Trans people are a particularly vulnerable group and face various obstacles throughout their lives, not least in working life, where they experience worse conditions as a group than the majority population. Today, there is limited knowledge of the working life conditions for trans people and the underlying factors that affect their employment. The national studies that have been published have different areas of focus, but collectively they can provide a clearer picture of working life conditions for trans people in the Nordic countries.

This publication summarises the field of knowledge in the Nordic countries. By consolidating existing research, the publication helps to identify and, in some cases, fill knowledge gaps and thereby be of use to the Nordic countries. The knowledge review aims is to make trans people’s working life conditions visible to enable dialogue and identify needs and measures for improvement. 

We are now launching a publication that provides an introduction to the state of knowledge in the field of older LGBTI people’s living conditions and how researchers and other experts in the field describe urgent problems and knowledge gaps and identify actions required for change.

The publication summarises and provides an introduction to the state of knowledge in the field and how researchers and other experts describe problems and gaps in knowledge and identify actions required for change. It summarises the key messages from a high-level expert meeting held in connection with the launch of the Nordic report: “He went back into the closet”: Older LGBTI people’s interactions with health and social care in the Nordic countries.

The report’s title: “He went back into the closet” reflects the experiences of some older LGBTI people when they move into care homes where their needs are not properly met.

Key messages in selection

• Trans care is negatively affected by the fact that trans people are still pathologised in all the Nordic countries.
• There is a lack of research on health professionals in relation to LGBTI issues. More research is needed.
• There is a need for more knowledge on the specific health problems and diseases of older LGBTI people
• Better working conditions for health professionals lead to better care for LGBTI people.
• Provide funding for research and educational materials on older LGBTI people.

The situation for LGBTI people in the Nordic countries has changed radically in recent decades. This has resulted in increased access to social and legal rights, enhanced protection against discrimination, increased visibility and more opportunities for community. Nevertheless, studies show that a gender identity or sexual orientation that does not follow the conventional norm still significantly increases the risk of ill health.

How do these conditions affect older LGBTI people’s opportunities in ageing and what happens in contact with health and social care? The Nordic Council of Ministers has initiated a project that will contribute to increased knowledge about the living conditions and quality of life of older LGBTI people, especially in their encounter with health and social care. The report is based on 38 publications consisting of both quantitative and qualitative studies.

Many LGBTI people in the Nordic countries today experience violence, hate speech, threats and harassment in various forms. This is serious, especially since these crimes are often motivated by hatred of individuals based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. But the Nordic countries are also working to develop long-term policies to improve this situation.

As part of this work, the Nordic Council of Ministers initiated a project that focuses on hatred directed at LGBTI people in the Nordic countries. Nordic Information on Gender (NIKK), located at the Swedish Secretariat for Gender Research, was commissioned to survey relevant strategies, actors and initiatives in the Nordic countries and present the results of this survey in a report.

This survey shows that the majority of countries are working proactively to prevent and identify hate crimes against people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. This work often involves government agencies and authorities as well as civil society organisations.

The survey also highlights some of the challenges and differences in how the Nordic countries are working to combat hate crime against LGBTI people. Below is a summary of these countries’ initiatives related to hate crime in various areas.

Despite the fact that life conditions of LGBTI persons in the Nordic countries have changed in the last seventy years, major public health surveys indicate that this group suffers from an increased amount of mental and physical health issues compared to the rest of the population.

Younger generations of LGBTI persons see their lives affected, too, by having a sexuality or gender identity that falls outside heteronormativity. Among other factors, this is due to the exposure to stress that LGBTI persons experience in daily life, so-called minority stress. This includes the risk of or actual harassment, vulnerability, and violence. Further, it includes facing prejudice and discrimination in everyday life, having to sometimes conceal your identity, and dealing with internalized homo- and transphobia, which in turn have detrimental effects on health.

The Nordic Council of Ministers, therefore, has initiated a project that aims to shed light on the well-being of young LGBTI persons. The purpose of the project is to promote knowledge and experiences in the region, in order to contribute to improved life conditions for young LGBTI persons in the Nordic countries. Nordic Information on Gender, NIKK, has carried out the project, which has resulted in the report at hand.

The report consists of two parts:

• A literature review describing the current state of research regarding the wellbeing of young LGBTI persons in the Nordic countries, and
• A survey, presenting a selection of efforts aimed to improve the well-being of young LGBTI persons in the Nordic countries.

Summaries of the report in Nordic languages

DK: Resumé af rapporten: Helbred, velvære og levevilkår blandt unge LGBTI-personer i Norden: En forskningsoversigt og kortlægning af initiativer

FI: Raportin yhteenveto: Nuorten LGBTI-henkilöiden terveys, hyvinvointi ja elinolot Pohjoismaissa: Tutkimuskatsaus ja aloitteiden kartoitus

IS: Samantekt af skýrslunni:Heilsa, líðan og lífsskilyrði ungs hinsegin fólks á Norðurlöndunum: Rannsóknaryfirlit og kortlagning aðgerða

NO: Oppsummering av rapporten: Helse, velvære og livsvilkår hos unge LGBTI-personer i Norden: En forskningsoversikt og kartlegging av tiltak