therapy as "using methods with the aim of getting another person to change, deny or suppress their sexual orientation or gender identity, which is clearly likely to cause psychological harm to the person concerned."

The researchers have already conducted in-depth interviews with several people who have been exposed to various forms of conversion therapy.

– Conversion therapy can also occur in contexts where people may not think about it happening, in informal contexts, or in meetings with healthcare professionals, for example, says Langeland. 

Important contribution

The project group is also conducting a survey and many responses have been received. 

– But there is room for more, says Langeland.

The survey consists of 53 questions about being queer and religious, and about conversion therapy. The survey takes 10-15 minutes to complete and the researchers encourage all queer people to participate.

– It is important to highlight experiences that we do not have any systematized knowledge about before, says Langeland.

– People contributing gives us the opportunity to say something about the content and breadth of experiences that come with being queer and religious. It's incredibly important for increasing knowledge about the field.

Langeland emphasizes that the research project does not have an agenda to blacken the situation for queer people in religious environments.

“We are also looking for different types of experiences. It will also be possible to give longer answers if you feel that our questions are not quite right,” he says.